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Beauty

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“The rose’s fragrance, the garden’s lushness, and the night sky’s grandeur affect us because we are built to appreciate beauty and to experience awe. To leap to a supernatural source for these powerful but ordinary feelings is to indulge in wishful thinking, romantic embellishment, and metaphoric fantasizing.”
Eric Maisel (born 1947) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The country is crazy with barrenness, and the sea mocks it with its terrible beauty.”
Elizabeth Drew Stoddard (1823–1902) said by 1902 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Expression, child of soul! I fondly trace Thy strong enchantment, when the poet's lyre, The painter's pencil cathch thy sacred fire, And beauty wakes for thee her touching grace”
Helen Maria Williams (1759–1827) first seen 1786 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: From 'Sonnet - to Expression', Poems 1786, kindle ebook ASIN B00849523Q
“In order to create an image almost similar to that of a pencil case standing up and walking, I try to eliminate all excess by cutting. I have the feeling that this process (of "cutting off") is linked in some way to "elegance". Elegance and so-called "eliminating excess", or the beauty that remains after excess has beeen eliminated...”
Yohji Yamamoto (born 1943) first seen 2002 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Kiyokazu Washida. The Past, the Feminine, the Vain in Talking to Myself (2002), Ch. 3: Feedom or the Vain.
“Beauty has no superlative.”
Tony Vigorito (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, leadership is in the eyes of the led.”
Kent Thiry (born 1956) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Leadership Is in the Eyes of the Led, Says Thiry (2007)
“It needs a poet like Schwitters to show us that unobserved elements of beauty are strewn and spread all around us and we can find them everywhere in the portentous as well as in the insignificant, if only we care to look, to choose and to fit them into a comely order.”
Naum Gabo (1890–1977) said by 1977 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Attributed to Gabo in: Andrew Lambirth (2013) "Finding beauty in junk" in: The Spectator 9 February 2013
“The Church evangelizes and is herself evangelized through the beauty of the liturgy, which is both a celebration of the task of evangelization and the source of her renewed self-giving.”
Pope Francis (1936–2025) said by 2025 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Christians have the duty to proclaim the Gospel without excluding anyone. Instead of seeming to impose new obligations, they should appear as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet. It is not by proselytizing that the Church grows, but “by attraction”.”
Pope Francis (1936–2025) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Ch. 5, sec. 14; quoting Benedict XVI, Homily at Mass for the Opening of the Fifth General Conference of the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops (13 May 2007), Aparecida, Brazil: AAS 99 (2007), 437
“In education dwells the seed of hope: hope for peace and justice, hope for beauty and goodness; hope for social harmony.”
Pope Francis (1936–2025) first seen 2021 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Cited in Pope Francis: Art creates brotherhood and friendship in the Vatican News. (15 December 2021)
“He believed in walking beautifully, elegantly. It had to work as a kind of faith that he would get to the other side. He had fallen once while training - once exactly, so he felt it couldn't happen again, it was beyond possibility. A single flaw was necessary anyway. In any work of beauty there had to be one small thread left hanging.”
Colum McCann (born 1965) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The core reason for it all was beauty. Walking was a divine delight. Everything was rewritten when he was up in the air. New things were possible with the human form. It went beyond equilibrium. He felt for a moment uncreated. Another kind of awake.”
Colum McCann (born 1965) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The sight of the intuitive and ravishing Beauty of God holds her as if asleep in its delectable bosom...This state surpasses all human definition and comparison.”
John of St. Samson (1572–1636) said by 1636 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My idea is to bring happiness, respect, vision. poetry, surrealism and magic [to design]. We have to replace beauty, which is a cultural concept, with goodness, which is a humanist concept'.”
Philippe Starck (born 1949) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Starck as cited in: David Barlex (2007) Design & technology. p. 33
“I have always known what I wanted, and that was beauty... in every form.”
Joan Crawford (1905–1977) first seen 1949 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Interview, Hollywood Reporter (1949)
“The idea that beauty is revolution is a revelation to me. I once believed that the concept of the music was more important than the sound, that the politics of the notation was more important than the time limits of the rehersals and therefore, more important than the sound of the performance”
Beth Anderson (born 1950) first seen 1979 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Cited (earlier) in: American Women Composers (1979) AWC news. Volumes 2-3. p. 41
“She is beauty herself, Your Majesty. She is an irresistible temptation, a desire that cannot be controlled. The philosopher Hof, who is one of her closest friends, has remarked quite correctly that the most dangerous things a man can do in his life is to set eyes upon the face of Rhadopis.”
Naguib Mahfouz (1911–2006) said by 2006 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The soul wills and yet does not will: Its will belongs to Another. It has eyes only for this beauty; It no longer seeks to possess, as was its wont -- It lacks the strength to possess such sweetness. The base of this highest of peaks Is founded on nichil [nothing], Shaped nothingness, made one with the Lord.”
Jacopone da Todi (1230–1307) said by 1307 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“All women are aware of that moment when suddenly the boys don't look at you. It's a fairly common thing, when suddenly you no longer attract that instant male attention because of the way you look. I never really knew how to enjoy beauty, but it took the form of a subconscious arrogance, expecting things, all muddled up with celebrity.”
Julie Christie (born 1940) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in Alan Riding "A Role About Winter for Julie Christie, a Star in Eternal Spring", The New York Times (18 April 2007)
“The Seventh Men were completely without interest in the universal and the unseen. The beauty which they sought to create was ephemeral and very largely sensuous. And they were well content that it should be so. Personal immortality, said a dying sage, would be as tedious as an endless song.”
Olaf Stapledon (1886–1950) said by 1950 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I see, indeed I know, that in some sense God is love, and God is wisdom, and God is creative action, yes and God is beauty; but what God actually is, whether the maker of all things, or the fragrance of all things, or just a dream in our own hearts, I have not the art to know. Neither have you, I believe; nor any man, nor any spirit of our humble stature.”
Olaf Stapledon (1886–1950) said by 1950 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Beauty by no complexion is defin'd, Is of all colours, and to none confin'd.”
George Granville, 1st Baron Lansdowne (1666–1735) said by 1735 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“'Tis impious pleasure to delight in harm. And beauty shou'd be kind, as well as charm.”
George Granville, 1st Baron Lansdowne (1666–1735) said by 1735 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In times of badness, gold is being worth more than beauty.”
Tad Williams (born 1957) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I'm on a journey to discover the beauty of the fairy tale and I want to stay on that path, trying to find better ways to capture it on film. And I have only one wish — to delight the eyes and heart of every child.”
Karel Zeman (1910–1989) said by 1989 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Of course, nothing can be said to argue that people are morally obliged to accept this ethic, for to do so would be inconsistent with the ideas that inspired it in the first place. It is an ethic that will be adopted – if at all – by those who find a certain stark beauty in kindness without reward, joy without purpose, and progress without lasting achievement.”
Steve Stewart-Williams (born 1971) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We are a species in which both sexes have their equivalents of the peacock’s tail. Indeed, when it comes to physical beauty, the usual sex difference has arguably been reversed: Females are the “showier” sex.”
Steve Stewart-Williams (born 1971) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There have been violations in the protest squares, especially in Sana'a. This is natural when hundreds of thousands of people [protest] for extended periods of time. However, these violations are marginal, and do not tarnish the beauty of the revolution. We see rival tribes meeting and debating in their tents, and men and women struggling [together] in the square to oust the regime.”
Tawakkol Karman (born 1979) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My philosophy is to use the stones hurled at me to make a bridge for myself; I believe in proving my critics wrong through my work. I keep saying, the more muck you throw at me, the brighter will the BJP lotus bloom. That is the nature of the lotus, it rises out of keechhad (slush) to create exquisite beauty.”
Narendra Modi (born 1950) first seen 2013 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Narendra Modi in interview 2013, quoted from Kishwar, Madhu (2014). Modi, Muslims and media: Voices from Narendra Modi's Gujarat. p.164
“Ayodhya is the town of Lord Rama himself. Lord Rama himself has described the glory of Ayodhya “जन्मभूमि मम पूरी सुहावनि।।“ (janma bhoomi mama poori suhaavani) i.e “My birthplace Ayodhya is the city of supernatural beauty.”
Narendra Modi (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A new jewel in the crown of Goddess Earth, You are a trove of sandalwood, beauty and gold. Victory to you Mother Karnataka, the daughter of Mother India, where Rama and Krishna had their incarnations.”
Kuvempu (1904–1994) said by 1994 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When Manmatha kissed Rati, blood from her lips may have spilt on earth and blossomed into rose on the plant and kisses the viewer's eyes with its beauty now!”
Kuvempu (1904–1994) said by 1994 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Life is a gift that the humblest may boast of And one that the humblest may well make the most of. Get out and live it each hour of the day, Wear it and use it as much as you may; Don't keep it in niches and corners and grooves, You'll find that in service its beauty improves.”
Edgar Guest (1881–1959) said by 1959 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“That tho' a Man were admitted into Heaven to view the wonderful Fabrick of the World, and the Beauty of the stars, yet what would otherwise be Rapture and Extasie, would be but melancholy Amazement if he had not a Friend to communicate it to.”
Archytas (430–345 BC) said by 345 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Attributed to Archytus by Christiaan Huygens, The Celestial Worlds Discover'd (1722) Book 1, pt.4 and quoted by Arthur Beer, Vistas in Astronomy (1955) Vol.1 Cicero was reputed to have said the same thing.
“Beauty doesn't need ornaments. Softness can't bear the weight of ornaments.”
Premchand (1880–1936) said by 1936 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Guide, Pyaasa — these are my films that can be remade with current actors. But the music and lyrics should not be changed. Because you cannot have a samba or bhangra beat for the seduction scene in Pyaasa...the beauty will be lost.”
Waheeda Rehman (born 1938) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A drop of water when you are thirsty gives such relief. The same drop in a fountain inspires you with its beauty. The same water in a dirty drain is repelling. And the same drop in the river makes you want to swim there and take a bath. And when the same water goes in the sea it thrills you with its power.”
Hariprasad Chaurasia (born 1938) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Let your beauty be not just the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on fine clothing; but in the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God very precious.”
Saint Peter (1 BC–65) said by 65 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“His face was lit up with a divine look as lie uttered these words. Though not a handsome man, and ungainly in his person, yet in his enthusiasm he seemed the personification of manly beauty, and that sad face of his looked down in kindness upon these ignorant blacks with a grace that could not be excelled. He really seemed of another world.”
David Dixon Porter (1813–1891) said by 1891 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“As a pilgrim at the shrine of beauty I have visited them, but as a priest in the temple of duty have I charged myself with their reverent custody and their studious repair.”
George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston (1859–1925) first seen 1898 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech in the Legislative Council at Calcutta on the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act 1904 (18 March 1904), quoted in Lord Curzon in India, Being A Selection from His Speeches as Viceroy & Governor-General of India 18…
“Since I came to India we have spent upon repairs at Agra alone a sum of between £40,000 and £50,000. Every rupee has been an offering of reverence to the past and a gift of recovered beauty to the future.”
George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston (1859–1925) first seen 1898 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech in the Legislative Council at Calcutta (18 March 1904), quoted in Lord Curzon in India, Being A Selection from His Speeches as Viceroy & Governor-General of India 1898–1905 (1906), p. 199
“Success or achievement is not the final goal. It is the 'spirit' in which you act that puts the seal of beauty upon your life.”
Chinmayananda Saraswati (1916–1993) said by 1993 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Sandalwood perfumes even the axe that hurls it down! The more we rub sandalwood against a stone, the more its fragrance spreads. Burn it, and it wafts its glory through the entire neighbourhood. Such is the enchanting beauty of forgiveness in life.”
Chinmayananda Saraswati (1916–1993) said by 1993 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“YOU’VE GOT RAGE. THEN YOU RETURN TO THE STATES WITH THAT RAGE! YOU DON’T RUN AWAY! You saw bad, terrible things happen to you and other Mexican kids in school, then YOU DON’T CHICKENSHIT OUT! No, you go back, and you do something with that rage that will MAKE A DIFFERENCE for all those kids! That’s the beauty of the United States! Even the little guy can fight back!”
Victor Villaseñor (born 1940) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Sometimes it’s the little, insigniﬁcant stuff that can tear you down. I try not to read gossip as a rule, but the other day a website ran an article with a picture of me wearing sweatpants on the way to the gym. The writer asked, “Why does [this] petite beauty insist upon dressing like a massive man?” *pause* Because I like to be comfortable.”
Elliot Page (born 1987) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I am young, yes, but what I have learned is that love, the beauty of it, the joy of it and yes, even the pain of it, is the most incredible gift to give and to receive as a human being. And we deserve to experience love fully, equally, without shame and without compromise.”
Elliot Page (born 1987) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I want you to have this, all the beauty in my eyes, and the grace of my mouth, all the splendor of my strength, all the wonder of the musk parts of my body, for are we not talking about real love, real love?”
Meera Bai (1498–1552) said by 1552 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“(On H.P.B. (H.P. Blavatsky))And we, who lived around her, who in closest intimacy watched her day after day, we bear witness to the unselfish beauty of her life, the nobility of her character, and we lay at her feet our most reverent gratitude for knowledge gained, lives purified, strength developed.”
Annie Besant (1847–1933) said by 1933 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Nowhere, perhaps, is it more necessary to understand this than when we are studying the story of Jesus, surnamed the Christ, for when we do not disentangle the intertwisted threads, and see where symbols have been taken as events, allegories as histories, we lose most of the instructiveness of the narrative and much of its rarest beauty.”
Annie Besant (1847–1933) said by 1933 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The teen-age years have been at once the despair and fascination of novelists and playwrights. They are the gawkiest years of life, and the most precarious, with stirrings of beauty and desire and adventure, all of them this side of the articulate.”
Max Lerner (1902–1992) first seen 1943 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Seventeen," first published 9 April 1943, p. 17