Famous quotes

Quotes by famous people, credited to who said them. Your own quotes must not match any of these. More are added all the time. 1,158,808 quotes Who coined it · How we decide

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“I recognize there is a certain presumptuousness in this, a certain audacity, to this announcement. I know that I haven't spent a lot of time learning the ways of Washington, but I've been there long enough to know that the ways of Washington must change. People who love their country can change it.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Announcement of Candidacy for President of the United States. (10 February 2007)
“What we do want is so to arrange things that every human being born into the world shall be ensured the opportunity in the first instance of learning some useful occupation, and of becoming skill in it; next, that he shall be free to work at his trade without asking leave of master or owner, and without handing over to landlord or capitalist the lion's share of what he produces.”
Peter Kropotkin (1842–1921) said by 1921 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I look at the world and I notice it’s turning. While my guitar gently weeps. With every mistake we must surely be learning, Still my guitar gently weeps.”
George Harrison (1943–2001) first seen 1968 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: While My Guitar Gently Weeps (1968)
“It has never been natural, it has seldom been possible, in this country for learning to seek a place apart and hold aloof from affairs. It is only when society is old, long settled to its ways, confident in habit, and without self-questioning upon any vital point of conduct, that study can affect seclusion and despise the passing interests of the day.”
Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) first seen 1896 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Princeton for the Nation's Service” (21 October 1896)
“The great voice of America does not come from the seats of learning, but in a murmur from the hills and the woods and the farms and the factories and the mills, rolling on and gaining volume until it comes to us the voice from the homes of the common men. Do these murmurs come into the corridors of the university? I have not heard them.”
Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) first seen 1910 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Address to Princeton University alumni, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (April 17, 1910); reported in The Papers of Woodrow Wilson, ed. Arthur S. Link (1975), vol. 20, p. 365
“Foreign holdings were forcibly nationalised. But learning from the other ASEAN countries that such was not the route to prosperity, nationalisation was dropped.”
Mahathir Mohamad (born 1925) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“First, justice was the promise that all who made the journey would share in the fruits of the land. In a land of great wealth, families must not live in hopeless poverty. In a land rich in harvest, children just must not go hungry. In a land of healing miracles, neighbors must not suffer and die unattended. In a great land of learning and scholars, young people must be taught to read and write.”
Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973) said by 1973 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I am certain, from experience, of the immense advantage of strict account-keeping in early life. It is just like learning the grammar then, which when once learned need not be referred to afterwards.”
William Ewart Gladstone (1809–1898) first seen 1860 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Letter to Mrs. Gladstone (14 January 1860), as quoted in Gladstone as Financier and Economist (1931) by F. W. Hirst, p. 242
“The first lesson on Roke, and the last is, Do what is needful! And no more.” “The lessons in between, then, must consist in learning what is needful.” “They do.”
Ursula K. Le Guin (1929–2018) said by 2018 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If you fail, never give up because F.A.I.L. means "First Attempt In Learning". End is not the end, in fact E.N.D. means "Effort Never Dies." If you get No as an answer, remember N.O. means "Next Opportunity". So let's be positive.”
A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (1931–2015) said by 2015 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Universities won't survive. The future is outside the traditional campus, outside the traditional classroom. Distance learning is coming on fast.”
Peter Drucker (1909–2005) first seen 1997 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: I got my degree through E-mail, Forbes (June 16, 1997)
“117: It goes against the grain of modern education to teach children to program. What fun is there to making plans, acquiring discipline in organizing thoughts, devoting attention to detail and, learning to be self-critical?”
Alan Perlis (1922–1990) said by 1990 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“China isn’t the only authoritarian regime in the world, but it’s undoubtedly the wealthiest, strongest and most developed in machine learning and artificial intelligence. This makes Xi Jinping the most dangerous opponent of those who believe in the concept of open society.”
George Soros (born 1930) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech at World Economic Forum (24 January 2019)
“I never stop learning.”
Gloria Estefan (born 1957) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Berklee College of Music commencement address (May 12, 2007)
“Social media companies are using machine-learning techniques to make users addicted to their platforms. These systems are designed to be addictive, feeding people more and more extreme content, making them alternately angry and sad.”
Tim Berners-Lee (born 1955) first seen 2025 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quoted in "Tim Berners-Lee: The internet needs compassion – and I have a solution", The Standard (15 September 2025)
“Education, I fear, is learning to see one thing by going blind to another.”
Aldo Leopold (1887–1948) said by 1948 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Everybody's doin' a brand new dance now. Come on baby, do the locomotion. I know you'll get to like it if you give it a chance now. Come on baby, do the locomotion.My little baby sister can do it with ease; It's easier than learning your ABC's. So come on, come on do the locomotion with me.”
Carole King (born 1942) first seen 1962 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Loco-Motion (1962), Co-written with Gerry Goffin, recorded by Little Eva, Grand Funk Railroad, and Kylie Minogue
“Learning to be a writer is the delta of success and failure in comedy.”
Jerry Seinfeld (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A guy like Hando is abhorrent to me— the philosophy that governs his life is something that disgusts me completely— so that was an interesting learning experience.”
Russell Crowe (born 1964) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Learning to see the structures within which we operate begins a process of freeing ourselves from previously unseen forces and ultimately mastering the ability to work with them and change them.”
Peter Senge (born 1947) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We believe that, ultimately, the most important learning occurs in the context of our day-to-day life, the aspirations we pursue, the challenges we face, and the responses we bring forth.”
Peter Senge (born 1947) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“O fathering friend and scientist of good, Who in solitude, one bygone summer’s day, And in the throes of bodily anguish, passed away From dream and conflict and research-lit lands Of ethnological learning, — even as you stood Selfless and ardent, resolute and gay, So in this hour, in strange survival stands Your ghost, whom I am powerless to repay.”
Siegfried Sassoon (1886–1967) said by 1967 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A total immersion in life offers the best classroom for learning to love.”
Leo Buscaglia (1924–1998) said by 1998 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Here was a new generation, shouting the old cries, learning the old creeds, through a revery of long days and nights; destined finally to go out into that dirty gray turmoil to follow love and pride; a new generation dedicated more than the last to the fear of poverty and the worship of success; grown up to find all Gods dead, all wars fought, all faiths in man shaken. . . .”
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) said by 1940 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“* "The hardest part of competition is learning how to recover mentally after setbacks." ** Source: Reuters interview, 2026.”
Bode Miller (born 1977) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.”
Angelina Jolie (born 1975) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There is no royal road to learning; no short cut to the acquirement of any art.”
Anthony Trollope (1815–1882) said by 1882 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A love of books, of holding a book, turning its pages, looking at its pictures, and living its fascinating stories goes hand-in-hand with a love of learning.”
Laura Bush (born 1946) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in "The Gift of Books" in Biography Today : Profiles of People of Interest to Young Readers, Vol. 12, Issue 2 : Laura Bush by Joanne Mattern (2003), p. 17
“Education is spreading hope. Millions are now learning to live with HIV/AIDS — instead of waiting to die from it.”
Laura Bush (born 1946) first seen 2006 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Remarks at UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS (June 2, 2006)
“Libraries allow children to ask questions about the world and find the answers. And the wonderful thing is that once a child learns to use a library, the doors to learning are always open.”
Laura Bush (born 1946) first seen 2009 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in The 21st Century Elementary Library Media Program (2009) by Carl A. Harvey, p. 3
“When learning something new, you must never be critical at the beginning. Always do your thinking after trial and error. Most people make up their mind one way or the other before they even get started. The most important step is to remove your coloured glasses and get a clear view.”
Koichi Tohei (1920–2011) said by 2011 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Until you change the sub conscience mind, you cannot say that you have learned something. If something is worth learning, you should stick with it until you have changed your subconscious mind.”
Koichi Tohei (1920–2011) said by 2011 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[Tech] is unstoppable. We're getting more tech in our lives every day as we go to VR or AR and all of the machine learning and artificial intelligence and all the rest of it.”
Scott McNealy (born 1954) first seen 2018 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: CNBC: "Silicon Valley pioneer Scott McNealy: Tech is 'unstoppable' and part of our lives more than ever" (9 February 2018)
“Cadet corps instill discipline in its members, where you are taught basic skills such as survival in the wilderness, unarmed combat, tracking and learning how to strategise.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Message to cadets at Xavier College in Ba, Fiji, 27 July 2005.
“I, your Flaccus, am busy carrying out your wishes and instructions at St. Martin's, giving some the honey of the holy scriptures, making others drunk on the old wine of ancient learning.”
Alcuin (740–804) said by 804 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Letter to Charlemagne (796), as translated by Stephen Allott, Alcuin of York, c. A.D. 732 to 804: His Life and Letters (1974), p. 12
“But I am not certain that in spite of all our modern learning and sophistication, we have actually progressed far beyond the self-oriented philosophy of the Victorians. I fear that these ideas still lurk about, showing themselves boldly and openly at times, at oth-ers skulking about in the shadows of the subconscious.”
Rachel Carson (1907–1964) said by 1964 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I gave my decisions on the principles of common justice and honesty between man and man, and relied on natural born sense, and not on law, learning to guide me; for I had never read a page in a law book in all my life.”
Davy Crockett (1786–1836) said by 1836 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A liberal education forms... a single body. Those, therefore, who from tender years receive instruction in the various forms of learning, recognize the same stamp on all the arts, and an intercourse between all studies, and so they more readily comprehend them all.”
Vitruvius (80–15 BC) said by 15 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It was a wise and useful provision of the ancients to transmit their thoughts to posterity by recording them in treatises, so that they should not be lost, but, being developed in succeeding generations through publications in books, should gradually attain in later times, to the highest refinement of learning.”
Vitruvius (80–15 BC) said by 15 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Noting all these things with the great delight which learning gives, we cannot but be stirred by these discoveries when we reflect upon the influence of them one by one.”
Vitruvius (80–15 BC) said by 15 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Lisp is worth learning for the profound enlightenment experience you will have when you finally get it; that experience will make you a better programmer for the rest of your days, even if you never actually use Lisp itself a lot.”
Eric S. Raymond (born 1957) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Learning … should be a joy and full of excitement. It is life's greatest adventure; it is an illustrated excursion into the minds of noble and learned men, not a conducted tour through a jail. So its surroundings should be as gracious as possible, to complement it.”
Taylor Caldwell (1900–1985) first seen 1957 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Sound of Thunder (1957) Pt. I, Ch. 9
“I have Attention Deficit Disorder. I have learning disabilities. I don't even have a high school diploma. I'm smart, but you can't prove it on paper. I do have a GED, and if you don't know what GED stands for...you probably got one, too. (9:13)”
Ron White (born 1956) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen - that stillness becomes a radiance.”
Morgan Freeman (born 1937) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Men always believe they are in control of everything around them. When they find out they are not, they think they have failed, instead of learning a simple truth women already know.”
Robert Jordan (1948–2007) said by 2007 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We can search among the unconscious, emotion-laden learning rules for the kind of behavior most directly influenced by genetic evolution.”
E. O. Wilson (1929–2021) said by 2021 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The incest taboo is another major category of primed learning.”
E. O. Wilson (1929–2021) said by 2021 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The story and its analyses are not mirror-opposites of each other. They are not reflections, either one. Criticism indeed is an art, as a story is, but only the story is to some degree a vision; there is no explanation outside fiction for what the writer is learning to do. ("Writing and Analyzing a Story")”
Eudora Welty (1909–2001) said by 2001 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My teachers helped guide and motivate me; but the responsibility of learning was left with me.”
Joseph Stiglitz (born 1943) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The nothingness was a nakedness, a point,Beyond which fact could not progress as fact. Thereon the learning of the man conceived Once more night’s pale illuminations, goldBeneath, far underneath, the surface of His eye and audible in the mountain of His ear, the very material of his mind.”
Wallace Stevens (1879–1955) said by 1955 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source