I’ve always loved reading. Since I learnt how to read, I’ve been doing it at high speeds. I just love words…. Something about them fascinates me, I’ve always wondered why….

I recently completed a little side project where I can present some of my favorite “stuff” online, including some quotes that I really enjoy for various reasons. So, here are some quotes and why I like them:

Witty/Sarcastic/Humorous Quotes ~ A friend of mine likes to say that “quoting someone else is proof that you can’t think for yourself.” There may be some truth in this statement, but I don’t think quoting other people is a sign of ignorance or lack of intelligence. Instead it is a sign that you have taken the time to read and understand the words of someone else. These are some literary tidbits I really enjoy and like to quote.

In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not. ~ Albert Einstein

Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one. ~ Albert Einstein

I have just returned from Boston. It is the only sane thing to do if you find yourself up there. ~ Fred Allen

I am not a speed reader. I am a speed understander. ~ Isaac Asimov

I’m tired of people calling me a devil worshipper. It’s kind of pointless you know. Because if the Devil did exist, he’d be worshipping me, because I’m more successful than he is. ~ Marilyn Manson

I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. ~ Thomas A. Edison

You should always go to other people’s funerals. Otherwise they won’t come to yours. ~ Yogi Berra

We made too many wrong mistakes. ~ Yogi Berra

“Truth Quotes” ~ Some quotes just state the truth, but the way they do it is amazingly beautiful….

All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts…. ~ William Shakespeare

Glory is like a circle in the water, Which never ceaseth to enlarge itself, Till by broad spreading it disperses to naught ~ William Shakespeare

The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. ~ William James

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. ~ Thomas A. Edison

A conference is a gathering of important people who singly can do nothing, but together can decide that nothing can be done. ~ Fred Allen

All are lunatics, but he who can analyze his delusions is called a philosopher. ~ Ambrose Bierce

Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding. ~ Albert Einstein

Inspiring Quotes ~ These are similar to the quotes in the previous category. They make an inspiring statement. They make you stop and ponder. They can change the way you think. It’s amazing how powerful words can be.

The child who refuses to travel in the father’s harness, this is the symbol of Man’s most unique capability. ‘I do not have to be what my father was. I do not have to obey my father’s rules or even believe everything he believed. It is my strength as a human that I can make my own choices of what to believe ans what not to believe, of what to be and what not to be.” ~ Frank Herbert

We live in a society of victimization, where people are much more comfortable being victimized than actually standing up for themselves. ~ Marilyn Manson

Faith is universal. Our specific methods for understanding it are arbitrary. Some of us pray to Jesus, some of us go to Mecca, some of us study subatomic particles. In the end we are all just searching for truth, that which is greater than ourselves. ~ Robert Pirsig

I [may] disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. ~ Voltaire

You can observe a lot just by watching. ~ Yogi Berra

And now some of my all-time favorite quotes with special commentary:

“I am charged to say this to you. ‘I stand in the sacred human presence. As I do now, so should you stand some day. I pray to your presence that this be so. The future remains uncertain and so it should, for it is the canvas upon which we paint our desires. Thus the human condition faces a beautifully empty canvas. We possess only this moment in which to dedicate ourselves continously to the sacred presence which we share and create.’” ~ A beautiful quote from the Dune series by Frank Herbert where Jessica turns Fahid into a Bene Gesserit. “The future is a canvas upon which we paint our desires…. We posses only this moment in which to dedicate ourselves” to whatever we are living for! Amazing, uplifting, hopeful words… Just stop for a moment and think about it - you alone are in charge of what you are going to do with your future. Use that empty space, fill that canvas with stunning, harmonious colors, live your life how you want to, shape your future!

Beauty is essentially meaningless and it is always transitory. ~ Halle Berry. Aww, that’s just plain beautiful (and transistory).

All you need is one guy or girl to stand up and say “Fuck this!” and everyone goes “voice of a generation, thank you, I’ve been thinking that, I never had the guts to stand up and say it.” ~ Fred Rollins, Black Flag. This quote is from Punk Attitude, a documentary film about the history of punk rock. I like this quote so much that I’ve got it hanging on my wall at home. It’s even more amazing when you watch the film and hear Fred saying this - once at the beginning and at the end…. Inspiring “ohne ende!”

He who has a why to live can bear almost any how. ~ Nietzsche. A very simple truth, simply stated and its beauty lies in its simplicity.

And now my all-time favorite, from Douglas Adams: “Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” Think about it…. He’s right! It’s true! but at the same time, you know it isn’t. Just goes to show how powerful words can be….