Editor's Pick Quotes

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." — Dr. Seuss
Widely attributed to Dr. Seuss (Real name of Theodor Seuss Geisel). Add Category or Author

"We need to be the change we wish to see in the world." — Mahatma Gandhi
As quoted in "Arun Gandhi Shares the Mahatma's Message" Vol. XXVII, No. 13 (1 February 2002) p. A34 There is some argument that Gandhi never said this, however, some members of his family maintain that he did. Add Category or Author

"A friend is someone you can do nothing with, and enjoy it." — The Optimist
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"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Attributed to Emerson in Promotion of Pharmaceuticals : Issues, Trends, Options (1993) pg 74, and also Thoreau elsewhere, but no instance of the quote can be found before 1990, so the authorship of the quote is disputed. Add Category or Author

"I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out." — Roy Croft
The poem this is attributed to, by Roy Croft, is nearly identical to a German-language poem by Eric Fried titled "Ich liebe dich" ("I Love You"). Little is known about either poem, so it is difficult to say if Croft actually wrote this poem or if he translated Fried's poem and ended up with the credit. Often the quote is attributed to "Anonymous" or Elizabeth Browning, as well. Add Category or Author

"The only way to have a friend is to be one." — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Essays, First Series (1841), essay titled "Friendship." Add Category or Author

"Your wealth is where your friends are." — Author Unknown
Often attributed to Titus Maccius Plautus. Add Category or Author

"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain." — Dolly Parton
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"Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it." — Charles Swindoll
Strengthening Your Grip - October 15, 1998 (Hardcover) Add Category or Author

"If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster." — Stephen R. Covey
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"Every day should be passed as if it were to be our last." — Publilius Syrus
Syrus's Sententiae. Taken from an alphabetic book of maxims, the above quote is maxim 633 in Syrus's list. Add Category or Author

"It seems that perfection is attained not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to remove." — Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Terre des Homme ["Wind, Sand, and Stars" in English] (1939) Add Category or Author

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." — Reinhold Niebuhr
The Serenity Prayer (c. 1942) Though earlier variants may have existed, Niebuhr was the first to state this so succinctly, and also the first to copyright it. Since then, it has been adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12 step groups. Add Category or Author

"A man's real worth is determined by what he does when he has nothing to do." — Author Unknown
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"An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind." — Author Unknown
Quite frequently attributed to Gandhi, and the saying was popularized in the academy award-winning film "Gandhi," and was spoken by Ben Kingsley, playing Gandhi. No record of it being said by him in real life exists. Add Category or Author

"It is only those who never do anything who never make mistakes." — A. Favre
Recherches Geologiques volume 3, (1867) pg. 76 Add Category or Author

"If you want something done, ask a busy person." — Benjamin Franklin
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"It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question." — Eugene Ionesco
Découvertes (1970) As one of the pioneer playwrights of the "Theater of the Absurd," it is unsurprising that Ionesco would focus on the question rather than the answer or results, as the Absurdist movement did not frequently deal with logical conclusions. Add Category or Author

"Harmony is pure love, for love is a concerto." — Lope Vega
As quoted in Love by the Numbers: How to Find Great Love Or Reignite the Love You Have Through the Power of Numerology (2009) pg. 277 This quote is attributed to the Spanish playwright Lope de Vega, but no further contextual information is available. Add Category or Author

"We were given: Two hands to hold. Two legs to walk. Two eyes to see. Two ears to listen. But why only one heart? Because the other was given to someone else for us to find." — Author Unknown
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"There's always room for improvement, it's the biggest room in the house." — Louise Heath Leber
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