Browse quotes by category
Thousands of quotes organised by category, author, and topic. Every entry comes with attribution and, where possible, a plain-language meaning—so you leave with an idea you can actually use, not just a phrase to copy.
-
“Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.”
Meaning: This satirizes success and failure. -
“Anything worth dying for is certainly worth living for.”
Meaning: This highlights value of purpose. -
“The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on.”
Meaning: It reflects war absurdity. -
“It doesn't make a damned bit of difference who wins the war to someone who's dead.”
Meaning: This highlights futility of war. -
“Every writer I know has trouble writing.”
Meaning: It reflects creative struggle. -
“Happiness is the freedom from worry.”
Meaning: This defines happiness simply. -
“He was going to live forever, or die in the attempt.”
Meaning: It reflects human ambition. -
“The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.”
Meaning: This highlights how time changes perspective. -
“Life is a mixture of so many things.”
Meaning: This reflects complexity of life. -
“We live in time—it holds us and moulds us.”
Meaning: It highlights influence of time. -
“The more you learn, the less you know.”
Meaning: It reflects expanding awareness. -
“Books say: She did this because. Life says: She did this. Books are where things are explained to you; life is where things aren't.”
Meaning: This highlights difference between fiction and reality. -
“History is that certainty produced at the point where the imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation.”
Meaning: It reflects uncertainty in history. -
“We are defined by how we remember.”
Meaning: It highlights memory shaping identity. -
“Diversity is Canada's strength.”
Meaning: This highlights inclusivity as a core value of society. -
“The pace of change has never been this fast, yet it will never be this slow again.”
Meaning: It emphasizes accelerating global change.
