Mean quotes

Mean

28K quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.

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Mean quotes (page 67 of 1399)

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W. Somerset Maugham Novelist, Playwright
Mean

"When people say they do not care what others think of them, for the most part they deceive themselves. Generally they mean only that they will do as they choose, in the confidence that no one will know their vagaries; and at the utmost only that they are willing to act contrary to the opinion of the majority because they are supported by the approval of their neighbours. It is not difficult to be unconventional in the eyes of the world when your unconventionality is but the convention of your set."

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William James Philosopher, Psychologist
Mean

"Religion . . . shall mean for us the feelings, acts and experiences of individual men in their solitude."

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Woody Allen Director, Actor, Writer
Mean

"Writing is great because in the writing you never have to... First of all you never have to leave your home. And you never have to meet the test of reality when you're writing."

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Umberto Eco Writer, Philosopher, Literary Critic
Mean

"Sometimes you say things with a smile with the precise intention of making it clear that you are not being serious, and are only kidding. If I salute a friend with a smile and say, "How are you, you old scoundrel!" clearly I don't really mean he's a scoundrel."

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Saint Augustine Theologian, Philosopher
Mean

"Why is it that man desires to be made sad, beholding doleful and tragical things, which yet himself would by no means suffer?"

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Ralph Waldo Emerson Essayist, Philosopher, Poet
Mean

"There is a mortifying experience in particular, which does not fail to wreak itself also in the general history; I mean "the foolish face of praise," the forced smile which we put on in company where we do not feel at ease, in answer to conversation which does not interest us. The muscles, not spontaneously moved but moved, by a low usurping wilfulness, grow tight about the outline of the face, with the most disagreeable sensation."

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Ralph Waldo Emerson Essayist, Philosopher, Poet
Mean

"The desire of gold is not for gold. It is not the love of much wheat, and wool and household stuff. It is the means of freedom and benefit."

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Mean

"HOROSCOPE: Today is a good time for making new friends. A good deed may have unforeseen consequences. Don’t upset any druids. You will soon be going on a very strange journey. Your lucky food is small cucumbers. People pointing knives at you are probably up to no good. PS, we really mean it about the druids."

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Theodore Roosevelt Politician, Author
Mean

"Conservation means development as much as it does protection. I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land; but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us."

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Timothy Keller Pastor, Author
Mean

"When people say, "I know God forgives me, but I can't forgive myself," they mean that they have failed an idol, whose approval is more important than God's."

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Stephen Covey Author, Speaker
Mean

"The 'Inside-Out' approach to personal and interpersonal effectiveness means to start first with self; even more fundamentally, to start with the most inside part of self, with your paradigms, your character, and your motives. The inside-out approach says that private victories precede public victories, that making and keeping promises to ourselves recedes making and keeping promises to others. It says it is futile to put personality ahead of character, to try to improve relationships with others before improving ourselves."

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Stephen Covey Author, Speaker
Mean

"People with a scarcity mentality tend to see everything in terms of win-lose. There is only so much; and if someone else has it, that means there will be less for me. The more principle-centered we become, the more we develop an abundance mentality, the more we are genuinely happy for the successes, well-being, achievements, recognition, and good fortune of other people. We believe their success adds to...rather than detracts from...our lives."

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Sun Bin Military Strategist
Mean

"Deliberate tactical errors and minor losses are the means by which to bait the enemy."

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Swami Vivekananda Spiritual Leader, Philosopher
Mean

"Life is called Samsara - it is the result of the conflicting forces acting upon us. Materialism says, "The voice of freedom is a delusion." Idealism says, "The voice that tells of bondage is but a dream." Vedanta says, "We are free and not free at the same time." That means that we are never free on the earthly plane, but ever free on the spiritual side. The Self is beyond both freedom and bondage. We are Brahman, we are immortal knowledge beyond the senses, we are Bliss Absolute."

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J. D. Salinger Novelist, Short Story Writer
Mean

"I mean how do you know what you're going to do till you do it? The answer is, you don't. I think I am, but how do I know? I swear it's a stupid question."

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