"Pray, look better, sir... those things yonder are no giants, but windmills."
About Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes — Life and Legacy
Miguel de Cervantes, a pivotal figure in Spanish literature, is best known for his seminal work, Don Quixote, which is often regarded as the first modern novel. His writing reflects a deep understanding of human psychology and social dynamics, exploring themes of honor, reality, and the complexities of life. One of his notable quotes, 'The truth may be stretched, but cannot be broken,' encapsulates his belief in the enduring nature of truth amidst life's challenges. Cervantes' characters often grapple with their ideals versus harsh realities, revealing the inner conflicts that define the human experience. Through Don Quixote, he not only entertained but also provoked thought about the nature of dreams and the absurdities of life. His exploration of these themes continues to resonate, making his insights relevant to contemporary readers who face similar struggles with identity and societal expectations.
Quote collection
Miguel de Cervantes quotes (page 1 of 22)
437 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"Never stand begging for that which you have the power to earn."
"In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd."
"In every case, the remedy is to take action. Get clear about exactly what it is that you need to learn and exactly what you need to do to learn it. BEING CLEAR KILLS FEAR. Make it thy business to know thyself, which is the most difficult lesson in the world."
"He who loses wealth loses much; he who loses a friend loses more; but he that loses his courage loses all."
"How will he who does not know how to govern himself know how to govern others?"
"Three things too much, and three too little are pernicious to man; to speak much, and know little; to spend much, and have little; to presume much, and be worth little."
"That one man scorned and covered with scars Still strove with his last ounce of courage To reach the unreachable star."
"Too much sanity may be madness and the maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be."
"The wicked are always ungrateful."
"Her father guarded her, and she guarded herself; for there are no padlocks, bolts, or bars, that secure a maiden better than her own reserve."
"Great persons are able to do great kindnesses."
"Spare your breath to cool your porridge."
"Truth will rise above falsehood as oil above water."
"Forewarned, forearmed; to be prepared is half the victory."
"Time ripens all things; no man is born wise."
"Get the better of yourself - this is the best kind of victory."
"Love and war are the same thing, and stratagems and policy are as allowable in the one as in the other."
"I must speak the truth, and nothing but the truth."
"'Tis said of love that it sometimes goes, sometimes flies; runs with one, walks gravely with another; turns a third into ice, and sets a fourth in a flame: it wounds one, another it kills: like lightning it begins and ends in the same moment: it makes that fort yield at night which it besieged but in the morning; for there is no force able to resist it."