Would Be quotes
5.8K quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.
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"I can't verbalize the internal meaning of pictures whatsoever. Some of my friends can at very mystical levels, but I prefer to say that, if I feel something strongly, I would make a photograph, that would be the equivalent of what I saw and felt."
"Living is being born slowly. It would be a little too easy if we could borrow ready-made souls."
"A tainted society has invented psychiatry to defend itself against the investigations of certain superior intellects whose faculties of divination would be troublesome."
"There is only one condition in which we can imagine managers not needing subordinates, and masters not needing slaves. This condition would be that each (inanimate) instrument could do its own work."
"Even if we could suppose the citizen body to be virtuous, without each of them being so, yet the latter would be better, for in the virtue of each the virtue of all is involved."
"If life — the craving for which is the very essence of our being — were possessed of any positive intrinsic value, there would be no such thing as boredom at all: mere existence would satisfy us in itself, and we should want for nothing."
"What would be awful would be to die and look back miserably - seeing only the bad things, the opportunities missed, or what could have been."
"If you could just ravel out into time. That would be nice. It would be nice if you could just ravel out into time"
"I mean if we even had a wheelbarrow, that would be something."
"It is not given to human beings, happily for them, for otherwise life would be intolerable, to foresee or to predict to any large extent the unfolding course of events."
"If the world would only build temples to Machinery in the abstract then everything would be perfect. The painter and sculptor would have plenty to do, and could, in complete peace and suitably honored, pursue their trade without further trouble."
"The function of memory is not only to preserve, but also to throw away. If you remembered everything from your entire life, you would be sick."
"I like films, or some films, and would be intrigued to see my work on screen."
"Ecstasy and vulnerability belonged in the same dish. The fear the cup would be snatched away was what gave the wine its savor."
"If people did not love one another, I really don't see what use there would be in having any spring."
"Surely nobody would be a charlatan, who could afford to be sincere."
"He who would be a great soul in the future, must be a great soul now."
"It is true that every day has its own evil, and its good too. But how difficult must life be, especially farther on when the evil of each day increases as far as worldly things go, if it is not strengthened and comforted by faith. And in Christ all worldly things may become better, and, as it were, sanctified. Theo, woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel; if I did not aim at that and possess faith and hope in Christ, it would be bad for me indeed, but no I have some courage."
"If I did not succeed I still thought that what I had worked on would be continued. Not immediately. But there are others who believe in things that are true."
"The words are very distinctly formed; but by the bodily ear they are not heard. They are, however, much more clearly understood than they would be if they were heard by the ear. It is impossible not to understand them, whatever resistance we may offer... There is no escape, for in spite of ourselves we must listen..."
