George Eliot

late be ambition

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

meaning of life difficult others

“What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?”

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

blessed nothing abstain fact silence nonsense

“Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving us wordy evidence of the fact.”

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

narrow mind point of view perspective

“It is a narrow mind which cannot look at a subject from various points of view.”

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

roses rain more plant

“It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses, we must plant more roses.”

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

fatal music poetry interrupt

“It is always fatal to have music or poetry interrupted.”

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

men women knowledge better best

“And, of course men know best about everything, except what women know better.”

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

adventure outside within

“Adventure is not outside man; it is within.”

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

true ashamed right think stick

“Keep true. Never be ashamed of doing right. Decide what you think is right and stick to it.”

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

animal friend question criticism

“Animals are such agreeable friends―they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.”

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

words action meaning

“I am not imposed upon by fine words; I can see what actions mean.”

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

poor luxury giving

“One must be poor to know the luxury of giving.”

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

destroy fate self-deception degrade

“What destroys us most effectively is not a malign fate but our own capacity for self-deception and for degrading our own best self.”

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

humuliate sudden discovery fact bias

“We are all humiliated by the sudden discovery of a fact which has existed very comfortably and perhaps been staring at us in private while we have been making up our world entirely without it.”

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

clergy irresponsible talker

“The clergy are, practically, the most irresponsible of all talkers."

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

blameless people exasperating

“Blameless people are always the most exasperating.”

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

limit begining ending

“Every limit is a beginning as well as an ending.”

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

good seems beforehand experience

“Nothing is so good as it seems beforehand.”

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

protest absolute conclusion

“I protest against any absolute conclusion.”

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

never too late make difference change

"It is never too late, no matter how old you get because anytime or any point in your life you can always have a chance to make a difference. You can always make a change for the better no matter what background you derived from. You can always do your best and be all that you can be because you will always be uniquely you. It is why it is always wise to listen to your eternal heart, your eternal instincts, and what it had always strove for and/or to do because really anybody can make a difference not only in their own lives but in the lives of others. It is never too late to shine; never."

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

deeds determine

"Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds."

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

wise empty stomach

"No man can be wise on an empty stomach."

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

people ridiculous illusion fool lies opaque

"People are so ridiculous with their illusions, carrying their fool's caps unawares, thinking their own lies opaque while everybody else's are transparent, making themselves exceptions to everything, as if when all the world looked yellow under a lamp they alone are rosy."

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

strongest principle growth human choice

"The strongest principle of growth lies in the human choice."

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

years between fifty seventy hardest

"The years between fifty and seventy are the hardest. You are always being asked to do things, and yet you are not decrepit enough to turn them down."

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

unmapped country within

"There is a great deal of unmapped country within us."

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

years learn happy

"One has to spend many years in learning how to be happy."

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

conscientious people duty painful course

"Conscientious people are apt to see their duty in that which is the most painful course."

— George Eliot (1819-1880)

meaning key interpretation

"All meanings, we know, depend on the key of interpretation."

— George Eliot (1819-1880)