Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Goethe - Baume in den Himmel tree
"Es ist dafür gesorgt dass die Bäume nicht in den Himmel wachsen"
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
Mans error amiable
"A man's errors are what make him amiable".
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
science retarded by not knowable
"Science has been seriously retarded by the study of what is not worth knowing, and of what is not knowable."
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
music architecture liquid frozen
“Music is liquid architecture; Architecture is frozen music.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
new truth old error goethe
"Einer neuen Wahrheit ist nichts schädlicher als ein alter Irrtum."
("Nothing hurts a new truth more than an old error.")
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
hear understand
"Es hört doch jeder nur, was er versteht."
("Everyone hears only what he understands.")
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
soul love truth error
"The main thing is to have a soul that loves the truth and harbours it where he finds it. And another thing: truth requires constant repetition, because error is being preached about us all the time, and not only by isolated individuals but by the masses. In the newspapers and encyclopedias, in schools and universities, everywhere error rides high and basks in the consciousness of having the majority on its side."
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
extraordinary astonish drunk insane
"All extraordinary men, who have accomplished great and astonishing actions, have ever been decried by the world as drunken or insane."
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
think before again goethe
"There is nothing worth thinking but it has been thought before; we must only try to think it again."
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
fools wise-folk harmless
"Fools and wise-folk are alike harmless. It is the half-wise, and the half-foolish, who are the most dangerous."
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
government teach govern ourself
"Which is the best government? That which teaches us to govern ourselves."
― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
culture nation hatred neighbour
"There is a degree of culture where national hatred vanishes, and where one stands to a certain extent above nations and feels the weal and woe of a neighboring people as if it happened to one's own."
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
nation hatred strong low culture
"Altogether, national hatred is something peculiar. You will always find it strongest and most violent where there is the lowest degree of culture."
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
fatherland prejudice everywhere nowhere
"At a time when everybody is busy erecting new Fatherlands, the Fatherland of the man who thinks without prejudice and can rise above his time is nowhere and everywhere."
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
tired repeat true
"We must not tire of repeating what is true"
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
law study transgress
"If one had to study all the laws, one would have no time to transgress them"
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
reflect physical moral state ill
"When a man reflects on his physical or moral state, he usually decides that he is ill"
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
misunderstanding neglect confusion malice trickery
"Misunderstandings and neglect create more confusion in this world than trickery and malice. At any rate, the last two are certainly much less frequent".
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
wise thoughts times think experience
“All truly wise thoughts have been thought already thousands of times; but to make them truly ours, we must think them over again honestly, until they take root in our personal experience.”
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
idea chess threat win game
"Daring Ideas Are Like Chessmen Moved Forward: They May Be Beaten, But They May Start A Winning Game."
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
knowing apply willing do
"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do."
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
arbeit feste arbeid gjester uker fester
"Tages Arbeit, Abends Gäste!
Saure Wochen, frohe Feste!"
("Om dagen arbeid, og kvelden gjester.
Sure uker, glade fester!")
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)