Quote

Great necessity elevates man, petty necessity casts him down

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Age: 82 †
Born: 1749
Born: August 22
Died: 1832
Died: March 22
Aphorist
Art Critic
Art Theorist
Autobiographer
Botanist
Composer
Diarist
Diplomat
Jurist
Lawyer
Librarian
Librettist
Literary
Frankfurt/Main
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
Goethe
goethe
johann wolfgang von goethe
joh. wolfg. von goethe
j. w. von goethe
Petty
Necessity
Casts
Great
Men
Elevates

More quotes by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Image
Doesn't surprise me that Christ our Lord preferred to live with whores and sinners, seeing I go in for that myself.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Image
Tis Lilith. Who? Adam's first wife is she. Beware the lure within her lovely tresses, The splendid sole adornment of her hair When she succeeds therewith a youth to snare, Not soon again she frees him from her jesses.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Image
Before you can do something, you must first be something.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Image
Of the truly creative no one is ever master it must be left to go its own way.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Image
Words are good, but there is something better. The best cannot be explained by words. The spirit in which we act is the chief matter. Action can only be only understood and represented by the spirit.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Image
One must be something, in order to do something.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Image
[W]hat counts is that one perceives excellence and dares to give it expression, which sounds little but is in fact a great deal.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Image
Every man must form himself as a particular being, seeking, however, to attain that general idea of which all mankind are constituents.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Image
Beauty vanishes virtue is lasting.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Image
To blow is not to play on the flute you must move the fingers. [Ger., Blasen ist nicht floten, ihr musst die Finger bewegen.]
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Image
To make an epoch in the world, two conditions are manifestly essential-a good head and a great inheritance.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Image
Let no one be ashamed to say yes today if yesterday he said no. Or to say no today if yesterday he said yes. For that is life. Never to have changed-what a pitiable thing of which to boast!
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Image
Art is long, life short, judgment difficult, opportunity transient. To act is easy, to think is hard to act according to our thought is troublesome. Every beginning is cheerful: the threshold is the place of expectation.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Image
Still this planet's soil for noble deeds grants scope abounding.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Image
Thus one can observe that those who proclaim piety as their goal and purpose usually turn into hypocrites.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Image
A judge who cannot punish, in the end associates themselves with the criminal.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Image
The century is advanced, but every individual begins afresh.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Image
There is nothing more frightful than for a teacher to know only what his scholars are intended to know.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Image
Destiny grants us our wishes, but in its own way, in order to give us something beyond our wishes.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Image
The artist who is not also a craftsman is no good but, alas, most of our artists are nothing else.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe