Collection of the best phrases of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe that will make you think about what is really important in life.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) was a German poet, novelist, and playwright who profoundly influenced Romanticism. He is considered to be the supreme genius of modern German literature.
His literary works include epic and lyrical poetry, dramas of various kinds, as well as his autobiography. He has created world-known works such as “Faust”, as well as novels such as “Wilhelm Meister” or poetry such as “Prometheus”. Here you will discover Goethe’s best phrases about life, love, education and friendship.
Although he was quite conservative, as well as a devout Christian, he strongly opposed many teachings of the Christian churches and said that there were many differences between Christian theology and the teachings of Jesus Christ. He was also active in political life.
Many well-known philosophers such as Friedrich Hegel, Carl Jung, and Ludwig Wittgenstein were inspired by the works of Goethe.
Frases de Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Here are the inspiring phrases of Goethe:
1. “Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and putting one’s thoughts into action is the hardest thing in the world.”
2. “Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Wishing is not enough, we must do.”
3. “Character develops by itself in the stream of life.”
4. “The man with enough understanding to admit his limitations is closer to perfection.”
5. “In the realm of ideas, everything depends on enthusiasm ; in the real world, it’s all about perseverance.”
6. “Behavior is a mirror in which everyone shows their image.”
7. “I love those who yearn for the impossible.”
8. “Beauty is a manifestation of secret natural laws, which would otherwise have been hidden from us forever.”
9. “Ignorant men raise questions that wise men answered a thousand years ago.”
10. “Correction does a lot but encouragement does much more.”
11. “If you treat an individual as he is, he will remain as he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he should be and could be, he will become what he should be and could be.”
12. “Every day we should listen to at least a little song, read a good poem, see an exquisite picture, and, if possible, say a few sensible words.”
13. “The happiest man in the world is the one who knows how to recognize the merits of others and can rejoice in the good of others as if it were his own.”
14. “Bold ideas are like chess pieces moved forward; they can be beaten but they can start with a winning play.”
15. “Boredom is a weed, but also a spice that makes many things digest.”
16. “As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.”
17. “You don’t have to visit a madhouse to find disordered minds, our planet is the mental health institution of the universe.”
18. “You can judge a man’s character by the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.”
19. “There are two things that children should get from their parents : roots and wings.”
20. “A man can endure anything except a succession of ordinary days.”
21. “By searching and making mistakes, we learn.”
22. “There is nothing scarier than ignorance in action.”
23. “Life belongs to the living, and those who live must be prepared for changes.”
24. “The happy man is the one who, being a king or a peasant, finds peace in his home.”
25. “What is not started today is never finished tomorrow.”
26. “We do not become free by refusing to accept anything higher than us, but by accepting what is really above us.”
27. “Things that matter most should never be at the mercy of things that matter least.”
28. “The pigeon protests against the air, not realizing that it is the only thing that allows it to fly.”
29. “Nothing is as strong as sweetness, nothing as soft as real strength.”
30. “Only those who know how to conquer it every day are worthy of freedom.”
31. “Hate is a serious weight that sinks the heart into the depths of the chest and is fixed like a tombstone on all joys.”
32. “Magic is believing in yourself. If you can do that, you can make it all happen.”
33. “Man always believes himself to be more than he is, and he estimates himself less than he is worth.”
34. “Life is the infancy of our immortality.”
35. “Nothing should be valued more than the value of each day.”
36. “Whatever you can do or dream of being able to do, start it. The will has genius, power and magic.”
37. “Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound.”
38. “Love and desire are the wings of the spirit of great deeds.”
39. “The youth want better to be stimulated than instructed.”
40. “Lazy people always talk about what they plan to do, what they will do; Those who really do something don’t have time to talk about what they do.”
41. “The best fortune that can befall man is the one that corrects his defects and compensates for his failures.”
42. “Being brilliant is not a great feat if you do not respect anything.”
43. “Thinking is more interesting than knowing, but less interesting than looking.”
44. “The day of fortune is like a day of harvest. We must take care of it when the corn is ripe.”
45. “Fortune seldom walks anyone to the door.”
46. ”Do not dream little dreams, because they have no power to move the hearts of men.”
47. “Happy is he who recognizes in time that his desires are not in accordance with his faculties.”
48. “You never get as far as when you don’t know where you’re going.”
49. “What is the best government? The one who teaches us to govern ourselves.”
50. “A great sacrifice is easy; the ones that are difficult are the continual small sacrifices.”
51. “There is a tendency to put words where ideas are lacking.”
52. “Talent develops in quiet places, character in the tumultuous course of life.”
53. “Making a crown is much easier than finding a head worthy of wearing it.”
54. “Intelligence and common sense make their way with few artifices.”
55. “Faith is love of the invisible, trust in the impossible, in the unlikely.”
56. “The evil is in your mind and not in the external. The pure mind always sees only the good in everything, but the bad one is in charge of inventing the bad.”
57. “Living in the hearts of those we have left is not dying.”
58. “Misunderstanding and negligence create more confusion in the world than deception and wickedness.”
59. “Everyone wants to be somebody; no one wants to grow up.”
60. “All the extraordinary men who have accomplished great things have been branded exactly crazy and drunk.”
Thank you for viewing this collection of Goethe phrases ! What were your favorite phrases? Leave a comment below.