English Quotes

Knowledge is not enough for tranquillity and goodness, because it doesn't contain the motivation to be good. Only love impels action. We don't become better because we acquire new information. We become better because we acquire better loves. #DavidBrooks — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Feb 1, 2026

We say that the function of school is to teach valuable skills and knowledge. Yet students don't remember most of what they're taught, and most of what they do remember isn't very useful. #KevinSimler

We say that the function of school is to teach valuable skills and knowledge. Yet students don't remember most of what they're taught, and most of what they do remember isn't very useful. #KevinSimler — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Feb 1, 2026

...the birth rate fell sharply and was much lower at the end of the century than it was at the beginning. As the age of first marriage climbed to record high levels, women rose to record high levels in higher education and higher occupations. #ThomasSowell

...the birth rate fell sharply and was much lower at the end of the century than it was at the beginning. As the age of first marriage climbed to record high levels, women rose to record high levels in higher education and higher occupations. #ThomasSowell — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 31, 2026

One day [Zhao Gao] brought a deer to a meeting with the emperor and many top officials, calling the deer a great horse. [...] This was how Zhao Gao flushed out his enemies. Soon after, he murdered all the officials who refused to call the deer a horse. #KevinSimler

One day [Zhao Gao] brought a deer to a meeting with the emperor and many top officials, calling the deer a great horse. [...] This was how Zhao Gao flushed out his enemies. Soon after, he murdered all the officials who refused to call the deer a horse. #KevinSimler — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 31, 2026

The graveyard of failed persons will be full of people who shared [...] courage, risk taking, optimism, et cetera. Just like the population of millionaires. There may be some differences in skills, but what truly separates the two is for the most part [luck] #NassimNicholasTaleb

The graveyard of failed persons will be full of people who shared [...] courage, risk taking, optimism, et cetera. Just like the population of millionaires. There may be some differences in skills, but what truly separates the two is for the most part [luck] #NassimNicholasTaleb — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 31, 2026

[Geriatricians] requires each of us to contemplate the unfixables in our life, the decline we will unavoidably face, in order to make the small changes necessary to reshape it. #AtulGawande

[Geriatricians] requires each of us to contemplate the unfixables in our life, the decline we will unavoidably face, in order to make the small changes necessary to reshape it. #AtulGawande — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 31, 2026

Think carefully about your larger objectives before you mix cultures up. If your goal is innovation or creativity, the more cultural diversity the better, as long as the process is managed carefully. If your goal is simple speed and efficiency, then monocultural #ErinMeyer

Think carefully about your larger objectives before you mix cultures up. If your goal is innovation or creativity, the more cultural diversity the better, as long as the process is managed carefully. If your goal is simple speed and efficiency, then monocultural #ErinMeyer — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 31, 2026

...there is an awakening to the fact that, just as a human being cannot hope to realize his or her potential without healthy self-esteem, neither can a society whose members do not respect themselves, do not value their persons, do not trust their minds. #NathanielBranden

...there is an awakening to the fact that, just as a human being cannot hope to realize his or her potential without healthy self-esteem, neither can a society whose members do not respect themselves, do not value their persons, do not trust their minds. #NathanielBranden — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 31, 2026

There is the moral dualism that sees good and evil as instincts within us between which we must choose. But there is also what I will call pathological dualism that sees humanity itself as radically... divided into the unimpeachably good and the irredeemably bad. #JonathanHaidt

There is the moral dualism that sees good and evil as instincts within us between which we must choose. But there is also what I will call pathological dualism that sees humanity itself as radically... divided into the unimpeachably good and the irredeemably bad. #JonathanHaidt — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 30, 2026

I'm like I want you to stare at me, but I don't want you to [have sex with] me, and they have nothing to do with each other, Selena continues. And then [allosexual people] are so funny because they just insist that those have everything to do with each other. #AngelaChen

I'm like I want you to stare at me, but I don't want you to [have sex with] me, and they have nothing to do with each other, Selena continues. And then [allosexual people] are so funny because they just insist that those have everything to do with each other. #AngelaChen — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 30, 2026

The hardest thing to explain is the glaringly evident which everybody has decided not to see. #AynRand

The hardest thing to explain is the glaringly evident which everybody has decided not to see. #AynRand — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 30, 2026

Good news is good news first; how good matters rather little. So to have a pleasant life you should spread these small affects across time as evenly as possible. Plenty of mildly good news is preferable to one single lump of great news. #NassimNicholasTaleb

Good news is good news first; how good matters rather little. So to have a pleasant life you should spread these small affects across time as evenly as possible. Plenty of mildly good news is preferable to one single lump of great news. #NassimNicholasTaleb — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 30, 2026

Modernization did not demote the elderly. It demoted the family. It gave people--the young and the old--a way of life with more liberty and control, including the liberty to be less beholden to other generations. #AtulGawande

Modernization did not demote the elderly. It demoted the family. It gave people--the young and the old--a way of life with more liberty and control, including the liberty to be less beholden to other generations. #AtulGawande — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 30, 2026

In India, a bride burning--to punish a woman for inadequate dowry or to eliminate her so a man can remarry--takes place approximately once every two hours, but rarely constitute news. #NicholasDKristof

In India, a bride burning--to punish a woman for inadequate dowry or to eliminate her so a man can remarry--takes place approximately once every two hours, but rarely constitute news. #NicholasDKristof — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 30, 2026

Conspicuous and inconspicuous consumption follow different psychological rules. Conspicuous consumption is a zero-sum game #JonathanHaidt

Conspicuous and inconspicuous consumption follow different psychological rules. Conspicuous consumption is a zero-sum game #JonathanHaidt — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 29, 2026

Becoming the best version of yourself requires you to continuously edit your beliefs, and to upgrade and expand your identity. #JamesClear

Becoming the best version of yourself requires you to continuously edit your beliefs, and to upgrade and expand your identity. #JamesClear — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 29, 2026

Liberty can be obtained, it cannot be regained. #JeanJacquesRousseau

Liberty can be obtained, it cannot be regained. #JeanJacquesRousseau — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 29, 2026

Once that blossoming [of awareness] becomes experiential for you, you explode into the oneness of existence. This is yoga, the ultimate union. #Sadhguru

Once that blossoming [of awareness] becomes experiential for you, you explode into the oneness of existence. This is yoga, the ultimate union. #Sadhguru — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 29, 2026

Evaluate accurately, not kindly. #RayDalio

Evaluate accurately, not kindly. #RayDalio — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 29, 2026

If we knew nobody thought badly of us then we would have little fear, it would be more of a nuisance to fail and we would then deal with the consequences. We would also not weigh our own self-worth by an exam result. This is the Fridge Door Goblin at its best! #StevePeters

If we knew nobody thought badly of us then we would have little fear, it would be more of a nuisance to fail and we would then deal with the consequences. We would also not weigh our own self-worth by an exam result. This is the Fridge Door Goblin at its best! #StevePeters — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 28, 2026

I live, I am partisan. This is why I hate those who do not take sides; I hate those who are indifferent #AntonioGramsci

I live, I am partisan. This is why I hate those who do not take sides; I hate those who are indifferent #AntonioGramsci — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 28, 2026

We see radical relativism in the form of double standards, such as assertions that only men can be sexist and only white people can be racist, and in the whole rejection of consistent principles of nondiscrimination. #HelenPluckrose

We see radical relativism in the form of double standards, such as assertions that only men can be sexist and only white people can be racist, and in the whole rejection of consistent principles of nondiscrimination. #HelenPluckrose — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 28, 2026

Misogyny often stems from the desire to take women down, to put them in their place again. So the higher they climb, the farther they may be made to fall because of it. #KateManne

Misogyny often stems from the desire to take women down, to put them in their place again. So the higher they climb, the farther they may be made to fall because of it. #KateManne — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 28, 2026

The effective way to please people is not to people-please but to take the risk of behaving in a real way around them which might well involve a few tantrums-something that which we should ultimately be reassured by and feel grateful to be on the receiving end of #TheSchoolOfLife

The effective way to please people is not to people-please but to take the risk of behaving in a real way around them which might well involve a few tantrums-something that which we should ultimately be reassured by and feel grateful to be on the receiving end of #TheSchoolOfLife — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 28, 2026

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. #RobertBrault

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. #RobertBrault — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 27, 2026

They taught me to embrace the cards you are dealt or it will eat you alive. If you go to the heart of your own matter, you will find only by loving and helping do you have peace from your own trauma. #RobertKolker

They taught me to embrace the cards you are dealt or it will eat you alive. If you go to the heart of your own matter, you will find only by loving and helping do you have peace from your own trauma. #RobertKolker — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 27, 2026

...it's never useful to have secret gaps in your knowledge, or to adopt false beliefs that you keep entirely to yourself. The entire value of strategic ignorance and related phenomena lies in the way others act when they believe that you're ignorant. #KevinSimler

...it's never useful to have secret gaps in your knowledge, or to adopt false beliefs that you keep entirely to yourself. The entire value of strategic ignorance and related phenomena lies in the way others act when they believe that you're ignorant. #KevinSimler — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 27, 2026

Happiness is simply the absence of desire. When you observe a cue, but do not desire to change your state, you are content with the current situation. #JamesClear

Happiness is simply the absence of desire. When you observe a cue, but do not desire to change your state, you are content with the current situation. #JamesClear — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 27, 2026

[Our confirmation bias:] they think immigrants commit a lot of crime because they read in the news about an immigrant who robbed a store, but don't think about the larger number of stores robbed by native-born citizens. #StevenPinker

[Our confirmation bias:] they think immigrants commit a lot of crime because they read in the news about an immigrant who robbed a store, but don't think about the larger number of stores robbed by native-born citizens. #StevenPinker — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 27, 2026

In America it was Chinese men who felt lost. Chinese women lost only the traditional shackles, gaining greater freedom. Just like men, they wanted to taste all the enjoyment that life had to offer, including the one that had always been monopolized by men, sex. #QianNing

In America it was Chinese men who felt lost. Chinese women lost only the traditional shackles, gaining greater freedom. Just like men, they wanted to taste all the enjoyment that life had to offer, including the one that had always been monopolized by men, sex. #QianNing — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 27, 2026

The child you see today will not be here tomorrow. The child arriving home from school, is different from the one who left from home this morning. Every moment is a death of all that has gone before, and a birth of all that is to come. #WilliamMartin

The child you see today will not be here tomorrow. The child arriving home from school, is different from the one who left from home this morning. Every moment is a death of all that has gone before, and a birth of all that is to come. #WilliamMartin — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 26, 2026

[Kant] reasoned that for moral rules to be laws, they had to be universally applicable. If gravity worked differently for men and women, or for Italians and Egyptians, we could not speak of it as a law. #JonathanHaidt

[Kant] reasoned that for moral rules to be laws, they had to be universally applicable. If gravity worked differently for men and women, or for Italians and Egyptians, we could not speak of it as a law. #JonathanHaidt — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 26, 2026

How many centuries must have elapsed before men reached the point of seeing any other fire than that in the sky? #JeanJacquesRousseau

How many centuries must have elapsed before men reached the point of seeing any other fire than that in the sky? #JeanJacquesRousseau — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 26, 2026

Movies, plays, operas, TV dramas--even the lyrics of songs--help us deal with our lived experiences, which are something different and broader than the mere material from which our experience hypothetically rises. #JordanPeterson

Movies, plays, operas, TV dramas--even the lyrics of songs--help us deal with our lived experiences, which are something different and broader than the mere material from which our experience hypothetically rises. #JordanPeterson — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 26, 2026

...our culture we think of freedom as the absence of restraint. That's freedom from. But there is another and higher kind of freedom. That is freedom to. #DavidBrooks

...our culture we think of freedom as the absence of restraint. That's freedom from. But there is another and higher kind of freedom. That is freedom to. #DavidBrooks — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 26, 2026

[Those we love would ideally] warn us about their bad moods after work, their awkwardness around their mother or their tendency to panic at airports. Their confessions won't magically remove every problem, but they will hugely attenuate their impact. #TheSchoolOfLife

[Those we love would ideally] warn us about their bad moods after work, their awkwardness around their mother or their tendency to panic at airports. Their confessions won't magically remove every problem, but they will hugely attenuate their impact. #TheSchoolOfLife — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 25, 2026

For the optimal realization of our possibilities, we need to trust ourselves and we need to admire ourselves, and the trust and admiration need to be grounded in reality, not generated out of fantasy and self-delusion. #NathanielBranden

For the optimal realization of our possibilities, we need to trust ourselves and we need to admire ourselves, and the trust and admiration need to be grounded in reality, not generated out of fantasy and self-delusion. #NathanielBranden — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 25, 2026

Mill got depressed when he felt his desires go lukewarm. He pulled out of it when he discovered the existence of infinite desires, which are spiritual and moral, and not worldly desires. #DavidBrooks

Mill got depressed when he felt his desires go lukewarm. He pulled out of it when he discovered the existence of infinite desires, which are spiritual and moral, and not worldly desires. #DavidBrooks — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 25, 2026

I wanted meaningful work and meaningful relationships equally, and I valued money less, as long as I had enough to take care of my basic needs. #RayDalio

I wanted meaningful work and meaningful relationships equally, and I valued money less, as long as I had enough to take care of my basic needs. #RayDalio — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 25, 2026

Modernity became ugly because we forgot how to articulate that beauty is, in the end, as much of a necessity for a building as a functioning roof. We lost the vocabulary to describe our pain. #TheSchoolOfLife

Modernity became ugly because we forgot how to articulate that beauty is, in the end, as much of a necessity for a building as a functioning roof. We lost the vocabulary to describe our pain. #TheSchoolOfLife — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 25, 2026

What we really crave is for someone to make loving sense of us. We want them to write us, with all our complexity and obscurity, down in crisply phrased and clear sentences. #TheSchoolOfLife

What we really crave is for someone to make loving sense of us. We want them to write us, with all our complexity and obscurity, down in crisply phrased and clear sentences. #TheSchoolOfLife — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 24, 2026

Ideology would be relegated to domestic management [as long as not interfering with the need for cooperation against the Soviet danger]; it took a leave from foreign policy. The ideological armistice was, of course, valid only so long as objectives remained compatible. #HenryKi…

Ideology would be relegated to domestic management [as long as not interfering with the need for cooperation against the Soviet danger]; it took a leave from foreign policy. The ideological armistice was, of course, valid only so long as objectives remained compatible. #HenryKi… — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 24, 2026

Teaching kids that failures, insults, and painful experiences will do lasting damage is harmful in and of itself. Human beings need physical and mental challenges and stressors or we deteriorate. #JonathanHaidt

Teaching kids that failures, insults, and painful experiences will do lasting damage is harmful in and of itself. Human beings need physical and mental challenges and stressors or we deteriorate. #JonathanHaidt — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 24, 2026

Resist the urge to squeal out loud at the preposterous notion that a teenager in any sense knows who she is with the level of certainty sufficient to entrust her with life-altering decisions. #AbigailShrier

Resist the urge to squeal out loud at the preposterous notion that a teenager in any sense knows who she is with the level of certainty sufficient to entrust her with life-altering decisions. #AbigailShrier — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 24, 2026

The psychologist Barry Schwartz calls this the paradox of choice... We value choice and put ourselves in situations of choice, even though choice often undercuts our happiness. #JonathanHaidt

The psychologist Barry Schwartz calls this the paradox of choice... We value choice and put ourselves in situations of choice, even though choice often undercuts our happiness. #JonathanHaidt — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 24, 2026

But if the heart didn't keep the good blood for itself, the heart would die. And if the heart died, it would take every other organ with it. The liver. The kidneys. The brain. The heart, in a way, has to be selfish for its own preservation. #VishenLakhiani

But if the heart didn't keep the good blood for itself, the heart would die. And if the heart died, it would take every other organ with it. The liver. The kidneys. The brain. The heart, in a way, has to be selfish for its own preservation. #VishenLakhiani — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 24, 2026

As a general rule, the more immediate pleasure you get from an action, the more strongly you should question whether it aligns with your long-term goals. #JamesClear

As a general rule, the more immediate pleasure you get from an action, the more strongly you should question whether it aligns with your long-term goals. #JamesClear — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 23, 2026

...the establishment of a male breadwinner/female homemaker family in the middle and upper classes often required large sections of the lower class to be unable to do so. #StephanieCoontz

...the establishment of a male breadwinner/female homemaker family in the middle and upper classes often required large sections of the lower class to be unable to do so. #StephanieCoontz — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 23, 2026

Constrictions need to be loosened, but not too much. The underlying assumption is that sex in relationships is imperative and everything else the amount of sex, the number of partners, the positions, the toysollows from that axiom. #AngelaChen

Constrictions need to be loosened, but not too much. The underlying assumption is that sex in relationships is imperative and everything else the amount of sex, the number of partners, the positions, the toysollows from that axiom. #AngelaChen — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 23, 2026

The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man. #CharlesDarwin

The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man. #CharlesDarwin — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 23, 2026

Reform is usually possible only once a sense of crisis takes hold... In fact, crises are such valuable opportunities that a wise leader often prolongs a sense of emergency on purpose. #CharlesDuhigg

Reform is usually possible only once a sense of crisis takes hold... In fact, crises are such valuable opportunities that a wise leader often prolongs a sense of emergency on purpose. #CharlesDuhigg — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 23, 2026

Money will be one of the things you need, but it's not the only one and certainly not the most important one once you get past having the amount you need to get what you really want. #RayDalio

Money will be one of the things you need, but it's not the only one and certainly not the most important one once you get past having the amount you need to get what you really want. #RayDalio — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 22, 2026

The real difference between us and chimpanzees is the mythical glue that binds together large numbers of individuals, families and groups. #YuvalNoahHarari

The real difference between us and chimpanzees is the mythical glue that binds together large numbers of individuals, families and groups. #YuvalNoahHarari — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 22, 2026

The sparks of laughter illuminate what is otherwise murky and hard to pin down with precision: the threshold between safety and danger, between what's appropriate and what's transgressive, between who does and doesn't deserve our empathy. #KevinSimler

The sparks of laughter illuminate what is otherwise murky and hard to pin down with precision: the threshold between safety and danger, between what's appropriate and what's transgressive, between who does and doesn't deserve our empathy. #KevinSimler — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 22, 2026

Today the West faces challenges without and threats within. But no greater threat exists than that which comes from people inside the West intent on pulling apart the fabric of our societies, piece by piece. #DouglasMurray

Today the West faces challenges without and threats within. But no greater threat exists than that which comes from people inside the West intent on pulling apart the fabric of our societies, piece by piece. #DouglasMurray — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 22, 2026

At the end of my November 1973 visit, I suggested to Zhou a hotline between Washington and Beijing as part of an agreement on reducing the risks of accidental war. #HenryKissinger

At the end of my November 1973 visit, I suggested to Zhou a hotline between Washington and Beijing as part of an agreement on reducing the risks of accidental war. #HenryKissinger — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 22, 2026

There are [advocates] promoting an open-ended commitment to more [Improvement], without any indication of a limit [...] much less any consideration of alternative uses of the resources that some people want devoted to whatever desirable thing they are promoting. #ThomasSowell

There are [advocates] promoting an open-ended commitment to more [Improvement], without any indication of a limit [...] much less any consideration of alternative uses of the resources that some people want devoted to whatever desirable thing they are promoting. #ThomasSowell — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 22, 2026

Your brain secretly wants that song, because it's so familiar to everything else you've already heard and liked. It just sounds right. There is evidence that a preference for things that sound familiar is a product of our neurology. #CharlesDuhigg

Your brain secretly wants that song, because it's so familiar to everything else you've already heard and liked. It just sounds right. There is evidence that a preference for things that sound familiar is a product of our neurology. #CharlesDuhigg — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 21, 2026

Almost everything in social life is produced by rare but consequential shocks and jumps; all the while almost everything studied about social life focuses on the normal, particularly with bell curve methods of inference that tell you close to nothing. #NassimNicholasTaleb

Almost everything in social life is produced by rare but consequential shocks and jumps; all the while almost everything studied about social life focuses on the normal, particularly with bell curve methods of inference that tell you close to nothing. #NassimNicholasTaleb — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 21, 2026

If you believe in an absolute truth revealed by a transcendent power, you cannot allow yourself to admit any error--for that would nullify your whole story; if you believe in a quest for truth by fallible humans, admitting blunders is an inherent part of the game #YuvalNoahHarari

If you believe in an absolute truth revealed by a transcendent power, you cannot allow yourself to admit any error--for that would nullify your whole story; if you believe in a quest for truth by fallible humans, admitting blunders is an inherent part of the game #YuvalNoahHarari — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 21, 2026

For the hundreds of millions of the world's poorest people who live outside the protection of the rule of law, they principal reason they suffer abuse is often not the absence of good laws, but the absence of a functioning public justice system to enforce those laws. #GaryAHaugen

For the hundreds of millions of the world's poorest people who live outside the protection of the rule of law, they principal reason they suffer abuse is often not the absence of good laws, but the absence of a functioning public justice system to enforce those laws. #GaryAHaugen — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 21, 2026

Remember that people are built very differently and that different ways of seeing and thinking make people suitable for different jobs. #RayDalio

Remember that people are built very differently and that different ways of seeing and thinking make people suitable for different jobs. #RayDalio — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 21, 2026

Today, I am not going to lie. I will be as honest as possible. I only have a few days of the year to not lie, and today happens to be one of them. #HarukiMurakami

Today, I am not going to lie. I will be as honest as possible. I only have a few days of the year to not lie, and today happens to be one of them. #HarukiMurakami — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 21, 2026

The Woodstock counterculture seemed, superficially, to rebel against mainstream values, but as the ensuing decades have demonstrated, it was just a flipside version of the culture of the Big Me. Both capitalism and Woodstock were about the liberation of self... #DavidBrooks

The Woodstock counterculture seemed, superficially, to rebel against mainstream values, but as the ensuing decades have demonstrated, it was just a flipside version of the culture of the Big Me. Both capitalism and Woodstock were about the liberation of self... #DavidBrooks — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 20, 2026

There are no ultimate solutions. The moderate can only hope to achieve a balance that is consistent with the needs of the moment. #DavidBrooks

There are no ultimate solutions. The moderate can only hope to achieve a balance that is consistent with the needs of the moment. #DavidBrooks — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 20, 2026

It would be equally unreasonable to imagine that men at first threw themselves into the arms of an absolute master, without any conditions or consideration on his side #JeanJacquesRousseau

It would be equally unreasonable to imagine that men at first threw themselves into the arms of an absolute master, without any conditions or consideration on his side #JeanJacquesRousseau — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 20, 2026

We associate [friendship] with a casual acquaintance we see only once in a while to exchange inconsequential and shallow banter. But real friendship is something altogether more profound and worthy of exultation. #AlaindeBotton

We associate [friendship] with a casual acquaintance we see only once in a while to exchange inconsequential and shallow banter. But real friendship is something altogether more profound and worthy of exultation. #AlaindeBotton — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 20, 2026

The second step in transforming a society is to change people's external circumstances. The Stoics would add that if we fail to transform ourselves, then no matter how much we transform the society in which we live, we are unlikely to have a good life. #WilliamBIrvine

The second step in transforming a society is to change people's external circumstances. The Stoics would add that if we fail to transform ourselves, then no matter how much we transform the society in which we live, we are unlikely to have a good life. #WilliamBIrvine — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 20, 2026

Imagine meeting your partner through the lens of art. You would find again the allure of things about them that--through familiarity and haste--had been neglected. We could study once more the magic of a palm that we once longed to caress #TheSchoolOfLife

Imagine meeting your partner through the lens of art. You would find again the allure of things about them that--through familiarity and haste--had been neglected. We could study once more the magic of a palm that we once longed to caress #TheSchoolOfLife — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 19, 2026

Our notebooks are the forum for a second, third and hundredth chance; they end up doing greater justice to our thoughts than our minds themselves. #TheSchoolOfLife

Our notebooks are the forum for a second, third and hundredth chance; they end up doing greater justice to our thoughts than our minds themselves. #TheSchoolOfLife — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 19, 2026

We need to be able to [...] risk unpopularity by searching for context when our Facebook feed is an outpouring of unchecked outrage and scapegoating, to closely study the ways that media and advertising play upon our emotions... #JennyOdell

We need to be able to [...] risk unpopularity by searching for context when our Facebook feed is an outpouring of unchecked outrage and scapegoating, to closely study the ways that media and advertising play upon our emotions... #JennyOdell — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 19, 2026

People are contagious. #DafnaKatan

People are contagious. #DafnaKatan — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 19, 2026

We could not be fulfilled if we weren't inauthentic some of the time--inauthentic, that is, in relation to such things as our passing desires to throttle our children, poison our spouse, or end our marriage over a dispute about changing a lightbulb. #AlaindeBotton

- January 18, 2026

We could not be fulfilled if we weren't inauthentic some of the time--inauthentic, that is, in relation to such things as our passing desires to throttle our children, poison our spouse, or end our marriage over a dispute about changing a lightbulb. #AlaindeBotton — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 19, 2026

Systems that are antifragile become rigid, weak, and inefficient when nothing challenges them or pushes them to respond vigorously. He notes that muscles, bones, and children are antifragile. #JonathanHaidt

- January 15, 2026

Systems that are antifragile become rigid, weak, and inefficient when nothing challenges them or pushes them to respond vigorously. He notes that muscles, bones, and children are antifragile. #JonathanHaidt — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 15, 2026

But when we come across the ideal book for us, we are presented with a clearer, more lucid, better-organised account of our own concerns and experiences. #TheSchoolOfLife

- January 15, 2026

But when we come across the ideal book for us, we are presented with a clearer, more lucid, better-organised account of our own concerns and experiences. #TheSchoolOfLife — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 15, 2026

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated in 2012 that 31 percent of fatal crashes in the United States involved alcohol abuse, 30 percent involved speeding, and 21 percent involved distracted drivers. #YuvalNoahHarari

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated in 2012 that 31 percent of fatal crashes in the United States involved alcohol abuse, 30 percent involved speeding, and 21 percent involved distracted drivers. #YuvalNoahHarari — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 15, 2026

And still men are a thousand times more intent on becoming rich than on acquiring culture, though it is quite certain that what a man is contributes much more to his happiness than what he has. #Schopenhauer

And still men are a thousand times more intent on becoming rich than on acquiring culture, though it is quite certain that what a man is contributes much more to his happiness than what he has. #Schopenhauer — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 15, 2026

If you have an independent fortune and you don't need to work, then you can probably make these changes now. But for the rest of us, we need to be part of a collective struggle in order to reclaim the time and space that has been taken from us--so we can finally rest #JohannHari

If you have an independent fortune and you don't need to work, then you can probably make these changes now. But for the rest of us, we need to be part of a collective struggle in order to reclaim the time and space that has been taken from us--so we can finally rest #JohannHari — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 14, 2026

Without gratitude, the prevailing attitudes of life are blame and resentment, because if you do not feel any gratitude for anything that has been passed on to you, then all you can feel is bitterness over what you have not got. #DouglasMurray

Without gratitude, the prevailing attitudes of life are blame and resentment, because if you do not feel any gratitude for anything that has been passed on to you, then all you can feel is bitterness over what you have not got. #DouglasMurray — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 14, 2026

[Optimists'] self-confidence is reinforced by the admiration of others. This reasoning leads to a hypothesis: the people who have the greatest influence on the lives of others are likely to be optimistic and overconfident, and to take more risks than they realize. #DanielKahneman

[Optimists'] self-confidence is reinforced by the admiration of others. This reasoning leads to a hypothesis: the people who have the greatest influence on the lives of others are likely to be optimistic and overconfident, and to take more risks than they realize. #DanielKahneman — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 14, 2026

Knowing the arrival fallacy, we'll be subject to illusion, but at least aware of the fact. When we watch others striving, we may experience slightly less envy. It may look as if certain others have reached 'there', but we know they are still longing and worrying #TheSchoolOfLife

Knowing the arrival fallacy, we'll be subject to illusion, but at least aware of the fact. When we watch others striving, we may experience slightly less envy. It may look as if certain others have reached 'there', but we know they are still longing and worrying #TheSchoolOfLife — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 14, 2026

There must be no fooling around, work means discipline. Singapore's success depends on the spirit in which workers, management and government, all three, enter into the spirit of cooperation, necessary for prosperity. #LeeKuanYew

There must be no fooling around, work means discipline. Singapore's success depends on the spirit in which workers, management and government, all three, enter into the spirit of cooperation, necessary for prosperity. #LeeKuanYew — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 14, 2026

There's no point giving people sweet self-help lectures about the benefits of unplugging unless you give them a legal right to do it. #JohannHari

There's no point giving people sweet self-help lectures about the benefits of unplugging unless you give them a legal right to do it. #JohannHari — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 13, 2026

What a wise person teaches is the smallest part of what they give. The totality of their life, of the way they go about it in the smallest details, is what gets transmitted. #DavidBrooks

What a wise person teaches is the smallest part of what they give. The totality of their life, of the way they go about it in the smallest details, is what gets transmitted. #DavidBrooks — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 13, 2026

One can never be secure. As Dante put it, the ardor to outshine / Burned in my bosom with a kind of rage. Hungry for exaltation, the proud person has a tendency to make himself ridiculous. #DavidBrooks

One can never be secure. As Dante put it, the ardor to outshine / Burned in my bosom with a kind of rage. Hungry for exaltation, the proud person has a tendency to make himself ridiculous. #DavidBrooks — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 13, 2026

Japan is an island society with a homogenous population and thousands of years of shared history... Japan was closed off from the rest of the world. Over these thousands of years, people became particularly skilled at picking up each other's messages--reading the air #ErinMeyer

Japan is an island society with a homogenous population and thousands of years of shared history... Japan was closed off from the rest of the world. Over these thousands of years, people became particularly skilled at picking up each other's messages--reading the air #ErinMeyer — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 13, 2026

Monogamy, it follows, is the sacred cow of the romantic ideal, for it is the marker of our specialness: I have been chosen and others renounced. When you turn your back on other loves, you confirm my uniqueness #EstherPerel

Monogamy, it follows, is the sacred cow of the romantic ideal, for it is the marker of our specialness: I have been chosen and others renounced. When you turn your back on other loves, you confirm my uniqueness #EstherPerel — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 13, 2026

The way to avoid the ills of the narrative fallacy is to favor experimentation over storytelling, experience over history, and clinical knowledge over theories. #NassimNicholasTaleb

The way to avoid the ills of the narrative fallacy is to favor experimentation over storytelling, experience over history, and clinical knowledge over theories. #NassimNicholasTaleb — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 13, 2026

I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others. #MarcusAurelius

I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others. #MarcusAurelius — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 12, 2026

Yet despite appearances, the interstate system is in fact a quintessential fractal when viewed through the lens of the actual traffic flowing on it, rather than when viewed simply as a physical road network. #GeoffreyWest

Yet despite appearances, the interstate system is in fact a quintessential fractal when viewed through the lens of the actual traffic flowing on it, rather than when viewed simply as a physical road network. #GeoffreyWest — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 12, 2026

Rather than split up, we may need to tell ourselves more accurate stories--stories that don't dwell so much on the beginning, that don't promise us complete understanding, that strive to normalise our troubles and show us a melancholy yet hopeful path... #AlaindeBotton

Rather than split up, we may need to tell ourselves more accurate stories--stories that don't dwell so much on the beginning, that don't promise us complete understanding, that strive to normalise our troubles and show us a melancholy yet hopeful path... #AlaindeBotton — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 12, 2026

Or, changing the metaphor a bit, [Seneca] tells us that intense pleasures, when captured by us, become our captors, meaning that the more pleasures a man captures, the more masters will he have to serve. #WilliamBIrvine

Or, changing the metaphor a bit, [Seneca] tells us that intense pleasures, when captured by us, become our captors, meaning that the more pleasures a man captures, the more masters will he have to serve. #WilliamBIrvine — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 12, 2026

We should also be concerned with the rewarding and valorizing of women who conform to gendered norms and expectations, enforce the good behavior of others, and engage in certain common forms of patriarchal virtue-signaling--by, for ex., participating in slut-shaming #KateManne

We should also be concerned with the rewarding and valorizing of women who conform to gendered norms and expectations, enforce the good behavior of others, and engage in certain common forms of patriarchal virtue-signaling--by, for ex., participating in slut-shaming #KateManne — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 12, 2026

We need to be outwardly obedient and inwardly discerning. #TheSchoolOfLife

We need to be outwardly obedient and inwardly discerning. #TheSchoolOfLife — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 11, 2026

Sovereign power [or soft despot] extends its arms over the entire society; it covers the surface of society with a network of small, complicated, minute, and uniform rules... it does not tyrannize, it hinders, it represses, it enervates, it extinguishes... #JonathanHaidt

Sovereign power [or soft despot] extends its arms over the entire society; it covers the surface of society with a network of small, complicated, minute, and uniform rules... it does not tyrannize, it hinders, it represses, it enervates, it extinguishes... #JonathanHaidt — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 11, 2026

...to carry off any moderately complicated thinking task, we should understand that, at any single moment, we won't have access to all the ideas we need. We'll have to set down what we can, then wait and return with the distinctive intelligence of a new mood. #TheSchoolOfLife

...to carry off any moderately complicated thinking task, we should understand that, at any single moment, we won't have access to all the ideas we need. We'll have to set down what we can, then wait and return with the distinctive intelligence of a new mood. #TheSchoolOfLife — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 11, 2026

Sex did not fight the French Revolution, free the slaves in America, overthrow the Russian Czar, drive the British out of India; but when the idea of human freedom moves the minds of men, it also moves the minds of women. #BettyFriedan

Sex did not fight the French Revolution, free the slaves in America, overthrow the Russian Czar, drive the British out of India; but when the idea of human freedom moves the minds of men, it also moves the minds of women. #BettyFriedan — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 11, 2026

The psychology of accurate intuition involves no magic. [...] the great Herbert Simon, who studied chess masters and showed that after thousands of hours of practice they come to see the pieces on the board differently from the rest of us. #DanielKahneman

The psychology of accurate intuition involves no magic. [...] the great Herbert Simon, who studied chess masters and showed that after thousands of hours of practice they come to see the pieces on the board differently from the rest of us. #DanielKahneman — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 11, 2026

There is no reason to expect that misogyny will typically manifest itself in violence or even violent tendencies, contra Steven Finker. From the perspective of enforcing patriarchal social relations, this is not necessary. It is not even desirable. #KateManne

There is no reason to expect that misogyny will typically manifest itself in violence or even violent tendencies, contra Steven Finker. From the perspective of enforcing patriarchal social relations, this is not necessary. It is not even desirable. #KateManne — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 10, 2026

His self-esteem is not--or should not be--dependent on particular successes or failures, since these are not necessarily in a man's direct, volitional control and/or not in his exclusive control. #NathanielBranden

His self-esteem is not--or should not be--dependent on particular successes or failures, since these are not necessarily in a man's direct, volitional control and/or not in his exclusive control. #NathanielBranden — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 10, 2026

We chase after more exciting others, not in the belief that life with them will be more harmonious, but out of an unconscious sense that it will be reassuringly familiar in its patterns of frustration. #AlaindeBotton

We chase after more exciting others, not in the belief that life with them will be more harmonious, but out of an unconscious sense that it will be reassuringly familiar in its patterns of frustration. #AlaindeBotton — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 10, 2026

Intellectuals analyze the operations of international systems; statesmen build them. #HenryKissinger

Intellectuals analyze the operations of international systems; statesmen build them. #HenryKissinger — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 10, 2026

Give me liberty or give me death. #PatrickHenry

Give me liberty or give me death. #PatrickHenry — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 10, 2026

Somehow the world is alive and communicating with itself. There is some interconnecting animating force, and we are awash in that force, which we with our paltry vocabulary call love. #DavidBrooks

Somehow the world is alive and communicating with itself. There is some interconnecting animating force, and we are awash in that force, which we with our paltry vocabulary call love. #DavidBrooks — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 9, 2026

Chinese religions [...] have traditionally emphasized interdependencies [...] Chinese thought was holistic, meaning that the Chinese attended to the field in which an object was located, believing that action always occurs in a field of forces that influence the action #ErinMeyer

Chinese religions [...] have traditionally emphasized interdependencies [...] Chinese thought was holistic, meaning that the Chinese attended to the field in which an object was located, believing that action always occurs in a field of forces that influence the action #ErinMeyer — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 9, 2026

...a special place in Journalist Hell is reserved for the scribes who in 2021, during the rollout of Covid vaccines known to have a 95 percent efficacy rate, wrote stories on the vaccinated people who came down with the disease [...] guaranteed to scare thousands... #StevenPinker

...a special place in Journalist Hell is reserved for the scribes who in 2021, during the rollout of Covid vaccines known to have a 95 percent efficacy rate, wrote stories on the vaccinated people who came down with the disease [...] guaranteed to scare thousands... #StevenPinker — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 9, 2026

The desert rehearses in grand terms a lesson that ordinary life typically introduces viciously: that the universe is mightier than we are; that we are frail and temporary and have no alternative but to accept the limitations on our will... #TheSchoolOfLife

The desert rehearses in grand terms a lesson that ordinary life typically introduces viciously: that the universe is mightier than we are; that we are frail and temporary and have no alternative but to accept the limitations on our will... #TheSchoolOfLife — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 9, 2026

We do not have to be perfect to deserve to exist. #TheSchoolOfLife

We do not have to be perfect to deserve to exist. #TheSchoolOfLife — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 9, 2026

...the task of a strategist is less to analyze a particular situation than to determine its relationship to the context in which it occurs. #HenryKissinger

...the task of a strategist is less to analyze a particular situation than to determine its relationship to the context in which it occurs. #HenryKissinger — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 8, 2026

A meaningful life can be extremely satisfying even in the midst of hardship, whereas a meaningless life is a terrible ordeal no matter how comfortable it is. #YuvalNoahHarari

A meaningful life can be extremely satisfying even in the midst of hardship, whereas a meaningless life is a terrible ordeal no matter how comfortable it is. #YuvalNoahHarari — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 8, 2026

We try to recover from a day of overload by collapsing in front of the TV. But if you only break away from distraction into rest--if you don't replace it with a positive goal you are striving toward--you will always be pulled back to distraction sooner or later. #JohannHari

We try to recover from a day of overload by collapsing in front of the TV. But if you only break away from distraction into rest--if you don't replace it with a positive goal you are striving toward--you will always be pulled back to distraction sooner or later. #JohannHari — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 8, 2026

If we believed that everything were merely a product of fate or disposition, Cicero reasons, no one would be accountable for anything and therefore there could be no justice. In today's terms, we all just be algorithms. Furthermore, we have no reason to try... #JennyOdell

If we believed that everything were merely a product of fate or disposition, Cicero reasons, no one would be accountable for anything and therefore there could be no justice. In today's terms, we all just be algorithms. Furthermore, we have no reason to try... #JennyOdell — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 8, 2026

[Up until 1950] Few households had washing machines and dryers. Refrigerators had only tiny spaces for freezing ice and had to be defrosted at least once a week. Few houses had separate bedrooms for all the children. #StephanieCoontz

[Up until 1950] Few households had washing machines and dryers. Refrigerators had only tiny spaces for freezing ice and had to be defrosted at least once a week. Few houses had separate bedrooms for all the children. #StephanieCoontz — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 8, 2026

But if they are willing to look it in the face they also discover that every movement toward death is life. #SimonedeBeauvoir

But if they are willing to look it in the face they also discover that every movement toward death is life. #SimonedeBeauvoir — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 7, 2026

Getting 1 percent better every day counts for a lot in the long-run. #JamesClear

Getting 1 percent better every day counts for a lot in the long-run. #JamesClear — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 7, 2026

Taking care of a debilitated, elderly person in our medicalized era is an overwhelming combination of the technological and the custodial. #AtulGawande

Taking care of a debilitated, elderly person in our medicalized era is an overwhelming combination of the technological and the custodial. #AtulGawande — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 7, 2026

The triumph of romantic love [consists] first and foremost in the disembedding of individual romantic choices from the moral and social fabric of the group and in the emergence of a self-regulated market of encounters #EvaIllouz

The triumph of romantic love [consists] first and foremost in the disembedding of individual romantic choices from the moral and social fabric of the group and in the emergence of a self-regulated market of encounters #EvaIllouz — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 7, 2026

Transcendence: Appreciation of beauty and excellence, Gratitude, Hope, Spirituality, Forgiveness, Humor, Zest #JonathanHaidt

Transcendence: Appreciation of beauty and excellence, Gratitude, Hope, Spirituality, Forgiveness, Humor, Zest #JonathanHaidt — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 7, 2026

[The present] is only as an instrument, as a means, it is only by its efficacy with regard to the coming of the future that the present is validly realized: reduced to itself it is nothing, one may dispose of it as he pleases. #SimonedeBeauvoir

[The present] is only as an instrument, as a means, it is only by its efficacy with regard to the coming of the future that the present is validly realized: reduced to itself it is nothing, one may dispose of it as he pleases. #SimonedeBeauvoir — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 7, 2026

Increase similarity, not diversity. To make a human hive, you want to make everyone feel like a family. So don't call attention to racial and ethnic differences; make them less relevant by ramping up similarity and celebrating the group's shared values... #JonathanHaidt

Increase similarity, not diversity. To make a human hive, you want to make everyone feel like a family. So don't call attention to racial and ethnic differences; make them less relevant by ramping up similarity and celebrating the group's shared values... #JonathanHaidt — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 6, 2026

...men can't be quiet because that would give other men a chance to show off verbally. Men often bully women into silence, but this is usually to make room for their own verbal display. #GeoffreyMiller

...men can't be quiet because that would give other men a chance to show off verbally. Men often bully women into silence, but this is usually to make room for their own verbal display. #GeoffreyMiller — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 6, 2026

Western strategists test their maxims by victories in battles; Sun Tzu tests by victories where battles have become unnecessary. #HenryKissinger

Western strategists test their maxims by victories in battles; Sun Tzu tests by victories where battles have become unnecessary. #HenryKissinger — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 6, 2026

The most sacred laws of justice are the laws which guard the life and person of our neighbor. #AdamSmith

The most sacred laws of justice are the laws which guard the life and person of our neighbor. #AdamSmith — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 6, 2026

[...] addiction isn't a disease. Addiction is an adaptation. It's not you--it's the cage you live in. #JohannHari

[...] addiction isn't a disease. Addiction is an adaptation. It's not you--it's the cage you live in. #JohannHari — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 5, 2026

The search for the ultimate foundation is as much an unremovable part of European culture as is the denial of the legitimacy of this search. #LeszekKolakowski

The search for the ultimate foundation is as much an unremovable part of European culture as is the denial of the legitimacy of this search. #LeszekKolakowski — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 5, 2026

[Love] takes us into key areas of the experience of what is difference and [...] the idea that you can experience the world from the perspective of difference. In this respect it has universal implications: it is an individual experience of potential universality #AlainBadiou

[Love] takes us into key areas of the experience of what is difference and [...] the idea that you can experience the world from the perspective of difference. In this respect it has universal implications: it is an individual experience of potential universality #AlainBadiou — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 5, 2026

Nobody likes being alone that much. I don't go out of my way to make friends, that's all. It just leads to disappointment. #HarukiMurakami

Nobody likes being alone that much. I don't go out of my way to make friends, that's all. It just leads to disappointment. #HarukiMurakami — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 5, 2026

[On Bari people's practice] The secondary fathers were expected to provide the child with fish and game, with the result that a child with a secondary father was twice as likely to live to the age of fifteen as a brother or sister without such a father. #StephanieCoontz

[On Bari people's practice] The secondary fathers were expected to provide the child with fish and game, with the result that a child with a secondary father was twice as likely to live to the age of fifteen as a brother or sister without such a father. #StephanieCoontz — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 5, 2026

The idea that life is suffering is a relatively universal truism of religious thinking. This is the first of the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism as well as a key Hindu concept. #JordanPeterson

The idea that life is suffering is a relatively universal truism of religious thinking. This is the first of the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism as well as a key Hindu concept. #JordanPeterson — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 5, 2026

I wouldn't call myself an atheist. I neither deny nor accept that there is a God. #LeeKuanYew

I wouldn't call myself an atheist. I neither deny nor accept that there is a God. #LeeKuanYew — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 4, 2026

I use transparency to focus on improving the team. I find that the team itself usually can address individual performance issues. #JeffSutherland

I use transparency to focus on improving the team. I find that the team itself usually can address individual performance issues. #JeffSutherland — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 4, 2026

A sensory gating disorder was the most common explanation for the schizophrenia experienced by John Nash--the Nobel Laureate mathematician depicted in A Beautiful Mind--who was able to detect patterns no one else could, and yet also was prone to delusions... #RobertKolker

A sensory gating disorder was the most common explanation for the schizophrenia experienced by John Nash--the Nobel Laureate mathematician depicted in A Beautiful Mind--who was able to detect patterns no one else could, and yet also was prone to delusions... #RobertKolker — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 4, 2026

In political practice, we must be both 'the arrow and the bull's eye', because the old worldview is also still present within us. #AlainBadiou

In political practice, we must be both 'the arrow and the bull's eye', because the old worldview is also still present within us. #AlainBadiou — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 4, 2026

...distinguish those things that move you toward your goals from those things that seem urgent but are really just distractions. If you define a realistic purpose early on and execute your strategy flexibly, you will wind up leading a purposeful life. #DavidBrooks

...distinguish those things that move you toward your goals from those things that seem urgent but are really just distractions. If you define a realistic purpose early on and execute your strategy flexibly, you will wind up leading a purposeful life. #DavidBrooks — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 4, 2026

...tribes, like the individuals within them, are prone to biased fairness, allowing group-level self-interest to distort their sense of justice. #JoshuaGreene

...tribes, like the individuals within them, are prone to biased fairness, allowing group-level self-interest to distort their sense of justice. #JoshuaGreene — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 3, 2026

The moderate does not admire abstract schemes but understands that it is necessary to legislate along the grain of human nature, and within the medium in which she happens to be placed. #DavidBrooks

The moderate does not admire abstract schemes but understands that it is necessary to legislate along the grain of human nature, and within the medium in which she happens to be placed. #DavidBrooks — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 3, 2026

I don't hate people. I just feel better when they aren't around. #CharlesBukowski

I don't hate people. I just feel better when they aren't around. #CharlesBukowski — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 3, 2026

We seek the validation of the world when we are, inside, unconvinced that we are quite deserving. #TheSchoolOfLife

We seek the validation of the world when we are, inside, unconvinced that we are quite deserving. #TheSchoolOfLife — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 3, 2026

When we resolve one major anxiety, we imagine that we will be satisfied and calm will descend. But all we're really ever doing is freeing up space for an even more poisonous and aggressive worry to spring forth, as it always will. #TheSchoolOfLife

When we resolve one major anxiety, we imagine that we will be satisfied and calm will descend. But all we're really ever doing is freeing up space for an even more poisonous and aggressive worry to spring forth, as it always will. #TheSchoolOfLife — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 3, 2026

...attorney Greg Lukianoff and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt describe this process [of critical race Theory] as a kind of reverse cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which makes its participants less mentally and emotionally healthy than before. #HelenPluckrose

...attorney Greg Lukianoff and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt describe this process [of critical race Theory] as a kind of reverse cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which makes its participants less mentally and emotionally healthy than before. #HelenPluckrose — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 3, 2026

The mere brute pleasure of reading - the sort of pleasure a cow must have in grazing. #LordChesterfield

The mere brute pleasure of reading - the sort of pleasure a cow must have in grazing. #LordChesterfield — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 2, 2026

Technological distraction--just getting emails and calls--caused a drop in the workers' IQ by an average of ten points. To give you a sense of how big that is: in the short term, that's twice the knock to your IQ that you get when you smoke cannabis. #JohannHari

Technological distraction--just getting emails and calls--caused a drop in the workers' IQ by an average of ten points. To give you a sense of how big that is: in the short term, that's twice the knock to your IQ that you get when you smoke cannabis. #JohannHari — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 2, 2026

It is a wonderful thing to live in a world where so many people are nice to children. It would be even better if we lived in one where we were a little nicer to the childlike sides of one another. #AlaindeBotton

It is a wonderful thing to live in a world where so many people are nice to children. It would be even better if we lived in one where we were a little nicer to the childlike sides of one another. #AlaindeBotton — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 2, 2026

[Asexual] men tell me that people of all genders assume that they are secret incels who hide behind a made-up identity. Such is the trap: Even when a man doesn't want sex, he can be lumped in with the men who will kill in their desire to have it. #AngelaChen

[Asexual] men tell me that people of all genders assume that they are secret incels who hide behind a made-up identity. Such is the trap: Even when a man doesn't want sex, he can be lumped in with the men who will kill in their desire to have it. #AngelaChen — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 2, 2026

As the volatility of the job market and of individual careers increases, would people be able to cope? We would probably need far more effective stress--reduction techniques--ranging from drugs through neuro-feedback to meditation--to prevent the Sapiens mind from snapping.

As the volatility of the job market and of individual careers increases, would people be able to cope? We would probably need far more effective stress--reduction techniques--ranging from drugs through neuro-feedback to meditation--to prevent the Sapiens mind from snapping. — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 1, 2026

Even infants seem to use laughter intentionally, to communicate their emotional state to their interaction partners. #KevinSimler

Even infants seem to use laughter intentionally, to communicate their emotional state to their interaction partners. #KevinSimler — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 1, 2026

...whereas the rich being sensible, if I may say so, in every part of their possessions, it was much easier to do them mischief, and therefore more incumbent upon them to guard against it #JeanJacquesRousseau

...whereas the rich being sensible, if I may say so, in every part of their possessions, it was much easier to do them mischief, and therefore more incumbent upon them to guard against it #JeanJacquesRousseau — English Quotes (@english_quotes) Jan 1, 2026

It is the most ambitious and driven among us who are the most sorely in need of having our reckless hopes dampened through immersive dousings in the darkness which religions have explored. #AlaindeBotton