All thought must, directly or indirectly, by way of certain characters, relate ultimately to intuitions, and therefore, with us, to sensibility, because in no other way can an object be given to us.
—Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) Prussian German Philosopher, Logician
If we examine our thoughts, we shall find them always occupied with the past and the future.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
Kind thoughts are rarer than either kind words or deeds. They imply a great deal of thinking about others. This in itself is rare. But they also imply a great deal of thinking about others without the thoughts being criticisms. This is rarer still.
—Frederick William Faber (1814–63) British Hymn writer, Theologian
Thought is an infection. In the case of certain thoughts, it becomes an epidemic.
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955) American Poet
The birth of thought in the depths of the spirit, the shaping and ordering of it into periods, the translation into signs, and above all the transference of it from one spirit to another, the communication that is, if only for an instant, the meeting of two beings, with the unforeseeable consequences that such a meeting always causes, is in fact a miracle; except that the moment one stops to think about it one can’t even write a letter.
—Salvatore Satta (1902–75) Italian Jurist, Novelist
How you think when you lose determines how long it will be until you win.
—G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) English Journalist, Novelist, Essayist, Poet
In America we can say what we think, and even if we can’t think, we can say it anyhow.
—Charles F. Kettering (1876–1958) American Inventor, Entrepreneur, Businessperson
It is the power of thought that gives man power over nature.
—Hans Christian Andersen (1805–75) Danish Author, Poet, Short Story Writer
Rarely do we find men who willingly to engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman
Thoughts come into our minds by avenues which we never left open, and thoughts go out of our minds through avenues which we never voluntarily opened.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
A man’s life is what his thoughts make of it.
—Marcus Aurelius (121–180) Emperor of Rome, Stoic Philosopher
Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless—like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.
—Bruce Lee (1940–73) American Martial Artist, Actor, Philosopher
Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809–94) American Physician, Essayist
It was at a particular moment in the history of my own rages that I saw the Western world conditioned by the images of Marx, Darwin and Freud; and Marx, Darwin and Freud are the three most crashing bores of the Western world. The simplistic popularization of their ideas has thrust our world into a mental straitjacket from which we can only escape by the most anarchic violence.
—William Golding (1911–93) English Novelist
Man is what he believes.
—Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) Russian Short-Story Writer
When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon.
—Thomas Paine (1737–1809) American Nationalist, Author, Pamphleteer, Radical, Inventor
All truly wise thoughts have been thought already thousands of times; but to make them truly ours, we must think them over again honestly, till they take root in our personal experience.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
If I held all the thoughts of the world in my hand, I would be careful not to open it.
—Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle (1657–1757) French Essayist, Polymath, Philosopher
Nothing is more active than thought, for it travels over the universe, and nothing is stronger than necessity for all must submit to it.
—Thales of Miletus (c.624–c.545 BCE) Greek Philosopher, Mathematician
Sinful thoughts are even more dangerous than sin itself.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
No brain is stronger than its weakest think.
—Thomas Masson (1866–1934) American Journalist, Humorist, Author
Nurture your mind with great thoughts; to believe in the heroic makes heroes.
—Benjamin Disraeli (1804–81) British Head of State
When I am getting ready to reason with a man, I spend one-third of my time thinking about myself and what I am going to say and two-thirds about him and what he is going to say.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
—Vittorio Alfieri (1749–1803) Italian Dramatist
Think big. Think differently. Think fast. Think ahead. Aim for the best.
—Dhirubhai Ambani (1932–2002) Indian Businessperson
Greatness is attained only by the thinking of great thoughts.
—Wallace Wattles (1860–1911) American New Thought Author
It is clear that all verbal structures with meaning are verbal imitations of that elusive psychological and physiological process known as thought, a process stumbling through emotional entanglements, sudden irrational convictions, involuntary gleams of insight, rationalized prejudices, and blocks of panic and inertia, finally to reach a completely incommunicable intuition.
—Northrop Frye
All truly wise thoughts have been thought already thousands of times; but to make them truly ours, we must think them over again honestly, till they take firm root in our personal experience.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
Now, having seen the differences between where you are and where you want to be, begin to change—consciously change—your thoughts, words, and actions to match your grandest vision.
—Neale Donald Walsch (b.1943) American Spiritual Writer
There are mighty few people who think what they think they think.
—Robert Henri (1865–1929) American Painter, Teacher
The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts.
—John Locke (1632–1704) English Philosopher, Physician
Guard your roving thoughts with a jealous care, for speech is but the dialer of thoughts, and every fool can plainly read in your words what is the hour of your thoughts.
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–92) British Poet
The how” thinker gets problems solved effectively because he wastes no time with futile “ifs” but goes right to work on the creative “how”.”
—Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) American Clergyman, Self-Help Author
There are lots of people who cannot think seriously without injuring their minds.
—John Jay Chapman (1862–1933) American Biographer, Poet, Essayist, Writer
In the real world, those of us who are most productive, successful, and satisfied focus not on fixing feelings or manipulating thoughts, but on what needs to be done—and then doing it—no matter what thoughts or feelings arise.
—Dan Millman (b.1946) American Children’s Books Writer, Sportsperson
Rational free spirits are the light brigade who go on ahead and reconnoiter the ground which the heavy brigade of the orthodox will eventually occupy.
—Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–99) German Philosopher, Physicist
It is astonishing what an effort it seems to be for many people to put their brains definitely and systematically to work.
—Thomas Edison (1847–1931) American Inventor, Scientist, Entrepreneur
A man is infinitely more complicated than his thoughts.
—Paul Valery (1871–1945) French Critic, Poet
Your mind will be like its habitual thoughts; for the soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts. Soak it then in such trains of thoughts as, for example: Where life is possible at all, a right life is possible.
—Marcus Aurelius (121–180) Emperor of Rome, Stoic Philosopher
The power of Thought,–the magic of the Mind!
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (1788–1824) English Romantic Poet
Our goodness comes solely from thinking on goodness; our wickedness from thinking on wickedness. We too are the victims of our own contemplation.
—John Jay Chapman (1862–1933) American Biographer, Poet, Essayist, Writer
All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.
—The Dhammapada Buddhist Anthology of Verses
On artificial intelligence: the real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.
—B. F. Skinner (1904–90) American Psychologist, Social Philosopher, Inventor, Author
Think twice before you speak to a friend in need.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
Thought is the sculptor who can create the person you want to be.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
It is difficult, if not impossible, for most people to think otherwise than in the fashion of their own period.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so.
—Bertrand A. Russell (1872–1970) British Philosopher, Mathematician, Social Critic
The person who sends out positive thoughts activates the world around him positively and draws back to himself positive results.
—Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) American Clergyman, Self-Help Author
Most of one’s life is one prolonged effort to prevent oneself thinking.
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963) English Humanist, Pacifist, Essayist, Short Story Writer, Satirist
First thoughts are not always the best.
—Vittorio Alfieri (1749–1803) Italian Dramatist
The history of thought may be summed up in these words: it is absurd by what it seeks and great by what it finds
—Paul Valery (1871–1945) French Critic, Poet
Writing is another powerful way to sharpen the mental saw. Keeping a journal of our thoughts, experiences, insights, and learnings promotes mental clarity, exactness, and context.
—Stephen Covey (1932–2012) American Self-help Author
Thinking is not to agree or disagree. That is voting.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
The average person thinks he isn’t.
—Larry Lorenzoni
All thoughts emit a throw of dice
—Stephane Mallarme (1842–98) French Symbolist Poet
Thoughts, like fleas, jump from man to man, but they don’t bite everybody.
—Stanislaw Jerzy Lec (1909–1966) Polish Aphorist, Poet
No man can think clearly when his fists are clenched.
—George Jean Nathan (1882–1958) American Drama Critic, Editor
Except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power.
—Rene Descartes (1596–1650) French Mathematician, Philosopher
If you think twice before you speak once, you will speak better for it.
—Anonymous
Original thoughts can be understood only in virtue of the unoriginal elements which they contain.
—Vittorio Alfieri (1749–1803) Italian Dramatist
No man should think himself a zero, and think he can do nothing about the state of the world.
—Bernard M. Baruch (1870–1965) American Financier, Economic Consultant
Let the wise man guard his thoughts, for they are difficult to perceive, very artful, and they rush wherever they list: thoughts well guarded bring happiness.
—The Dhammapada Buddhist Anthology of Verses
Think of your own faults the first part of the night when you are awake, and of the faults of others the latter part of the night when you are asleep.
—Chinese Proverb
If one wants to abide in the thought-free state, a struggle is inevitable. One must fight one’s way through before regaining one’s original primal state. If one succeeds in the fight and reaches the goal, the enemy, namely the thoughts, will all subside in the Self and disappear entirely.
—Ramana Maharshi (1879–1950) Indian Hindu Mystic
As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking.
—James Allen (1864–1912) British Philosophical Writer
You become what you think about.
—Earl Nightingale (1921–89) American Motivational Speaker, Author
Thinking is more interesting than knowing, but less interesting than looking.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
He who thinks and thinks for himself, will always have a claim to thanks; it is no matter whether it be right or wrong, so as it be explicit. If it is right, it will serve as a guide to direct; if wrong, as a beacon to warn.
—Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) British Philosopher, Economist
Upon the cunning loom of thought We weave our fancies, so and so.
—Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836–1907) American Poet, Novelist, Traveler, Editor
The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think — rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with the thoughts of other men.
—James Beattie
High thoughts must have high language.
—Aristophanes (447–386 BCE) Greek Comic Playwright
A man is what he thinks about all day long.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Be great in act, as you have been in thought. Suit the action to the word and the word to the action.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labor and there is an invisible labor.
—Victor Hugo (1802–85) French Novelist
As you think, so shall you become.
—Bruce Lee (1940–73) American Martial Artist, Actor, Philosopher
Thoughts are the shadows of our sensations — always darker, emptier, simpler than these.
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German Philosopher, Scholar, Writer
There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Cherish your visions. Cherish your ideals. Cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow all delightful conditions, all heavenly environment; of these, if you but remain true to them, your world will at last be built.
—James Allen (1864–1912) British Philosophical Writer
Great thoughts, like great deeds, need no trumpet.
—Philip James Bailey (1816–1902) English Poet
There is this difference between happiness and wisdom, that he that thinks himself the happiest man really is so; but he that thinks himself the wisest is generally the greatest fool.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
The law of the harvest is to reap more than you sow. Sow an act, and you reap a habit; sow a habit, and you reap a character; sow a character, and you reap a destiny.
—George Boardman (1801–31) American Baptist Minister