I could write down twenty cases wherein I wished that God had done otherwise than he did, but which I now see, if I had had my own way, would have led to extensive mischief.
—Richard Cecil
I am indeed rich, since my income is superior to my expenses, and my expense is equal to my wishes.
—Edward Gibbon (1737–94) English Historian, Politician
Indeed, man wishes to be happy even when he so lives as to make happiness impossible.
—Augustine of Hippo (354–430) Roman-African Christian Philosopher
Destiny grants us our wishes, but in its own way, in order to give us something beyond our wishes.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
The public wishes itself to be managed like a woman; one must say nothing to it except what it likes to hear.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
What we ardently wish we soon believe.
—Edward Young (1683–1765) English Poet
We all have our own life to pursue, our own kind of dream to be weaving, and we all have the power to make wishes come true, as long as we keep believing.
—Louisa May Alcott (1832–88) American Novelist
No sociologist should think himself too good, even in his old age, to make tens of thousands of quite trivial computations in his head and perhaps for months at a time. One cannot with impunity try to transfer this task entirely to mechanical assistants if one wishes to figure something, even though the final result is often small indeed.
—Max Weber (1864–1920) German Sociologist
Prayer, in its simplest definition, is merely a wish turned God-ward.
—Phillips Brooks (1835–93) American Episcopal Clergyman, Author
If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of potential—for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints; possibility never.
—Soren Kierkegaard (1813–55) Danish Philosopher, Theologian
Destiny has two ways of crushing us—by refusing our wishes and by fulfilling them.
—Henri Frederic Amiel (1821–81) Swiss Moral Philosopher, Poet, Critic
Some people develop a wishbone where their backbone should be.
—Unknown
God sometimes does try to the uttermost those whom he wishes to bless.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
Economics is a subject that does not greatly respect one’s wishes.
—Nikita Khrushchev (1894–1971) Russian Head of State, Political leader
If a man wishes to truly not be written about, he would do well not to write letters to 18-year-old girls, inviting them into his life.
—Joyce Maynard (b.1953) American Novelist
Like our shadows, Our wishes lengthen as our sun declines.
—Edward Young (1683–1765) English Poet
Men admire the man who can organize their wishes and thoughts in stone and wood and steel and brass.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Plenty of people wish to become devout, but no one wishes to be humble.
—Joseph Addison (1672–1719) English Essayist, Poet, Playwright, Politician
The poor wish to be rich, the rich wish to be happy, the single wish to be married, and the married wish to be dead.
—Ask Ann Landers (1918–2002) American Advice Columnist
No poet or novelist wishes he were the only one who ever lived, but most of them wish they were the only one alive, and quite a number fondly believe their wish has been granted.
—W. H. Auden (1907–73) British-born American Poet, Dramatist
A goal without a plan is just a wish.
—Unknown
It’s so hard to know what to do when one wishes earnestly to do right.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
Our inventions mirror our secret wishes.
—Lawrence Durrell (1912–90) British Biographer, Poet, Playwright, Novelist
Every wish is like a prayer—with God.
—Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–61) English Poet
He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.
—Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527) Florentine Political Philosopher
Beware what you set your heart upon. For it shall surely be yours.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Oh, the secret life of man and woman—dreaming how much better we would be than we are if we were somebody else or even ourselves, and feeling that our estate has been unexploited to its fullest.
—Zelda Fitzgerald (1899–1948) American Writer, Artist
Happy the man who early learns the wide chasm that lies between his wishes and his powers.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
A scientific man ought to have no wishes, no affections, – a mere heart of stone.
—Charles Darwin (1809–82) English Naturalist
If God wants us to do a thing, he should make his wishes sufficiently clear. Sensible people will wait till he has done this before paying much attention to him.
—Samuel Butler
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