Inspirational Quote Database

“The pleasure of love is in loving.  We are much happier in the passion we feel than in that we inspire.” - François, Duc de La Rochefoucauld

“The glow of inspiration warms us; it is a holy rapture.” - Publius Ovidius Naso Ovid

“There is nothing like sealing a letter to inspire a fresh thought.” -  unknown

“Through the sands of time . . . the written word has changed the course of history, inspired  many to fight for their beliefs and most importantly . . . elevated mankind to a higher  understanding of man's inhumanity to mankind.” - David Lawrence Dewey

“You may never understand   How the stranger is inspired   For he is not always evil,   And he is not always wrong.” - Billy Joel

More Inspirational quote sayings

Find a powerful inspirational quote that speaks to your soul and you can literally change your life forever.  An inspirational quote has the power to change how we feel and think inside and has the amazing ability to improve our lives over time.  Read these powerful inspirational quote passages as see for yourself.

“The finest piece of mechanism in all the universe is the brain of man.  The wise person develops his brain, and opens his mind to the genius and spirit of the world's great ideas.   He will feel inspired with the purest and noblest thoughts that have ever animated the spirit of humanity.” - Alfred Armand Montapert

“The future of religion is connected with the possibility of developing a faith in the possibilities of human experience and human relationships that will create a vital sense of the solidarity of human interests and inspire action to make that sense a reality.” - John Dewey

“The generality of men are naturally apt to be swayed by fear rather than reverence, and to refrain from evil rather because of the punishment that it brings than because of its own foulness.” -  Aristotle

“The great composer . . . does not set to work because he is inspired, but becomes inspired because he is working.  Beethoven, Wagner, Bach, and Mozart settled down day after day to the job in hand with as much regularity as an accountant settles down each day to his figures.  They didn’t waste time waiting for inspiration.” - Ernest Newman

“The greatest thing is style. . . a mark of genius, for to make good metaphors implies an eye for resemblances.” -  Aristotle

“The high minded man must care more for the truth than for what people think.” -  Aristotle

“The law is reason free from passion.” -  Aristotle

“The man who gets angry at the right things and with the right people, and in the right way and at the right time and for the right length of time, is commended.” -  Aristotle

“The mediocre teacher tells.            The good teacher explains.       The superior teacher demonstrates.            The great teacher inspires.” - William Arthur Ward

“The moral virtues, then, are produced in us neither by nature nor against nature. Nature, indeed, prepares in us the ground for their reception, but their complete formation is the product of habit.” -  Aristotle

“The one exclusive sign of thorough knowledge is the power of teaching.” -  Aristotle

“The oracles are dumb,   No voice or hideous hum   Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving.   Apollo from his shrine   Can no more divine,   With hollow shriek the steep of Delphos leaving.   No nightly trance or breathed spell   Inspires the pale-eyed priest from the prophetic cell.” - John Milton

“The secret to humor is surprise.” -  Aristotle

“The true end of tragedy is to purify the passions.” -  Aristotle

“The true teacher defends his pupils against his own personal influence.  He inspires self-distrust.  He guides their eyes from himself to the spirit that quickens him.  He will have no disciple.” - Amos Bronson Alcott

“The two qualities which chiefly inspire regard and affection [are] that a thing is your own and that it is your only one.” -  Aristotle

“The two qualities which chiefly inspire regard and affection [are] that a thing is your own and that it is your only one.” -  Aristotle

“The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness, and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival.” -  Aristotle

“The virtue of justice consists in moderation, as regulated by wisdom.” -  Aristotle

“The work of many of the greatest men, inspired by duty, has been done amidst suffering and trial and difficulty.  They struggled against the tide, and reached the shore exhausted.” - Samuel Smiles

“The work praises the man.” -  

“The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal.” -  Aristotle

“The young are permanently in a state resembling intoxication; for youth is sweet and they are growing.” -  Aristotle

“There are men whom a happy disposition, a strong desire of glory and esteem, inspire with the same love for justice and virtue which men in general have for riches and honors. . . .   But the number of these men is so small that I only mention them in honor of humanity.” - Claude Adrien Helvetius

“There are three classes of men--lovers of wisdom, lovers of honour, lovers of gain.” -  Aristotle

“There is a foolish corner in the brain of the wisest man.” -  Aristotle

“Therefore, the good of man must be the end of the science of politics.” -  Aristotle

“This is the reason why mothers are more devoted to their children than fathers: it is that they suffer more in giving them birth and are more certain that they are their own.” -  Aristotle

“Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.” -  Aristotle

“To run away from trouble is a form of cowardice and, while it is true that the suicide braves death, he does it not for some noble object but to escape some ill.” -  Aristotle

“To the query, "What is a friend?" his reply was "A single soul dwelling in two bodies."” -  Aristotle

“To write well, express yourself like common people, but think like a wise man. Or, think as wise men do, but speak as the common people do.” -  Aristotle

“Today I realize that many recent exercises in "deconstructive reading" read as if inspired by my parody.  This is parody's mission: it must never be afraid of going too far.  If its aim is true, it simply heralds what others will later produce, unblushing, with impassive and assertive gravity.” - Umberto Eco

“Upon the standard to which the wise and honest will now repair it is written:  You have lived the easy way; henceforth, you will live the hard way. . . . You came into a great heritage made by the insight and the sweat and the blood of inspired and devoted and courageous men; thoughtlessly and in utmost self-indulgence you have all but squandered this inheritance.  Now only by the heroic virtues which made this inheritance, can you restore it again.  You took the good things for granted.  Now you must earn them again. . . .  For every right that you cherish, you have a duty which you must fulfill.  For every hope that you entertain, you have a task that you must perform.  For every good that you wish to preserve, you will have to sacrifice your comfort and your ease.  There is nothing for nothing any longer.” - Walter Lippmann

“Virtue is more clearly shown in the performance of fine actions than in the non-performance of base ones.” -  Aristotle

“We are motivated by a keen desire for praise, and the better a man is the more he is inspired by glory.   The very philosophers themselves, even in those books which they write in contempt of glory, inscribe their names.” - Marcus Tullius Cicero

“We become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave actions.” -  Aristotle

“We give advice, we do not inspire conduct.” - François, Duc de La Rochefoucauld

“We live by encouragement and die without it - slowly, sadly, angrily.” - Celeste Holm

“We must as second best . . . take the least of the evils.” -  Aristotle

“We visited your temple, an inspired work of God!       And felt that he was with us, as through the grounds we trod.       We can’t explain the feeling, that swept from head to toe,       With the organ softly playing, when at last we turned to go;       But we knew that in his heaven, God has planned a wondrous sight,       We had a glimpse of heaven, when we visited last night!” - Alice M. Fellinger

“We wish to inspire the preference we feel; love must be mutual.” - Elizabeth Rapaport

“What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do.” -  Aristotle

“What moves men of genius, or rather what inspires their work, is not new ideas, but their obsession with the idea that what has already been said is still not enough” - Eugène Delacroix

“What the statesman is most anxious to produce is a certain moral character in his fellow citizens, namely a disposition to virtue and the performance of virtuous actions.” -  Aristotle

“What then have I done? What, except yield to a natural feeling, inspired by beauty, sanctioned by virtue and kept at all times within the bounds of respect. It's innocent expression prompted not by hope but by trust.” - Vicomte de Valmont

“What we have to learn to do, we learn by doing.” -  Aristotle

“When desire, having rejected reason and overpowered judgment which leads to right, is set in the direction of the pleasure which beauty can inspire, and when again under the influence of its kindred desires it is moved with violent motion towards the beauty of corporeal forms, it acquires a surname from this very violent motion, and is called love.” -  Socrates

“When I'm inspired, I get excited because I can't wait to see what I'll come up with next.” - Dolly Parton

“Where some people are very wealthy and others have nothing, the result will be either extreme democracy or absolute oligarchy, or despotism will come from either of those excesses.” -  Aristotle

“Yet truth will sometimes lend her noblest fires,          And decorate the verse herself inspires:          This fact, in virtue's name, let Crabbe attest,—          Though Nature's sternest painter, yet the best.” - George Gordon, Lord Byron

“You beat your Pate, and fancy Wit will come:             Knock as you please, there's no body at home.” - Alexander Pope

“Youth is easily deceived because it is quick to hope.” -  Aristotle