Greatest quotes ever?

What (do you think) are the greatest literary or spoken quotes that there have ever been?

To name a few of my favorites:

-None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

-He who would trade liberty for some temporary security deserves neither liberty nor security. ~Benjamin Franklin

-The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes. ~Unknown voice, Kingdom Hearts

-All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different. Darkness sprouts within it, it grows, consumes it. Such is its nature. In the end, every heart returns to the darkness from whence it came! You see, darkness is the heart's true essence. ~ Ansem, Kingdom Hearts

What are yours?

(If this is the wrong forum, please move it, thanks.)

"Few people understand the psychology of dealing with a highway traffic cop. A normal speeder will panic and immediately pull over to the side. This is wrong. It arouses contempt in the cop heart. Make the bastard chase you. He will follow. But he won't know what to make of your blinker signal that says you are about to turn right. This is to let him know you're pulling off for a proper place to talk. It will take him a moment to realize that he's about to make a 180 degree turn at speed, but you will be ready for it. Brace for the g's."

-Raoul Duke (HST) "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"



Hey, it's literary. hahaha

"discovered by the germans, they called it san diego, which in german means "a whales vagina""

ron burgandy- anchorman

"Only the dead have seen the end of war"

Attributed to Plato ~ but more than likely and unknown voice.

"Put the guns into our hands, and we will use them. Give us the slogans and we will turn them into realities. Sing the battle hymns and we will take them up where you left off. Not one, not ten, not ten thousand, not a million, not ten millions, not a hundred millions, but a billion, two billions of us, all the people of the world, we will have the hymns, and we will have the guns, and we will use them and we will live. Make no mistake of it, we will live. We will be alive, and we will walk, and talk, and eat, and sing, and laugh, and feel, and love, and bear our children in tranquility in security, in decency, in peace. You plan the wars, you masters of men, plan the wars, and point the way, and we will point the gun."
Joe Bonham, closing lines, Johnny Got His Gun, by Dalton Trumbo.
(I know, its sorta long.)
Trumbo also uses no punctuation besides periods, so I did my best with the commas.

With the lights out it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
A mulatto
An albino
A mosquito
My Libido
Yay, a denial#

(K. Kobain)

I would really appreciate a little clarity on this one.

reply to post by Now_Then


Try this place. I'm not sure what song it is, but they might have it. Smells like teen spirit, maybe?
song meanings
If thats what ya mean by "clarification."

reply to post by SimiusDei


Probably one of the most quoteable (sp?) books and movie ever.

and my favorite quote.

"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stomping on a human face, forever." -
-George Orwell

reply to post by Epic Wolf


Hello Epic,

I have two favorites. I am not sure who wrote them but I will give credit to where I heard them.

"I wish my life would quit interfering with my future."
-The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd-

"No matter where you go, there you are"
-The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai-

Fun thread! Thanks

reply to post by jtb2008



Errr - I'll have a look at that site, but I really don't hold out much hope. Never known any one to explain those words to me in any way.

Yes it is Smells like teen spirit.

Best explanation I got: A mulatto, An albino, A mosquito are drug induced impressions of 3 people close to him.

My Libido -- Hmmmm?

Edit: And this didn't help either!


[edit on 5/11/2007 by Now_Then]

reply to post by Enthralled Fan


Well thanks! Here's another good one, courtesy of MajorM's signature.

"Men would appreciate a woman's mind more if it bounced gently as she walked"- I don’t know

So true, for most men.

"I haven't failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Thomas Edison

"My mother said to me, “If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope.” Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso."- Pablo Picasso

reply to post by Epic Wolf


That reminds me of a quote from Futurama (does that count?)

"You look beautiful. Incidentally, my favourite artist is Picasso."

reply to post by Beachcoma


Hah! I love that show! Here's another from that show:

""The best way into a girl's bed is through her parents. Have sex with them, and you're in."- Zapp Brannigan, Futurama.

reply to post by Beachcoma


Well, if we are doing futurama now, how bout:
"You know, I find the most erotic part of a woman is the boobies."
Captain Zapp Brannigan

"It is what it is" dont know where it came from or who started it, but I use it all the time. I know you wanted something more, but that is my fav.

From the author of a book I'm reading right now.

There are many things that which a wise man may wish to be ignorant- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Here is one of my favourites.

There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.
Ronald Reagan .

reply to post by xpert11


Speaking of human intelligence, here's one by Einstein that I really like:

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."

reply to post by Beachcoma


Here's one we use a lot here.

"Power Corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely."- Lord Acton

"You can't hold a man down without staying down with him"- Booker T. Washington

There are many, many quotes on the stupidity of humans, and what they created.

"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."- Albert Einstein

Very true.

reply to post by Epic Wolf


Oh, and another from another thread I just used it in.

"If you want to hurt another human being you better make damn sure they are the same color as you are." - South Park judge