Charles Dickens, a luminary in the literary world, crafted narratives that continue to resonate with modern audiences globally. His insights into human nature, society, and personal relationships are artfully captured in his timeless quotes. This collection of Charles Dickens quotes is segmented into 10 compelling categories, providing readers with a glimpse into his profound philosophical and social commentary. From musings on love and friendship to reflections on suffering and resilience, Dickens' words remain as impactful today as they were in the Victorian era. Dive into this curated selection to rediscover the timeless wisdom that Dickens imparted through his celebrated works.
Inspirational Quotes by Charles Dickens
“Accidents will occur in the best regulated families.”
“It is a melancholy truth that even great men have their poor relations.”
“The pain of parting is nothing compared to the joy of meeting again.”
“There is nothing so strong or safe in an emergency of life as the simple truth.”
“A loving heart is the truest wisdom.”
“Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has many—not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”
“The most important thing in life is to stop saying 'I wish' and start saying 'I will'.”
“We forge the chains we wear in life.”
“An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself.”
“Every traveler has a home of his own, and he learns to appreciate it the more from his wandering.”
“There is a wisdom of the head, and... there is a wisdom of the heart.”
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for anyone else.”
Love and Relationships Quotes
“Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.”
“What greater gift than the love of a cat.”
“The broken heart. You think you will die, but you just keep living, day after day after terrible day.”
“To conceal anything from those to whom I am attached is not in my nature. I can never close my lips where I have opened my heart.”
“Charles Dickens loved to write about relationships and the complexities of love.”
“You have been the last dream of my soul.”
“There are only two styles of portrait painting; the serious and the smirk.”
“No space of regret can make amends for one life's opportunity misused.”
“We need never be ashamed of our tears.”
“It is not a slight thing when they, who are so fresh from God, love us.”
“You think about that, all that glittering novelty fading away.”
“I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be.”
Quotes on Society and Humanity
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...”
“Charity begins at home and justice begins next door.”
“The innocent brightness of a new-born day is lovely above all.”
“There are books of which the backs and covers are by far the best parts.”
“There is prodigious strength in sorrow and despair.”
“He would make a lovely corpse.”
“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold.”
“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”
“If there were no bad people, there would be no good lawyers.”
“Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching.”
“Do all the good you can, and make as little fuss about it as possible.”
“There is always something for which we can be thankful.”
Darker Reflections Quotes
“The clouds hung heavy, and were black as ink.”
“The life of almost any man possessing great talent is a perpetual combat with the insidious foes.”
“Every failure teaches a man something, if he will learn.”
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.”
“What if I am wrong? That’s a chance we all must take.”
“How little you know of the human heart, if you suppose that the passions of one being govern the actions of another.”
“We all have secrets we keep locked away from the rest of the world, friend. Truth we can't face. Truth we can't admit. No matter what.”
“Cows are my passion.”
“Any man may be in good spirits and good temper when he’s well dressed.”
“Life is made of ever so many partings welded together.”
“There are mysteries which men can only guess at, which age by age they may solve only in part.”
“Death may beget life, but oppression can beget nothing other than itself.”
Family and friendship quotes
“My sister kiss'd me, I knew!”
“To be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand.”
“Friends are family you choose for yourself.”
“Every traveler has a home of his own, and he learns to appreciate it the more from his wandering.”
“I wear the chain I forged in life.”
“Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration.”
“I hope that real love and truth are stronger in the end than any evil or misfortune in the world.”
“Time and tide will wait for no man.”
“There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.”
“The friendships that last are those in which each friend respects the other's dignity to the point of not really wanting anything from each other.”
“There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast.”
“We need never be ashamed of our tears.”
Quotes on Poverty and Wealth
“Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen six, result happiness.”
“Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.”
“It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness...”
“Credit is a system whereby a person who can not pay gets another person who can not pay to guarantee that he can pay.”
“Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it.”
“It was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness...”
“In the little world in which children have their existence, there is nothing so finely perceived and finely felt as injustice.”
“Minds, like bodies, will often fall into a pimpled, ill-conditioned state from mere excess of comfort.”
“A day wasted on others is not wasted on oneself.”
“Money will do anything for you.”
“There is nothing more frightening than a poor person who truly believes they are wealthy.”
“Champagne is one of the elegant extras in life.”
Quotes on Childhood and Innocence
“I had considered how the things that never happen, are often as much realities to us, in their effects, as those that are accomplished.”
“So does a single hour of sunshine render this existence desirable.”
“It is not easy to walk alone in the country without musing upon something.”
“There was an air of gentle unreality about the field of poppies in which we made our bower.”
“In the little world in which children have their existence, nothing is so finely felt as injustice.”
“The unqualified truth is, that when I loved Estella with the love of a man, I loved her simply because I found her irresistible.”
“There were times when it was at least ennobling and purposeful.”
“Memories of childhood were the dreams that stayed with you forever.”
“Guilt is the thief of innocence.”
“In the daylight, however, you couldn’t prevent it.”
“It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”
“The stars are indifferent to astronomy.”
Quotes on Resilience and Growth
“I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be.”
“The investigation of the possible is sometimes more important than its accomplishment.”
“You have been in every line I have ever read.”
“There can be no disparity in marriage like unsuitability of mind and purpose.”
“The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists.”
“The groundwork of all happiness is health.”
“There are books of which the backs and covers are by far the best parts.”
“It is no small thing, when they, who are so fresh from God, love us.”
“There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast.”
“I shall not be at all surprised if it is the beginning of our journey in the better land.”
“A very little key will open a very heavy door.”
“But, she also said, that wisdom was the best way to protect oneself from anything.”
Quotes on Hope and Ambition
“Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper.”
“We need never be ashamed of our tears.”
“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
“We forge the chains we wear in life.”
“Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching.”
“However difficult it might seem, there is always something to be hopeful about.”
“Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.”
“There is prodigious strength in sorrow and despair.”
“The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.”
“If there were no bad people, there would be no good lawyers.”
“It was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness...”
“There is nothing so strong or safe in an emergency of life as the simple truth.”
Quotes on Time and Change
“Never say never.”
“There are strings in the human heart that had better not be vibrated.”
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...”
“There are few things better than making a new acquaintance.”
“Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.”
“The sun himself is weak when he first rises, and gathers strength and courage as the day gets on.”
“It is a melancholy truth that even great men have their poor relations.”
“The mightiest rivers are as nothing when compared with the future military achievements of the United States.”
“Reflect upon your present blessings.”
“Every action in our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.”
“An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself.”
“Regrets are the natural properties of old age.”
Final words
In conclusion, Charles Dickens offers a treasure trove of insights into the human condition through his extensive body of work. His words paint a vivid picture of Victorian society while simultaneously transcending the boundaries of time, connecting with modern readers across the globe. The themes explored in his quotes range from love, hope, and resilience to the critical reflections on society and the human psyche. Each quotation is not merely a reflection of the era in which it was written, but a timeless commentary on universal truths. Dickens' mastery of language and his deep understanding of human psychology and societal dynamics make his quotes remarkably relatable. As we reflect on these words, we are reminded of the intrinsic complexities of life, the enduring power of kindness, and the value of persisting through adversity. Dickens encourages readers to ponder deeply about life, society, and personal growth, leaving an indelible mark on the tapestry of literature and our collective consciousness.
