In this article, we delve into the wisdom encapsulated in the words of George Bernard Shaw—one of the most prolific playwrights and critics of his time. By exploring Shaw's quotes, we uncover profound insights on life, society, and human behavior. With ten distinct sections, each spotlighting various aspects of Shaw's thoughts through quotes, this piece aims to inspire and provoke reflection. Whether it’s about the nuances of love, the complexities of politics, or the essence of life itself, Shaw's words carry a timeless relevance. This collection not only showcases his wit and wisdom but also challenges readers to question, learn, and grow. George Bernard Shaw's quotes serve as a reminder of the power of words and their ability to shape our understanding of the world.
Love Quotes
"Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation."
"He knows nothing; and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career."
"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."
"A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing."
"Make it a rule never to give a child a book you would not read yourself."
"You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul."
"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything."
"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place."
"Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time."
"The only way to avoid being miserable is not to have enough leisure to wonder whether you are happy or not."
"A happy family is but an earlier heaven."
"Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine, and at last, you create what you will."
Wisdom Quotes
"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future."
"Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance."
"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it."
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself."
"A fool's brain digests philosophy into folly, science into superstition, and art into pedantry. Hence University education."
"The only time my education was interrupted was when I was in school."
"Do not try to live forever; you will not succeed."
"Don't wait for the right opportunity, create it."
"There is no love sincerer than the love of food."
"Take care to get what you like or you will be forced to like what you get."
"A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul."
"If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience?"
Life Quotes
"Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh."
"There are two tragedies in life. One is to lose your heart's desire. The other is to gain it."
"Youth is wasted on the young."
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."
"Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it."
"A man of great common sense and good taste - meaning thereby a man without originality or moral courage."
"Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable."
"It's so easy to be wicked without knowing it, isn't it?"
"The philosopher is Nature's pilot. And there you have our difference; to be naught a gentleman may soar to heights sublime."
"It is not pleasure that makes life worth living. It is life that builds pleasure."
"Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not."
"Revolutions have never lightened the burden of tyranny: they have only shifted it to another shoulder."
Humor Quotes
"I often quote myself. It adds spice to my conversation."
"My way of joking is to tell the truth. It is the funniest joke in the world."
"When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth."
"A gentleman is one who puts more into the world than he takes out."
"A dramatist is one who explains life at a rate of fifty minutes per hour."
"It’s easier to replace a dead man than a good picture."
"A man never tells you anything until you contradict them."
"Hatred is the coward's revenge for being intimidated."
"When a man wants to murder a tiger, he calls it sport; when a tiger wants to murder him, he calls it ferocity."
"You don't learn to hold your own in the world by standing on guard, but by attacking and getting well hammered yourself."
"If all the economists were laid end to end, they'd never reach a conclusion."
"There is nothing more dangerous than the conscience of a bigot."
Society Quotes
"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything."
"The liar's punishment is, not in the least that he is not believed, but that he cannot believe anyone else."
"Power does not corrupt men; fools, however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power."
"The great secret… is not having bad manners or good manners or any other particular sort of manners, but having the same manner for all human souls."
"The things most people want to know about are usually none of their business."
"Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it."
"We learn from experience that men never learn anything from experience."
"The greatest of evils and the worst of crimes is poverty."
"Martyrdom is the only way in which a man can become famous without ability."
"Two percent of the people think; three percent think they think, and ninety-five percent would rather die than think."
"All great truths begin as blasphemies."
"A man never knows how to come back home until he finds out why he went away."
Art Quotes
"Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh."
"Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable."
"A drama critic is a man who leaves no turn unstoned."
"A lifetime of happiness! No man alive could bear it: it would be hell on earth."
"Imagination is the beginning of creation."
"The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one."
"Dance is the vertical expression of a horizontal desire legalized by music."
"All I can say about life is, Oh God, enjoy it!"
"An Englishman thinks he is moral when he is only uncomfortable."
"We want a few mad people now. See where the sane ones have landed us!"
"If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you."
"A fashion is nothing but an induced epidemic."
Freedom Quotes
"Liberty means responsibility."
"He who has never hoped can never despair."
"Independence? That's middle class blasphemy."
"Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world."
"Do not do unto others as you expect they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same."
"To be in hell is to drift; to be in heaven is to steer."
"The frontier between hell and heaven is only the difference between two ways of looking at things."
"The liar’s punishment is, not in the least that he is not believed, but that he cannot believe anyone else."
"Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few."
"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place."
"The moment we want to believe something, we suddenly see all the arguments for it, and become blind to the arguments against it."
"There is only one religion, though there are a hundred versions of it."
Friendship Quotes
"The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile."
"Your friend is your needs answered."
"My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me."
"Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our joy and the dividing of our grief."
"A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you."
"Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose."
"The only way to have a friend is to be one."
"Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness."
"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."
"Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend."
"If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you’ve made me smile, the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand."
"True friendship comes when the silence between two people is comfortable."
Dreams Quotes
"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
"You have to dream before your dreams can come true."
"A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality."
"We dream to give ourselves hope."
"Dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's questions."
"The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up."
"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly."
"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."
"Dream as if you’ll live forever, live as if you’ll die today."
"Dreams are not what you see in sleep, it's the thing which doesn't let you sleep."
"I like the night. Without the dark, we'd never see the stars."
Change Quotes
"Progress is impossible without change."
"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."
"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change."
"Change your thoughts and you change your world."
"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading."
"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."
"The changes we dread most may contain our salvation."
"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often."
"The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking."
"Change before you have to."
"The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of change."
"Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens."
Final words
In conclusion, George Bernard Shaw's legacy as a brilliant thinker and writer is largely immortalized through his enduring quotes. His reflections provide a wealth of insight across a myriad of subjects—spanning from the intricacies of love and friendship to the broader issues within society and governance. Shaw's witty, yet profound observations serve as both an inspiration and a catalyst for introspection. In the modern world, where complexity and uncertainty are constants, his words remind us of the simplicity and clarity with which life can be navigated. These quotes are not merely statements but lessons, urging us to continuously reinvent ourselves and our surroundings. As we absorb the wisdom embedded in Shaw's timeless utterances, it's an invitation to reflect upon our own life paths and the impact of our choices. May we harness this wisdom to influence our journey positively, keeping in mind that each decision shapes not only our destinies but also our shared future.
