Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Quotes
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German poet, dramatist, novelist, scientist, and the towering figure of German Classicism. His novel The Sorrows of Young Werther made him famous across Europe at twenty-five, and his lifelong labor on the verse drama Faust produced one of the great works of European literature. The quotes below are attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, organized by topic.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe on Knowledge
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Attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”
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Attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:
“There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe on Life
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Attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:
“He who moves not forward, goes backward.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe on Love
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Attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:
“We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe on Mind
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Attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:
“A man sees in the world what he carries in his heart.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe on Virtue
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Attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
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Attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:
“Behavior is a mirror in which everyone shows his image.”