Why do I enjoy quotes so much? Because there's always something in those one or two lines that make you think, that cause your brain to do some mental gymnastics. For instance, take a look at the following quote by British diplomat Herbert Samuel: "A library is thought in cold storage." Seven simple words, but stop and think of what they really mean. We think of books in a library as novels, poems, and research materials, among other things, but as thoughts in storage waiting to be taken out? That's quite witty and innovative.
Not only do quotes cause you to stop and think, they also cause you to reflect and feel. American programmer and consultant Bern Williams once said, "Man never made any material as resilient as the human spirit." Doesn't a quote like that make you feel hopeful and powerful, that you can achieve or overcome any obstacles that stand in your way? Or how about this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Speaking for myself, a quote like that is strengthening and encouraging.
Besides the many books of quotations including one of the most widely known, Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, there are a number of noteworthy websites on quotations:
If you're looking for something different to interest, challenge, or uplift you, take a look at quotations. You never know what you might find.
Quotably yours from the perch.
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