Complete the following:
“With great power comes great ____.”
“With great power comes great responsibility.” - Voltaire
Voltaire (1694-1778) was a French philosopher who played a critical role in the enlightenment movement in France during the 18th century.
He is well-known for his eloquent defense of tolerance and freedom of speech.
Who famously said:
“Character is power.”
Booker T. Washington
American educator & presidential advisor
Complete the following:
“This is one small step for a man, one ____.”
“This is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.“ - Neil Armstrong
American astronaut Neil Armstrong said these famous words as he became the first to walk on the surface of the moon on July 21, 1969 as part of the Apollo 11 spaceflight.
Complete the following:
“Give me liberty, or ____!”
“Give me liberty, or give me death!” - Patrick Henry
A Founding Father and eventual Governor of Virginia, Patrick Henry was a farmer, attorney, and politican who came to be known as a great orator because of famous words such as these spoken in 1775 in favor of the fight for American independence.
Who famously said:
“A girl should be two things: who and what she wants.”
Coco Chanel
French fashion designer
Complete the following:
“The pen is mightier than the ____.”
“The pen is mightier than the sword.” - Edward Bulwer-Lytton
This famous adage argues that words, communication, and the advocacy of ideas can ultimately be more powerful than violence and war – both immediately and over the course of history.
Who famously said:
“Have a vision of excellence, a dream of success, and work like hell.”
Dr. Samuel DuBois Cook
American political scientist
Complete the following:
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you ____.”
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” - John F. Kennedy
American President Kennedy spoke these words during his inaugural address in January 1961.
Who famously said:
“Women are the real architects of society.”
Cher
American singer and actor
Complete the following:
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and ____.”
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” - Anonymous
Oops! Did you think Einstein said this? Unlike popular belief, there are no credible sources stating that Albert Einstein ever uttered this phrase.
He might have said it at some point, but the only real trace we have leads back to a book by Rita Mae Brown. In it, one of the characters states this specific line.
Who famously said:
“The very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being.”
Toni Morrison
American novelist
Who said this?
“If you are going through hell, keep going.”
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill (1874-1965) was a British politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955.
He is regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century.
In these few words, he reinforces the importance of not giving up, especially when something is difficult.
Complete the following:
“…the only thing we have to fear is ____.”
“…the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt
President Franklin D. Roosevelt uttered these famous words during his inaugural address on March 4, 1933.
He was discussing how being paralyzed can prevent us from moving forward during challenging times.
Complete the following:
“I think, therefore ____.”
“I think, therefore I am.” - René Descartes
This is perhaps the most famous statement from the man often called the ‘father of modern philosophy’.
Descartes originally wrote this in French in 1637 as Je pense, donc je suis, but later included the better known Latin translation Cogito ergo sum.
Who famously said:
“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
Shirley Chisholm
American politician
Who famously said:
“Strong women don’t have ‘attitudes’, we have standards.”
Marilyn Monroe
American film actor
Who said this?
“Whether you think you can or think you can’t – you are right.”
Henry Ford
Henry Ford (1863-1947) was an American industrialist who manufactured the first automobile that the American middle-class could afford.
With these few words, he is promoting the idea that we are the product of our thoughts.
Complete the following:
“I came, I saw, I ____.” - Julius Caesar
“I came, I saw, I conquered.” - Julius Caesar
This phrase was made famous originally in the Latin as veni, vidi, vici – reportedly in a letter from Caesar to the Roman Senate reporting on his quick success in a war in Turkey.
Who famously said:
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.”
Audre Lorde
American writer
Who said this?
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was a British poet, regarded by many as perhaps the greatest writer in the English language.
With these few words, Shakespeare explains two main things:
Firstly, we are all someone in this world. Secondly, he implies that each of us plays various roles throughout our lives much like “players” on “a stage”.
Complete the following:
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where ____.”
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) was a key leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
These famous words are taken from his iconic 1963 speech “I Have a Dream.”
Who said this?
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle”
Plato
Plato was a philosopher in Classical Greece (350 BC).
He is considered one of the fathers of Western philosophy.
This quote reflects his belief in the relationship between shared wisdom and goodwill.
Who famously said:
“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.…It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.”
Ruth Bader Ginsberg
Supreme Court Justice
Who said this?
“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.”
Mark Twain
Mark Twain (1835-1910), an American author and humorist, is considered one of the greatest novelists of his time.
This quote reminds us that even if the exact moments of history will never be repeated, that mistakes of the past are too often repeated today when there is a lack of consciousness or awareness of history.
Who said this?
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) was an American politician, diplomat and activist. She served as the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945 (wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt).
Among her many achievements, she is well known for her work in human rights.
Complete the following:
“The unexamined life is not ____.”
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” - Socrates
Socrates was a Classical Greek philosopher known for being one of the founders of Western philosophy.
His work has survived to many thanks to the writings of Plato, who was his student.
In this quote, he explains that life is worthwhile only if we possess the curiousity to reflect, learn and increase our awareness.
Who said this?
“We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?”
Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs (1955-2011) was an American entrepreneur and Co-founder / CEO of Apple Inc.
His career and work truly transformed fields such as personal computing and consumer electronics.
Another one of his famous quotes is “Stay hungry. Stay foolish”.
Who famously said:
“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.”
Oprah Winfrey
American media mogul
Who said this?
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was a Spanish painter who spent most of his adult life in France.
He is known for co-founding the Cubist movement. He became one of the most important figures in 20th-century art.
Who said this?
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretsky is considered by most as the greatest hockey player of all time.
He speaks to the need for us all to take risks to achieve our goals.
Another very famous Gretzky quote: “I skate to where the puck is going, not where it’s been”.
Who said this?
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was an American poet and author.
She was active in the Civil Rights movement and worked with both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X.
She is best known for her series of autobiographies, which chronicled childhood and young adult experiences.
Who said this?
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
Confucius
Confucius (551-479 BC) was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period in Chinese history.
His philosophy emphasized personal and governmental morality, justice and sincerity.
“Even the finest ____ plunged into salt water will eventually rust.”- Sun Tzu
“Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust.”- Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu wrote this in his book The Art of War and his wisdom is used to this day, especially in business environments.
The quote explains the need for constant training and studying as no matter how good you might be, if you do nothing you will slowly deteriorate - physically and intellectually.
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. ____ me and I learn.” - Benjamin Franklin
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” - Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin said these words to remind everyone that studying and learning is not something passive.
One does not simply open a book and begin to memorize. The more you are involved with what you are learning, the more you master it.
Who said this?
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
Thomas A. Edison
Edison teaches us to keep trying, to keep going on even in the face of potential failure - success might be right around the corner.
Who famously said:
“Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere.”
Mae West
American film actor
Who famously said:
“The soul that is within me no man can degrade.”
Frederick Douglass
American abolitionist
Who famously said:
“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain!”
Dolly Parton
American country singer & actor
Who famously said:
“There is no better teacher than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.”
Malcolm X
American minister & human rights activist
