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George Bernard Shaw – was an Irish playwright and political activist who contributed greatly to literature and social issues during his time. His writings were known for their sharp wit, humour, and commentary on contemporary issues. In this article, we’ll explore 25 of his most famous quotes that continue to inspire and provoke thought today.

Inspiring themes from quotes of George Bernard Shaw

George Bernard Shaw is an Irish Playwright known for his novels and English drama. His views were often rated as contentious and were treated with controversy. I suppose however that most controversies as long as they aren’t political can be of huge benefit to us. In this article, however, we only focus on the quotes and what they mean to us. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bernard_Shaw)

• “I hear you say ‘Why?’ Always ‘Why?’ You see things; and you say ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say ‘Why not?'” – Shaw challenges the status quo and encourages us to think beyond what we see in front of us.
• “Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world.” – Shaw reminds us that our outlook on life depends on our own personal upkeep and self-awareness.
• “Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.” – Shaw emphasizes the importance of making the most out of our time on Earth and leaving a positive legacy.
• “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – Shaw emphasizes the importance of adaptability and the willingness to change for progress to occur.
• “A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” – Shaw reminds us that making mistakes is a necessary part of growth and progress.
• “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.” – Shaw emphasizes the power of taking initiative and creating one’s own opportunities.
• “Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.” – Shaw warns us against accepting information without questioning its validity and reliability.
• “If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience.” – Shaw highlights the importance of learning from history and avoiding repeating past mistakes.
• “Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time.” – Shaw emphasizes the importance of learning from one’s mistakes and using that knowledge to avoid repeating them in the future.
• “If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.” – Shaw emphasizes the power of collaboration and exchanging ideas.
• “Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.” – Shaw highlights the importance of imagination and visualization in creating something new.
• “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” – Shaw reminds us that our destiny is in our own hands and that we have the power to create our own identities.
• “After all, the wrong road always leads somewhere.” – Shaw emphasizes that every mistake and misstep we take is a learning opportunity that can lead us down a different path.

George Bernard Shaw Quotes

I have compiled a few other quotes to give a collection of 25 quotes from George Bernard Shaw. Although not comprehensive, these quotes give us a line of thought and inspiration to keep moving us forward.

1. I hear you say “Why?” Always “Why?” You see things; and you say “Why?” But I dream things that never were; and I say “Why not?”

2. Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world.

3. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.

4. Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

5. A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.

6. People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.

7. Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.

8. If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience.

9. Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time.

10. If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.

11. Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.

12. Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

13. After all, the wrong road always leads somewhere

14. I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.

15. A pessimist is a man who thinks everybody is as nasty as himself, and hates them for it

16. One man that has a mind and knows it can always beat ten men who haven’t and don’t.

17. As long as I have a want, I have a reason for living. Satisfaction is death.

18. We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.

19. No man can be a pure specialist without being in the strict sense an idiot.

20. My speciality is being right when other people are wrong.

21. When I was young,I observed that nine out of ten things I did were failures. So I did ten times more work.

22. We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.

23. Take care to get what you like or you will be forced to like what you get.

24. The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.

25. All progress is initiated by challenging current conceptions, and executed by supplanting existing institutions.