Putting Quotes In The Context They Were Meant
We love quotes. You Love quotes. We all love quotes. They're efficient, thought-provoking, and, sometimes, awfully complicated. So complicated in fact that, without context, even the brightest pupils seem to have trouble with their meaning.
Conversely, several non-pupils seem to have no problem proliferating and spreading quotes that they know to be incorrect, misinterpreted or maliciously out of context. Unfortunately, most quote sites only show the quote with little work to validate whether or not the quote was actually presented in context, used accurately or even fabricated entirely. Thus Quotes Explained was born. We're not perfect, that's for sure, but we will make every attempt to come up with ways to verify whether the quotes were said by the people they are claimed to be and, if they were indeed uttered by those that were claimed to have uttered those words, we'll try to put those in the proper context (both in time and location) so that they can be understood as the author meant.
The following quotes have been confirmed to have been said by the person in question. Their date and source have been verified and we have done work to describe where and when they happened and hat is they meant.
Below is full list of all quotes we've written about on QuotesExplained.com. If you can't find a quote or think of a better way to categorize the existing quotes, please let us know using the appropriate contact form.
Every quote, newest first
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What is History But a Fable Agreed Upon
When Napoleon Bonaparte allegedly stated, 'What is history but a fable agreed upon?', he challenged our fundamental understanding of historical truth. This skeptical view—from a man who actively shaped his own historical narrative—invites us to question who writes history, why, and what perspectives remain untold. In today's era of competing narratives and 'alternative facts,' Napoleon's insight remains remarkably relevant, reminding us that history is never simply a collection of facts, but a constructed narrative reflecting the biases and power dynamics of its time.
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He Who Has A Why To Live Can Bear Almost Any How
Let's breakdown Friedrich Nietzsche's famous quote, 'He who has a why to live can bear almost any how'. Discover its deep-rooted meaning in the context of Nietzsche's philosophy, its relevance in the modern world, and the enduring influence it holds.
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Be The Change That You Wish To See In The World Ghandi
Read more about the famous Ghandi quote "be the change that you wish to see in the world."
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Fear is the Mind-Killer Dune Quote Explained
Who said "Fear is the mind-killer?" The short answer is that it's a quote from Frank Herbert's novel "Dune". The phrase is part of a litany against fear, which the protagonist, Paul Atreides, learns from his mother, Lady Jessica, who is a member of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood.
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Speak to Your Children as If They Are the Wisest Quote
Discover the meaning and impact of Brooke Hampton's inspiring quote on parenting and child development. Learn how to nurture self-esteem, empathy, and self-belief in your children, shaping their future for the better.
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I'm Not Telling You It's Going to Be Easy, I'm Telling You It's Going to Be Worth it - Art Williams
Who said ""I'm not telling you it's going to be easy, I'm telling you it's going to be worth it?" and what did he mean? Let's talk about it.
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Always Remember You Are Braver Than You Believe, Stronger Than You Seem, Smarter Than You Think, and Loved More Than You Know
Discover the inspiring quote often attributed to A.A. Milne, "Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and loved more than you know." Explore its origins, meaning, related quotes, and practical tips for applying its wisdom to your life.
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To Be Yourself In A World That Is Constantly Trying To Make You Something Else Explained
Explore the often-attributed quote to Ralph Waldo Emerson, "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment," and its connection to individualism and self-reliance.
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Who Said Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost?
Discover the deeper meaning behind Tolkien's famous quote "Not all those who wander are lost," and explore its literary context, cultural impact, and the lessons it offers for personal growth and self-discovery.
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We Shall Fight On The Beaches Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill's famous "We Shall Fight On The Beaches" quote is perhaps the most famous line from his most famous quote. However, few seem to understand what Churchill meant in terms of context at the time the words were uttered. Let's breakdown all of the context, and words, surrounding Winston's famous 1940 line.
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Nothing In Life Is So Exhilarating As To Be Shot At Without Result
Read more about the famous quote by Winston Churchill that "Nothing In Life Is So Exhilarating As To Be Shot At Without Result."
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Best Winston Churchill Quotes
Follow this running list of some the great quotes, and fake quotes, uttered by the former British PM Winston Churchill.
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Never Trust A Computer You Can't Throw Out A Window Steve Wozniak
Who said Never Trust A Computer You Can't Throw Out A Window? Was it in fact Steve Wozniak? Let's talk about it.
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Best Motivational Quotes for Women
Looking for motivational quotes for women? We've got some of the best quotes from the best queens society has seen.
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Knees Weak Arms Are Heavy Eminem
Everything you need to know about the Eminem quote Knees Weak Arms Are Heavy and more about the hit song Lose Yourself.
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Good Morning Starshine, The Earth Says Hello
If Willy Wonka's enchanting line "Good Morning Starshine, The Earth Says Hello" made you do a double look, you're not alone.
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Please Don't Be In Love With Someone Else Taylor Swift
Please don't be in love with someone else is a lyric from the song Enchanted written by Taylor Swift and released in 2010.
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A Coward Dies A Thousand Deaths, Julius Caesar
What did Caesar mean when he said a coward dies a thousand deaths? We'll discuss all of that, as well as the context of the quote and more.
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I Love It When You Call Me Big Poppa
This page is about the famous lyric from Notorious BIG "I love it when you call me big poppa." As well as a running list of cultural references to the best selling song.
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Though She Be But Little She Is Fierce Meaning
What are the origins of the quote that adorns social media: "Though She Be But Little She Is Fierce", and who said it? Hing: you've heard of him.
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It Is Not Contrary to Reason to Prefer the Destruction of the Whole World to the Scratching of My Finger David Hume
What did Hume mean when he said It Is Not Contrary to Reason to Prefer the Destruction of the Whole World to the Scratching of My Finger
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Every Man Dies But Not Every Man Really Lives Braveheart
The famous quote by William Wallace in Braveheart "Every man dies but not every man really lives" is one of the most famous quotes in cinema.
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If He Dies, He Dies Rocky IV
An analysis of the famous quote from the 1985 movie Rocky IV, when Drago states "if he dies, he dies."
Ivan Drago -
Rivers Do Not Drink Their Own Water Pope Francis
Pope Francis is claimed to have said "Rivers Do Not Drink Their Own Water" to begin a beautiful poem. But did he say it? Probably not.
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Of All Men's Miseries, The Bitterest Is This Herodotus
The Greek writer Herodotus may be most known to for his line “Of all men's miseries the bitterest is this: to know so much and to have control over nothing.”
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If You Look At What You Have In Life, You'll Always Have More Oprah Winfrey
The famous quote by Oprah Winfrey about looking at what one has in life is among the most quoted of her many famous quotes.
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The Fault, Dear Brutus, Is Not In Our Stars
What did Cassius mean when he said "The Fault, Dear Brutus, Is Not In Our Stars but in ourselves?" and Who was he talking to?
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Objective Uncertainty That Is Held Fast Soren Kierkegaard
Find out what Kierkegaard meant when he said "objective uncertainty that is held fast in an appropriation process that is of the most passionate inwardness."
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The Opposite of Love is Not Hate, It's Indifference Elie Wiesel
Learn more about who said the famous quote The Opposite of Love is Not Hate, It's Indifference and what the author meant.
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Nothing Will Come of Nothing King Lear Explained
Get the full explanation of King Lear's famous quote "Nothing will come of nothing", including who he was talking about and the quotes history.
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To The Sessions of Sweet Silent Thought Sonnet 30 Explained
What did Shakespeare mean by "To The Sessions of Sweet Silent Thought.."? Read the full explanation of Shakespeare's impenetrable Sonnet 30.
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I hate television. I hate it as much as peanuts. But I can't stop eating peanuts. George Orwell
Read about George Orwell's famous quote I hate television. I hate it as much as peanuts. But I can't stop eating peanuts.
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I Don't Mind Living In A Man's World Just As Long As I Can Be A Woman In It Meaning
A full breakdown of Marilyn Monroe's famous quote I Don't Mind Living In A Man's World Just As Long As I Can Be A Woman In It.
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The Whole Problem With This World Is That Fools and Fanatics Are Always So Certain and The Wiser So Full of Doubt Meaning
Bertrand Russell famously remarked "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people are so full of doubts."
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God Does Not Play Dice Albert Einstein
Read about the famous quote by Albert Einstein that "God Does Not Play Dice." Who he said it too, why he said it and when.
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I Think Therefore I Am Quote By Rene Descartes
Read about the meaning behind the famous quote by Rene Descartes "cogito, ergo sum" or, in english, "I think therefore I am."
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To Die Will Be An Awfully Big Adventure Peter Pan
Looking for an explanation of the Peter Pan Quote: To Die Will Be An Awfully Big Adventure? We've got you covered.
Peter Pan -
No Man Is An Island John Donne Meaning
The phrase “ask not for whom the bell tolls” has been used in modern books, movies, and even heavy metal music, but it has been around for nearly 400 years. English poet John Donne’s “No Man Is an Island” was the first instance of its use in literature. On this page we will go into detail about the quote's origins and meaning.
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Whatever Souls Are Made of His and Mine Are The Same Meaning
Get the full explanation, including context and meaning, of the famous Bronte quote "Whatever Souls Are Made of His and Mine."
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Piece of Work Meaning and Origins
This page is about the popular phrase "Piece of Work" that is originally derived from a play by William Shakespeare (that William Shakespeare).
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Et Tu Brute Julius Caesar Meaning
Understand the famous quote purportedly uttered by Julius Caesar to Marcus Junius Brutus "Et Tu, Brute?" during the assassination of Caesar.
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There is No Smaller Minority Than The Individual Ayn Rand
Read more about Ayn Rand's famous quote often summarized as "there is no smaller minority than the individual."
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I Tremble For My Country When I Reflect Thomas Jefferson
Read more about Thomas Jefferson's mesmerizing quote "I tremble for my country when I reflect that god is just and surely that justice.."
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Survival of the Fittest Charles Darwin
The phrase "Survival of the Fittest" has become so attached to revolutionary Biologist Charles Darwin that it may come as a shock to many to hear that he never actually said such a phrase. In fact it is so attached to him (we'll get to it) that it may seem foolish to even write a post claiming he never said such a thing. However, as futile as it may be, we will nonetheless take a stab at it in this post.
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Now I Am Become Death Destroyer of Worlds J. Robert Oppenheimer
"Now I am becomed death.." is one of the most famous quotes about nuclear weapons, coming just after its first successful test.
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Our Friendship Was Not An Easy One, But I Shall Miss It
The feud between philosophers Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre was the stuff of legend. The two were aggressively opposed to the other.
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If I am the wisest man alive, it is for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing Socrates
It is often portrayed that Socrates was never the wiser, than the moment when he chuckled and responded to the oracle of delphi “”If I am the wisest man alive, it is for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.”
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Owl of Minerva Spreads Its Wings Only With The Falling of the Dusk
Not only is Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel one of the most famous philosopher's of all time, but he's also famously difficult to understand. Philosopher and podcaster Tamler Sommers once stated "he's probably a top tier thinker...but I'll never know because I can't get through any of his books." Among his most cited quotes is this one about how to observe and evaluate history.
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Tyranny is the Deliberate Removal of Nuance Albert Maysles
Read more about the quote from the director and documentarian Albert Maysles who once said "Tyranny is the deliberate removal of nuance."
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Albert Einstein On Mahatma Gandhi
For a very long time Albert Einstein was fond of Mahatma Gandhi’s political activism. Idealizing his commitment to pacifism.
Albert Einstein -
Subjective Toward Themselves and Objective Toward All Others Søren Kierkegaard
In 1841, Søren Kierkegaard wrote that the whole problem is that people are "Subjective Toward Themselves and Objective Toward All Others." While just another quote by a philosopher, the quote would ultimately manifest in one of the most foundational psychological findings in the field. We'll explain the quote, provide references and then get to its historical legacy and importance.
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These Special Jewish Pains Rosa Luxemburg
What do you want with these special Jewish Pains is a segment from an arresting quote by Rosa Luxemburg. A Polish Marxist politician.
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The Difference Is That He’s Wearing A Hat Richard Feynman
Richard Feynman wrote of an interaction with his father that would form the foundation of his theological beliefs.
Richard Feynman -
Necessity of Renouncing Their Inalienable Right Andrei Vyshinsky
The phrase "Necessity of Renouncing Their Inalienable Right" is a quote from Andrei Vyshinsky that underscored the reality of the Cold War ahead.
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The Ends Justify The Means Niccolo Machiavelli
Did Niccolo Machiavelli say that The Ends Justify The Means? Well, not exactly but it's a little complicated. We'll address that and more.
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Insanity is Doing The Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results
Read more about the quote "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results", and who said it.
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Impossible to Run a Country Without God and the Bible George Washington
Similar to our piece on Albert Einstein's fake quote, George Washington's high esteem amongst Americans seems to be a contributing factor in the sheer volume of fake quotes attributed to him. One such famous one that seems to get ignition periodically is the claim that Washington, a fierce and devoted secularist, once said that it is "impossible to run a country without God and the Bible." We'll discuss motives, facts and related issues regarding this quote on this page.
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Practical Man As This Word Is Often Used
Whether as a Philosopher, Mathematician, or Logician Bertrand Russell was a revolutionary mind with insights that transformed all three fields. His book "A History of Western Philosophy", published in 1945, is among the most recommended and revered books about western philosophy in a vast collection of books about the subject.
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The Man Who Has No Tincture of Philosophy Goes Through Life Imprisoned
The Man Who Has No Tincture of Philosophy Goes Through Life Imprisoned quote by Bertrand Russell explained.
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I Really Didn't Say Everything I Said Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra said many things that made people scratch their heads but perhaps none as perplexing as "I Really Didn't Say Everything I Said."
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Stop Telling God What To Do Niels Bohr
Stop Telling God What To Do is a famous quote by physicist Niels Bohr. The line was a rebuttal to a famous quote by Albert Einstein that "God Does Not Play Dice." We'll explain the background of the quote and the events that preceded it on this page.
Niels Bohr
