Short Insightful Quotes & Sayings

A short story is confined to one mood, to which everything in the story pertains. Characters, setting, time, events, are all subject to the mood. And you can try more ephemeral, more fleeting things in a story - you can work more by suggestion - than in a novel. Less is resolved, more is suggested, perhaps. — Eudora Welty

I don't think we'll run short of volunteers to watch disgusting alien pornography. Just post it to the ship's 4chan, and check after a few hours to see if anything was modded up to +5 Insightful. — Eliezer Yudkowsky

The freedom of any society varies proportionately with the volume of its laughter. — Zero Mostel

It is because Jesus Christ experienced cosmic thirst on the cross that you and I can have our spiritual thirst satisfied. — Timothy Keller

All lovers meet and love by chance. — Marty Rubin

Very often do the captains of such ships take those absent-minded young philosopher to task, upbraiding them with not feeling sufficient "interest" in the voyage; half-hinting that they are so helplessly lost to all honourable ambition, as that in their secret souls they would rather not see whales than otherwise. But all in vain; those young Platonists have a notion that their vision is imperfect; they are short-sighted; what us, then, to strain the visual nerve? They have left their opera glasses at home. — Herman Melville

When seriously explored, the short story seems to me the most difficult and disciplining form of prose writing extant. Whatever control and technique I may have I owe entirely to my training in this medium. — Truman Capote

Father Michaels' sermon was mercifully short. He had a reputation for three-minute homilies, tightly written, provocative and insightful. His words centered on the true meaning of Christianity. That is was all about love. Love of God, love of self, love of family, love of community.
Love was a gift. — Dorothea Benton Frank

In a rough way the short story writer is to the novelist as a cabinetmaker is to a house carpenter. — Annie Proulx

When you're a little weird, you aspire to be normal; when you're very weird, you aspire to be recognized for it. — Neil Harbisson

The thing about hip-hop today is it's smart, it's insightful. The way they can communicate a complex message in a very short space is remarkable. — Barack Obama

We should've brought him a silver stake," Dimitri said. "I'm surprised Eddie hasn't taught him already. — Richelle Mead

Don't look so stunned," she teased. "I want you, Bram. So much. All the time. When it comes to you, this buttoned-up spinster is just seething with wild, insatiable passion." She kissed him, teasing her tongue over his lips. "It should hardly come as any surprise. You've been telling me so since the very beginning."
"I know," he said wonderingly. "I know. The surprise is that you listened." He cradled her neck in one hand and claimed her mouth in a deep, masterful kiss.

-Susanna & Bram — Tessa Dare

You only live once and you don't know it because of the everyday activities, but if you walk around knowing you only have one time on this planet, you'll make a whole lot more of it. — Jordan Knight

When was the last time you heard an insightful, inspiring piece of oratory from an Australian political leader, an appeal to what is pure and true within humanity: a statement of belief backed by ideas for change betterment, a call to those immutable values wherein lie the potential greatness of people individually and collectively? Such exhortation, such leadership is lamentably scarce. — Michael Short

Philosophy is the sum total of all that you know and what you decide is valuable. — Jim Rohn

In short stories there's more permission to be elliptical. You can have image-logic, or it's almost like a poem in that you can come to a lot of meanings within a short space. — Karen Russell

I've seen lifelong friends drift apart over golf just because one could play better, but the other counted better. — Stephen Leacock

Looking at scenes of nature, for even a short while, can help us become more insightful, more creative, and more productive. — Maria Konnikova