Johann Gottfried Herder Quotes
Without inspiration the best powers of the mind remain dormant. There is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks.
Each nationality contains its centre of happiness within itself, as a bullet the centre of gravity.
To think what is true, to sense what is beautiful and to want what is good, hereby the spirit finds purpose of a life in reason.
A poet is the creator of the nation around him, he gives them a world to see and has their souls in his hand to lead them to that world.
Those that embrace the entire universe with love, for the most part love nothing, but their narrow selves.
Touch not the flute when drums are sounding around; when fools have the word, the wise will be silent.
All our science calculates with abstracted individual external marks, which do not touch the inner existence of any single thing
Brave is the lion tamer, brave is the world subduer, but braver is the one who has subdued himself.
It is a hard but good law of fate, that as every evil, so every excessive power, wears itself out.
Thus we build on the ice, thus we write on the waves of the sea; the waves roaring pass away, the ice melts, and away goes our palace, like our thoughts.
Say oh wise man how you have come to such knowledge? Because I was never ashamed to confess my ignorance and ask others.
Jesus Christ is, in the noblest and most perfect sense, the realized ideal of humanity.
It is easier to make a lady of a peasant-girl than a peasant-girl of a lady.
Man is a central creature between the animals, that is to say, the most perfect form, which unites the traits of all in the most complete epitome.
As the shadow in early morning, is friendship with the wicked; it dwindles hour by hour. But friendship with the good increases, like the evening shadows, till the sun of life sets.
