Poemattic: Poetry and Art for the Soul

When I am a little stressed I look for quotes that help me make sense of things. My sixth grade teacher and my dad instilled this practice in me. Mrs. McCann was always quoting someone. She would say that the person she was quoting said it the best. My dad on the other hand would clip quotes from newspapers and magazines and post them on a small bulletin board for us to read. He also wrote down his favorite quotes and sayings in journals and notebooks.

I looked in my old journals and in numerous books I have with collections of quotes.

Here are some I found that resonate with me today. Who or what comes to mind when you read some of these quotes. I would love to hear from you.

“The only interesting answers are those which destroy the questions.” – Susan Sontag

“It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.” – Howard Huff

“Rudeness is the weak man’s imitation of strength.” – Eric Hoffer

“Remember always give your best. Never get discouraged. Never be petty. Always remember others may hate you. But those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself” — Richard Nixon

“What probably distorts everything in life is that one is convinced that one is speaking the truth because one says what one thinks.” – Sacha Guitry

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”– Maya Angelou

Power is poison. Its effect on Presidents had always been tragic. Henry Adams

“If you are honest, truthful, and transparent, people trust you. If people trust you, you have no grounds for fear, suspicion or jealousy.”– Dalai Lama

“I not only use all the brains I have but all I can borrow” — Woodrow Wilson

Presidents are not only the country’s principal policy chief, shaping the nation’s domestic and foreign agendas, but also the most visible example of our values- Robert Dallek