What's a quote that has stuck with you for your whole life?

I always loved browsing such posts on reddit, so thought I should make one on lemmy too

Edit: Usually these kind of posts only used to have excerpts from books or ancient proverbs, but now I am seeing a lot more quotes from shows/movies/games are also resonating with people. It’s pretty cool to see.

ophelia,
@ophelia@lemmy.ca avatar

“If you give someone enough rope, they eventually hang themselves”

Following this mantra has almost always worked out for me.

feck_it,

I wish my parents used that method too. I was a way too spoiled bright eyed summer child back then

Vupperware,
@Vupperware@lemmy.world avatar

I can’t help but feel pity when I see a child or teenager up to their waist in materialism and appearances.

Some day, many of those children will have a brutal awakening when the realize that they can’t live the way they did growing up forever.

fckreddit,

It’s called growing up. Everyone has to go through it. We did, they will. Pain is inevitable…

Spandex_Nightmare,

“Never interrupt your enemy when they’re making a mistake”

danie10,
@danie10@lemmy.ml avatar

“be careful of what you wish for, as you may just get it”

pendragon11,

Only dead fish go with the current

trouser_mouse,
@trouser_mouse@lemmy.world avatar

“Our eyes are always pointing at things we are interested in approaching, or investigating, or looking at, or having.” Jordan Peterson

Tyfud,

“It will not be we who reach Alpha Centauri, and the other nearby stars. It will be a species very like us – but with more of our strengths and fewer of our weaknesses.”— Carl Sagan

This one has been my go to for years and years.

It gives me comfort. In that we probably won’t every get there, because of our evolutionary failures as a species, but that’s ok. Because the next species or evolution of our kind will stand a better chance.

Today,

Kind of reminds me of the quote usually attributed to Einstein - I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.

In yours we’re evolving to be better and smarter. In mine we didn’t learn anything from War Games.

Venutianxspring,

I think this is a terribly disheartening quote. It’s very true. But it’s sad that there’s basically zero hope for us as a people to come together to do great things that benefit our species and the others trapped on this planet with us. We’re doomed to a future of selfishness and violence

Notyou,

Well there is a chance we might get our collective shit together after a world wide set back in tech, medical, any other scienctific advances. If we have a massively destructive climate event, solar flare, or any other big global hit, then many years later after the survivors reconnect humanity. We MIGHT have a better mindset and work together more. I doubt it though, but I’m a pessimist.

Fizz,
@Fizz@lemmy.nz avatar

I believe that “species” exists and its the top 1% of humans. There’s people on earth right who are intelligent, courageous and moral.

Most of us are capable of being that but we’re to busy fighting to survive or get to a comfortable place in life.

WastedJobe,

Might wanna specify you don’t mean top 1% of income/net worth lol

atheos,
@atheos@lemmy.atheos.org avatar

“Friends and Family fuck you first”. Sounds like a pretty shitty quote, but it proves to be true as you get older.

Just_A_Human,

They get dibs, it’s only fair

palitu,

That is a really sad view on friends and family. I mean, depending on the size of the funking.

My family and friends have been minor funking.

You should choose different friends and make sure that you don’t pass that sentiment on to your kids.

atheos,
@atheos@lemmy.atheos.org avatar

It’s a sad reality for some, count your blessings.

palitu,

But the friends part. Family I get, but friends? Sad noises.

runner_g,

Failure is always an option. - Adam Savage

dylanTheDeveloper,
@dylanTheDeveloper@lemmy.world avatar

God gives his silliest battles to his funniest clowns

CoderKat,

Oof, I have quite a lot. One of my favourites is, “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

I find it immensely relatable, as I think a huge number of problems in the world today stem from simply apathy. People who say they dislike the state of the world and even that they want to change it, but refuse to do absolutely anything at all, being perfectly content to just let bad things happen.

arcrust,

This comment reminds me of the Eichmann trial. He wasn’t inherently evil like we want to believe. He was just a man doing his job, sending jews to their death. It’s pretty chilling to think about the evils he carried out when he was just doing what he was told to do.

Another somewhat counterpoint, I think in today’s society it’s harder than it traditionally has been. Specifically, I would love to go to protests and be more active. But for me it’s really hard to do that because I have obligations. Specifically, I can’t take a week off of work to go to DC and hold some signs. It’s not that I’m refusing to do anything, I just don’t have the time when I’m more worried about my mortgage. I do donate to charities but it’s very difficult to do much more because of debt.

FollyDolly,
@FollyDolly@lemmy.world avatar

Me too! But the other problem I have is if I get hurt at a protest I can’t work. I’m the primary breadwinner for my houshold. So if I go to jail, or get shot with a rubber bullet, my family will starve.

BlueLineBae,
@BlueLineBae@midwest.social avatar

A falling knife has no handle.

I literally repeat this out loud anytime a knife falls and I think it’s become my mental stopping mechanism to make sure I don’t try to catch it.

Today,

Same! It’s saved me many fingers!

EtnaAtsume,

Well, let’s not exaggerate here. Surely it’s saved you no more than ten of them.

PorkTaco,

Why y’all dropping so many knives??

jmsw22,

I need a variant of this that stops me trying to catch them with my feet

Nikki,
@Nikki@lemmy.world avatar

“i have d cups grandma, the waitress thinks you have dementia”

StrikerMack,

“I understood that reference.”

Steve Rogers.

Also, I understood that reference. I quite like that quote and the story behind it.

richneptune,

It takes a woman nine months to make a baby, nine women cannot make a baby in a month.

Classic (and likely mangled by myself) computer science quote which I always enjoy encountering in the wild!

DevouredChaos,

Ive always heard that one from a Project Management perspective. Ive used it myself once or twice actually!

someguy3,

Classic project management quote.

deadbeef79000,

Nine women can average one baby per month, but only with an extra nine months of pre-planning.

MementoMori,

You don’t have to set yourself on fire to keep others warm.

venusenvy47,

I like the silly related quote:

Build a man a fire, and he’ll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he’ll be warm for the rest of his life.

Dressedlikeapenguin,

“Everyday is somebody’s first day.” I think of it like a more generous Hanlon’s Razor “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” Especially when an employee is perhaps not doing a good job or is slow. If it was my first day on the job, I’d like a little consideration.

UnperfectOne,

Some mountains are scaled, others are slain.

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