Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born on August 28th, 1749, in Frankfurt am Main. He was the son of a lawyer and grew up with his sister Elisabeth who would become his closest friend all their lives.
His father died when he was eleven years old, and Johann had to take care of his mother. They moved to Weimar, where they lived for six years before returning to Frankfurt again because of financial difficulties.
Goethe studied law at Leipzig University but didn’t finish it after two years because he wanted to be a poet. In 1775 he published his first book, which got noticed by Duke Karl August, who hired him as an adviser, secretary, librarian and professor at the university in Weimar.
Goethe’s official duties consisted of managing the court theatre and directing plays such as The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774), which brought him fame all over Germany, but his work as a writer made him famous. He wrote poems, fairy tales, novels and scientific prose.
In this blog post, we look at some famous quotes from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and implement them in different aspects of our lives.
1. “The one who despises himself still respects himself as one who despises.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This is a great quote for when we feel like we suck at something and our self-esteem feels low. Of course, we will always respect and acknowledge the person we want to become, but that does not mean we can’t learn from our mistakes and do better.
2. “Seize the moments of happiness, love and be loved! That is the only reality in the world. All else is folly.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
When we are young, we sometimes overlook opportunities to get to know people and make connections that can last a lifetime because we think there will always be other chances. There won’t be. This quote reminds us not to wait and let these moments pass by before it’s too late.
3. “In der Beschränkung zeigt sich erst der Meister.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This German quote means “mastery is revealed in constraint” and is interpreted differently. It is often used to describe that when we are forced into a corner or tight spot, then that’s when we show what we’re made of.
4. “The one who does not trust enough, falls.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This quote reminds us to be careful with the people we trust because they can betray us. One example is when we find out that our significant other has been unfaithful to us. We trusted them and believed in the person they portrayed him or herself to be, but it turns out that it was all an act.
5. “Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This quote reminds us not to give up on our dreams and ambitions. We achieve the most success when we do so because we keep going even though it feels like everything is against us. It’s a mental mind game that will help you improve your self-esteem and confidence when you surpass all the obstacles and keep going until you reach your goal.
6. “One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture and if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This quote reminds us to take time off from our busy lives and appreciate the beauty in the world. We should do this every day to take a moment for ourselves and enjoy life because the best things in the world are free.
7. “Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, you can achieve.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This quote reminds us that we should always think big and aim for the stars because anything is possible as long as we put in the effort to make it happen. We shouldn’t let our limitations hold us back but instead push past them and show everyone what we are truly capable of achieving.
8. “Women are suited to being the inspiration for creative men. This is their finest quality and at the same time, the cause of their greatest weaknesses.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This quote reminds us that it’s important to give credit where credit is due because, without women, we would have no children and probably wouldn’t be where we are now as a society, technologically or otherwise.
9. “There is no friend as loyal as a book.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This quote reminds us of the importance of always having a book to read and taking our imagination on an adventure. We should also try reading the classics because they’re not difficult to read. After all, we can learn something from them.
10. “Be true to yourself.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This quote reminds us that we should always be ourselves and never try to be someone else because, when you are being your true self, others recognize this and will appreciate it in the long run.
11. “Many people take no care of their money till they come nearly to the end of it, and others do just the same with their time.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This quote reminds us that we should never waste our time because life is too short for this. But, on the other hand, we shouldn’t procrastinate on our work either because it’s an essential part of success.
12. “If you treat an individual as he is, he will remain how he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This quote reminds us that we should always improve ourselves and help those around us do the same. We should do so by showing them the ropes and advice to become better people in life.
13. “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This quote reminds us that we should always be working on ourselves and pushing our boundaries to become better people because, through this journey of self-discovery, we will learn something new about ourselves every day.
14. “To possess what you desire, you must first become the person who deserves what you want.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This quote reminds us that we should always be improving ourselves and treating others the way we would like to be treated to become the kind of person we want to be. If we put in this effort, we will eventually deserve what our hard work has worked towards, and good things will come to us.
15. “If you want to lift yourself, lift someone else.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This quote reminds us that helping others teaches us something new about ourselves and helps them return. We should always be there for our friends and family when they need us most because we never know when we need the favour returned.
16. “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
This quote reminds us of the importance of not giving up on our goals but instead making them bigger and better. We should always try again with a new strategy because there’s no shame in failing as long as you learn something.