Henrik Ibsen Quotes



Best 27 Quotes by Henrik Ibsen

“A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.”

“A man should never put on his best trousers when he goes out to battle for freedom and truth.”

“A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one deed.”

“An unromantic poem I mean to make
Of one who only lives for duty’s sake.”

“Courage… oh yes! If only one had that – then life might be livable in spite of everything.”

“Happiness is worth a daring deed; we are both free if we but will it, and then the game is won.”

“I believe that first and foremost I am an individual, just as you are.”

“I don’t imagine you will dispute the fact that at present the stupid people are in an absolutely overwhelming majority all the world over.”

“I hold that man is in the right who is most closely in league with the future.”

“It is inexcusable for scientists to torture animals; let them make their experiments on journalists and politicians.”

“It is the very mark of the spirit of rebellion to crave for happiness in this life.”

“It’s a release to know that in spite of everything a premeditated act of courage is still possible.”

“Many a man can save himself if he admits he’s done wrong and takes his punishment.”

“Money may be the husk of many things but not the kernel. It brings you food, but not appetite; medicine, but not health; acquaintance, but not friends; servants, but not loyalty; days of joy, but not peace or happiness.”

“Neither moral concepts nor art forms can expect to live forever. How much are we obliged to hold on to? Who can guarantee that 2 plus 2 don’t add up to 5 on Jupiter?”

“People who don’t know how to keep themselves healthy ought to have the decency to get themselves buried, and not waste time about it.”

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“The devil is compromise.”

“The majority is never right. Never, I tell you! That’s one of these lies in society that no free and intelligent man can help rebelling against. Who are the people that make up the biggest proportion of the population? The intelligent ones or the fools?”

“The most dangerous enemy of the truth and freedom amongst us is the compact majority.”

“The spirit of truth and the spirit of freedom – these are the pillars of society.”

“The State has its root in time, and will ripe and rot in time.”

“The strongest man in the world is he who stands alone.”

“There can be no freedom or beauty about a home life that depends on borrowing and debt.”

“To seek one’s goals and to drive toward it, stealing one’s heart, is most uplifting.”

“Was the majority right when they stood by while Jesus was crucified? Was the majority right when they refused to believe that the earth moved around the sun and let Galileo be driven to his knees like a dog? It takes fifty years for the majority to be right. The majority is never right until it does right.”

“When we dead awaken… we see that we have never lived.”

“You don’t get nothing for nothing in this life.”

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“Lord, how the day passes! It’s like a life – so quickly when we don’t watch it and so slowly if we do.”


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