Toastmasters Collection of Quotations and Sayings
Colleen, a lover of the written word, has a master's degree in English literature and enjoys finding unique and poignant quotes.
Imparting Knowledge Via Adage
Introduction
The following collection of quotes and sayings are listed alphabetically according to keyword or subject. Whatever topic you might be seeking, I hope you find some fruitful words here. I will from time to time add fresh material, so please return. The images contain my choices from famous people and authors and the text are my selections from lesser known literature.
John Dickinson said,
- “Often the finest is found within the seemingly least remarkable.”
And according to John Bonner,
- “Nearly every book has quality although that might be limited to a single sentence on the last page.”
Affected by Advice and Historical Events
Nothing ever becomes real until it has affected us; even advice is lifeless until it has demonstrated itself. Paul Brewster
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Victorian times saw social deprivation alongside social development driven by the virtue of charity. Nowadays charity pays excellent wages. Charlie Briggs
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In nearly every decade of human history there has been a momentous event that contributes to humanities future. It often begins with one mind and is proliferated by others. William M. Dudley
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Generally one wants to impart good advice to our friends. The mistake one makes is when we interfere in a discourse between two friends; this tends to result in losing them. Hence, often our best advice is to give none at all. Thomas R Taylor
The Infringement of Liberty

William Pitt born 15 November 1708 to 11 May 1778. also known as William Pitt the Elder he was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 30 July 1766 to 14 October 1768.
Colleen Swan
Death is an Unreasonable Solution
A man who is legitimately disgraced by his peers is destined to a life of misery, and without the courage to end that life is also a coward. Mark L. Schmidt
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The most sought after death is the unexpected; alas we find it the most difficult to bring on. Benny Hill
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Mankind continues to pay the price of imposing political and religious doctrines upon fellow men; it is a reciprocal mission which ends and begins in defeat and death. Marika Snyder
Only Mankind Knows What Is And What Ought To Be
Rewards in Life Come From Creating Joy
While often we cannot change basic struggles in life, we can find contentment and pride in creating our own kind of joy within these parameters. Maureen Lamb
Vexed When Made to Feel Inferior

Mark Twain born 1835 to 1910 as Samuel Langhorne Clemens was a famous author and humorist.
Colleen Swan
Divine Calling: Our God’s Subtle Messages
Why do people bless me when I sneeze? Historically, it is because a sneeze is the first sign of influenza, the plague or the soul briefly leaving the body and your life is in god’s hands. Blaze Carmel
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When I give a speech, it is from my heart and is a genuine plea to the congregation to follow my message, but I am not whom I preach to; I am a wallet of a man. George Gently: Hypocrites and Wealth.
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When I baptize a new-born, God is sharing a message that he intends the Earth to continue. John Maudlin
Stand By Your Spouse
Devotion and Sentiment
Pop stars are often loved and idolized by young girls as an expression of that love and adoration they hope one day to inspire. Missy Kim White
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Although we might fail to return the devotion of another, we always concur with that person’s sentiment. Johnny Winder
It's The Little Things That Are The Most Valuable

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle born 1859 to 1930 was a Scottish physician and famous fiction writer.
Colleen Swan
During Her Later Years Courtesy Eluded Judy Garland
Sometimes it is better not to meet your heroes and heroines in the flesh. We were both to appear on the same talk show together, and I was thrilled and excited at the prospect of meeting the one and only Judy Garland at last. We met backstage, and Judy drank glass after glass of wine.
I told her that I was a great fan of hers and admired her so much, but instead of responding graciously, she just took another glass and walked over to the window. “When in hell are they going to put us on?” she complained, impatient and irritable at having to wait for her cue. Source: Shirley Jones: a Memoir by Shirley Jones
Often The Complex Can Become a Simplistic Design

Alan Jay Perlis born April 1 1922 to February 7 1990 was a renowned American computer scientist and programmer.
Colleen Swan
Education And The Discipline of Memory
Children when encouraged to fathom a problem themselves rather than be guided by correction are more likely to retain the knowledge. Justin Keaton
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Give a hammer to a man and he will find a nail; give the same to a young boy and everything becomes a nail. Mother Hen
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When advising students to better understand or present a concept, you will come to realize that there are those who require time and detailed explanation and then there are those who need only one word. These are the students who have acumen, and you must ensure you choose the right word. Paul W. Brewster
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You will not be remembered for what you could have done and should have, but for what you did and should not have done. Teresa S. Rilke
The Preachers Dilemma

Christina Georgina Rossetti born 5 December 1830 to 29 December 1894 was a famous English poetess and romantic.
Colleen Swan
Famous Men Learn Faith From Experience
You gain experience from your past mistakes and the ability to recognize new ones sooner. Peter G. Hancock
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I have created and published wonderful recipes, but the most difficult recipe to write is the instructions for boiling an egg. Pierre R Miguel
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Think twice before taking advice from a man who has complete faith in what he imparts. Marie Spears
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A failed man is one that tried to gain fame without first becoming a great man, and a great man can only be famous once. John Heywood
Success Can Be Hidden in The Value of Failure

Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson born 1850 to 1894 was a famous Scottish novelist and poet.
Colleen Swan
Finding The Perfect Woman
I vowed to marry only the perfect woman. She would be chaste modest tolerant sympathetic and patient. Regrettably, when I found her she was searching for the perfect man. Duncan Saris
Flirtation Should Be Subtle
Love Can Make Us Both Silly And Real
Love is the sharing of distraction, the highs and the lows of everyday life, but the special ingredient is when two lovers can be unabashed and silly together. Douglas R. Mullen
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There are two ways to fall in love; again and never again. Marilyn Murray
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When a couple in love are drawn apart and neither has a broken heart then is it truly love? Pat Winner
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Always be yourself and then you will know that if someone loves you it is the real you they love. Ava Shaffer
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I sent my love-heart a valentine and filled it with words of endearment. When my love-heart severed our bond; she said “Your words were written in the sand, never spoken, and soon forgotten.”
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When I first met him, he was lacking that sweetness and generosity that I expected; then I made him laugh and he did for me, and we fell-about in love. Clarence Day
No One Wants To Part With Their Fame

Robert Charles Benchley born 1889 to 1945 was a famous American humorist, media writer and actor.
Colleen Swan
Poverty Can Become a Fashionable Lifestyle
Many a man of poverty has heard the words “money does not buy you happiness.” Why is it often the well-heeled man who imparts such wisdom to the poor? Rachel Molineux
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The modern commune houses people who pretend they were once rich but now survive as Spartan and with equal ability. John James
New Ideas Are Born From Yesterdays Mistakes

Ralph Waldo Emerson born May 25, 1803 to April 27 1882 was a famous American writer and poet.
Colleen Swan
Success Depends Upon Direction
The road to success is in the understanding that repeated failures indicate the need of a change in direction. Lord Sugar
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Business is like crossing water. If you step ever so carefully from stone to stone you are sure to slip, but if you run and jump from stone to stone you will still get wet, but you make it over a whole lot quicker. Ron Dorian Steiner
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Success in politics is a juggling act between promising the poor the opportunity to become rich and promising the rich that they will become richer still. Antonia Suez
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Although it is natural for us to hide our failures, we can be magnanimous and assist others by sharing these examples. Adrian Parlor
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The wonderful thing about politics is that when you gain power you will strive to correct the problems of the present society but having done so, you must create new ones in order to stay in the power race. Gideon Forage
The Bluffer Is Soon Exposed
Survival Is Maintained By Understanding Our Rulers
In order to survive without freedom and liberty, you must follow the rules of dress and etiquette; agree with the majority and ensure that you are popular. Ruth Bennett
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Animals are cleverer than we give them credit for, in that they intuit any double-dutch we speak. Marcia Baden Bower
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All is unequal under right-wing political systems and equally so under the left, but far better hidden. Marcus O’Brian
The Logic Behind Easy Decisions

Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) born August 27 1908 to January 22 1973 was the 36th President of the United States.
Colleen Swan
Temper is a Condition of Madness
There is no upstanding man who is immune from the occasional wisp of madness, but a short temper swells the condition. Paul Burton
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Adolf Hitler is remembered for warping human passions by his profound understanding of applied psychology, as well as his sanity painted on the rock of complete madness. Dimitri Lamont
We All Mature Into Our Dark Minds
The Clock of Anxiety
Anxiety is that tick-tock fear of what might never be. It didn’t happen yesterday, but it could be anytime today, and if not surely tomorrow. Veronica Tilley
The Use Of Power can be a Mindless Exercise

Henry Alfred Kissinger born May 27, 1923 is a renowned American diplomat and political scientist.
Colleen Swan
The Imperfect Lady Is The Most Desirable
I courted an attractive lady whose virtues were: she never responded to flattery, always told the truth, never looked down, and wanted to enter politics. The next lady I courted was like me: unsurprisingly imperfect. Jackson R Shatner
Infatuation Is Boundless; Marriage Has Rules

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe born 28 August 1749 to 22 March 1832 was a celebrated German writer, poet and statesman.
Colleen Swan
Truth And Popularity Are Not Always Friends
If, when people asked me how I am I were to answer honestly, they would rarely if ever ask me again. Kate Marlin
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Listening to an arrogant, ignorant man explaining your subject who is oblivious of your knowledge and the lack of his own is to witness stupidity. Rolf Dexter
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When you read the minutes of a meeting of a board of banking executives there are never any notes of ordinary honesty such as: “I made a mistake or I don’t know.” The best you get is “an error occurred” Miss S. Tapper
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They say it takes two to tell a lie: one to voice and one to listen, but we can live a lie, and never know the truth. Malcolm Baker
Better to Die Than to Submit to Tyranny

Emiliano Zapata Salazar born 8 August 1879 to 10 April 1919 was a prominent figure in the 1910 Mexican Revolution.
Colleen Swan
Understanding Is The Sign Of Wisdom
They say that wisdom is imparted from the accumulation of knowledge, but in truth wisdom is not how much you know but how much you understand. Dorian Sutcliffe
Women Know How to Manage Intelligent Men
Vanity And The Mirror of Admiration
Whenever I meet someone who has achieved similar things as I have and has developed good opinions and prejudices like mine, then I admire them and want to become the reflection in their mirror. George D. Morley
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Often people prefer hearing something banal; then any comment they make in response allows them to sound clever. Ted Morgan
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Is it possible for vanity to wane? I was admiring my reflection and felt the need to buy a new mirror. Ned G. Thornton
Doubting Mankind's Rationality

Bertrand Arthur William Russell born 18 May 1872 to 2 February 1970 was a famous British Author historian and critic.
Colleen Swan
Wealth Does Not Bring Happiness Or True Friendship
Joy and contentment are not emotions you become accustomed to; often they spring from inner warmth, rooted in memories. Danielle Rainer
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Born into poverty and suppression, I fought for a better life, achieving both prosperity and freedom. Yet, having experienced both ends of the spectrum; neither brought me happiness. Jules A Camus
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Jealously wears a mask when we are exposed to the new found wealth of a friend. Barry Jameson
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I left home at aged 16 and went to the big city. It was a lonely existence; even the trees weren’t friendly. Marcus Walden
Perfection Needs no Addition

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry born 29 June 1900 to 31 July 1944 was a famous French writer, poet, and aviator.
Colleen Swan
Words of Rapture And Conviction
Adolf Hitler’s public speeches were crafted to capture the hearts of the German people. He is said to have mesmerized and bewitched his audiences who would erupt into hysteria and tears of jubilation. Party members would salute and chant the words “Hail Hitler” as they experienced rhetorical rapture. Richard D. Baum
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The real power of the word is attributed to politicians who can speak with conviction and empty heads. Cornelius Levine
Sharing Brings Mutual Joy
Choose an ending for this quote
Conclusion
I hope you have enjoyed reading these quotes and have found some of interest that you might use as a toastmaster or for an after dinner speech.
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The relationship of the toastmaster to the speaker should be the same as that of the fan to the fan dancer. It should call attention to the subject without making any particular effort to cover it. Adlai Stevenson
I leave you with this gem by LA Rochefoucauld: A suitable ending.
Finally, We Are Least Able To Follow Our Own Advice
© 2014 Colleen Swan
Comments
Colleen Swan (author) from County Durham on June 26, 2014:
Thank you Suzanne. Glad you enjoyed these. Hopefully a quote for every occasion.
Suzanne Day from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on June 25, 2014:
A nice collection of quotes that come in handy everywhere! Voted interesting.
Colleen Swan (author) from County Durham on June 24, 2014:
Thank you Jim, I remember Gary Gilmore, a great musician and lyricist.
Jim Bean on June 24, 2014:
My favorite quote is by Gary Gilmore. He said:
"Let's do it!"
Colleen Swan (author) from County Durham on June 24, 2014:
Hi Gilbert, Thanks for looking in. I wanted to include quotes about anything rather than a specific keyword. I think it makes it more interesting. Glad you enjoyed them.
Gilbert Arevalo from Hacienda Heights, California on June 23, 2014:
You included many clever quotes from fascinating people, Colleen. I like Conan Doyle's quote "little things are infinitely the most important." Most of us know he is the famous author of master detective, Sherlock Holmes. Solving crimes begins by finding clues. It can be as simple as a burned match or cigar ashes. He was a master at building little things into an interesting detective tale.
Colleen Swan (author) from County Durham on June 22, 2014:
Thank you DDE and MsDora for your encouraging, discerning comments.
Dora Weithers from The Caribbean on June 22, 2014:
Well I think the last quote is appropriate for me, though I'd have to insert "woman." Also pertinent for me is "advice is lifeless until it has demonstrated itself" by Paul Brewster. These are all deep thoughts. Thank you.
Devika Primić from Dubrovnik, Croatia on June 22, 2014:
I like these quotes so meaningful and true about life.
Colleen Swan (author) from County Durham on June 21, 2014:
Thank you Tom for identifying this pertinent quote.
Thomas Swan from New Zealand on June 21, 2014:
Great set of quotes. Once again, a Goethe quote stood out for me: "Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing; a confusion of the real with the ideal never goes unpunished."