Quotes by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Treat a man as he appears to be, and you make him worse. But treat a man as if he were what he potentially could be, and you make him what he should be.

We are never deceived; we deceive ourselves.

When ideas fail, words come in very handy.

As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.

Divide and rule, a sound motto. Unite and lead, a better one.

Whenever I hear people talking about "liberal ideas," I am always astounded that men should love to fool themselves with empty sounds. An idea should never be liberal; it must be vigorous, positive, and without loose ends so that it may fulfill its divine mission and be productive. The proper place for liberality is in the realm of the emotions.