You can see philosophy and a way of life through words. Short famous quotes by historical figures.
When asked to name someone who achieved great feats and etched their name into history, who comes to mind?
Many of us learned in school about people who created ideas and things that are now taken for granted, or those who laid the foundations of culture.
This time, we’ve compiled a list of short quotes left by especially famous historical figures—names that almost everyone has heard at least once.
Each quote reveals the person’s philosophy and way of life, so be sure to check them out!
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You can see philosophy and way of life through words. Short famous quotes by historical figures (1–10)
As you stretch yourself to broaden your horizons, it’s possible you’ll actually grow taller. That’s part of what makes life interesting.NEW!Saburō Shiroyama
This quote left by the novelist Saburō Jōyama teaches us the importance of taking on challenges.
Don’t you sometimes find yourself thinking with a narrow perspective? It’s easy to let yourself be carried along without broadening your view or attempting anything new.
But if you widen your perspective just a little, you may realize that what you face is easier to overcome than you thought.
When you stretch yourself to take on a challenge, you begin to see a different landscape—as if you’ve actually grown taller.
When you want to take that first step, remember these words.
Unless the whole world becomes happy, individual happiness is impossible.NEW!Kenji Miyazawa
These are words by Kenji Miyazawa, the poet and writer of children’s stories famous for the poem “Be Not Defeated by the Rain.” Kenji Miyazawa is also known for works such as Night on the Galactic Railroad, The Restaurant of Many Orders, and Matasaburo of the Wind.
All humans live by supporting one another.
Even if we feel as though we live on our own, it’s hard to completely separate ourselves from others.
In other words, unless those around us are happy and the entire world becomes happy, our own happiness cannot truly exist.
Not only do we want our own happiness, but we also want the people around us and people across the world to be happy—these are words to keep close to heart.
It is the heart that makes a world without amusements into an interesting one.NEW!Shinsaku Takasugi
“Make an unamusing world amusing”…
It is said that Shinsaku Takasugi composed only this upper line.
Shinsaku Takasugi was a feudal retainer of the Choshu domain at the end of the Edo period and is known as the founder of the Kiheitai militia.
He fell ill before fulfilling his ambitions, and this is the verse he composed at that time.
The lower line, “It is the heart that makes a place livable,” is said to have been composed by Nomura Botoni, who was nursing him.
Takasugi wrote that whether one lives amusingly in a world that is, by nature, not amusing depends on one’s state of mind, while Nomura Botoni answered that whether the world feels unamusing or not also depends on one’s own feelings.
It’s a verse through which you can enjoy the differing values of Shinsaku Takasugi and Nomura Botoni.
You can see philosophy and ways of life through words. Short quotes by historical figures (11–20)
That’s fine—people should live their own way.NEW!Tarō Asō
@animationmeigen [Taro Aso] Do what you love rather than going to school and studying.Translation#Animation Quotes Collection
♪ Original song – Animated Quotes Collection – Animated Quotes Collection
It gently untangles the hearts of modern people who tend to be swayed by others’ values.
Everyone has their own environment and experiences, so it’s only natural that our ways of life differ.
There’s no meaning in judging someone’s choices as right or wrong; what matters most is whether that person is convinced and walking their own path.
If you keep conforming to the voices around you, you can lose sight of your own life.
Respecting others also leads to affirming your own way of living.
It’s a quote characteristic of Taro Aso, a longtime politician, showing the breadth to embrace diversity.
To love is to layer your own happiness over another’s.NEW!Gottfried Leibniz
Gottfried Leibniz—often called an intellectual giant—wore many hats: philosopher, mathematician, thinker, politician, and diplomat.
He left us numerous maxims and famous sayings, and this one is a striking reflection on love.
I believe it is extremely difficult to align one’s own happiness with another’s.
Each person’s notion of happiness differs, and even two people in love are unlikely to have theirs overlap perfectly.
Yet perhaps it is precisely for that reason that our capacity to love is proven there.
Excellent people quietly cultivate themselves and nurture their virtue.Zhuge Kongming
Zhuge Liang Kongming, who was active during the Three Kingdoms period, is known for his devoted service to Shu as a military strategist and is remembered along with numerous legends.
These words, left by such a historical strategist, express a view on how truly capable people conduct themselves.
While those who stand at the forefront and promote themselves are often assumed to be talented, he argues that truly exceptional individuals quietly refine themselves.
It is a message that underscores the importance of steady, quiet effort—suggesting that those who can persist in working diligently are the ones who are truly outstanding.
Those who do not advance will surely retreat, and those who do not retreat will surely advance.Yukichi Fukuzawa
Yukichi Fukuzawa, who was active as an educator from the late Edo period to the Meiji era, is well known for being featured on the 10,000-yen bill and as the founder of Keio University.
These are words he left about people who move forward and those who stand still.
To keep progressing, what matters most is a forward-looking attitude that never retreats, and it tells us that those who maintain that resolve are the ones who reach their goals.
It also feels like a call to firmly believe in the ideals you set for yourself and in yourself.