Logo - Feel The Words

Able Quotes

On capability, readiness and what makes action possible.

These quotes touch on being able to act: governments expected to give straight answers, leaders imagined thinking more imaginatively, and allies working to restore the unity needed to act together. For more, see our Being quotes.

We were alone. Where, I could not say, hardly imagine. All was black, and such a dense black that, after some minutes, my eyes had not been able to discern even the faintest glimmer.

Jules Verne

'Movement is life;' and it is well to be able to forget the past, and kill the present by continual change.

Jules Verne

At the heart of any successful film is a powerful story. And a story should be just that: a narrative with a beginning, middle, and end, powerful protagonists that audiences can identify with, and a dramatic arc that is able...

Quotes by Julia Bacha

I see how these beautiful forests are now open to destruction because of technology. Companies are able to get into more and more remote places that weren't economically viable before.

Quotes by Julia Butterfly Hill

I love what I do, and to be able to see a show that is inspired by my life's work is exciting because it exposes people to what a crisis manager does.

Quotes by Judy Smith

There have been trade-offs every day, every month, every year. There's a lot that I missed and I do have regrets in that area. But I have been able to bring to my family the richness of being a journalist.

Quotes by Judy Woodruff

I feel as though, if you're able to control your dreams, you have more power and control over your mind, like you could reach more areas of your mind. Therefore, I feel like it creates the ability for you to...

Quotes by Juice Wrld

I feel like that's what's going to be most respected at the end of the day, that I'm able to do so many different things and become less of a rapper and just more as a musician.

Quotes by Juice Wrld

Because of my personality, I'm able to connect with kids on a personal level.

Quotes by JuJu Smith-Schuster

I am thrilled to have been able to put together this new album. I listened to everything I had recorded in the 24 years with Elektra, and then just took all the ones I am mad about.

Quotes by Judy Collins

Can I remember exactly when I 'lost' my husband? Was it the moment when I had to start tying his shoelaces for him? Or when we stopped being able to laugh with each other? Looking back, that turning point is...

Quotes by Judy Parfitt

Chaperons, even in their days of glory, were almost never able to enforce morality; what they did was to force immorality to be discreet. This is no small contribution.

Quotes by Judith Martin

It's a very big world with some very big characters. And, boy, do you have to be able to stand up for yourself when you walk into a working men's club and negotiate a loan.

Quotes by Judith McKenna

Dealers always like to sell chairs in sets of four, six, or eight. And they charge a premium for supplying the whole set. Individual chairs, though, go for much lower prices, and if you carry around a reference photo of...

Quotes by Judith Miller

Starting after 60, I thought, 'I'm not going to be able to write a book of poems on the 70s. It's going to be all moans and groans and complaints, and what is there to laugh about?' But I found...

Quotes by Judith Viorst

I was in Yorkshire. We were a family of five and I used to be sent sometimes to get the rations for the week and I was easily able to carry them back. It was like one egg and a...

Quotes by Judi Dench

The principle of academic freedom is designed to make sure that powers outside the university, including government and corporations, are not able to control the curriculum or intervene in extra-mural speech.

Quotes by Judith Butler

I think we won't be able to understand the operations of trans-phobia, homophobia, if we don't understand how certain kinds of links are forged between gender and sexuality in the minds of those who want masculinity to be absolutely separate...

Quotes by Judith Butler

I'm a professor of comparative literature, among other things, so I'm able to read in a couple of other languages, and I understand that not everyone is, not everyone can, although it is quite stunning how many people do read...

Quotes by Judith Butler

I'm glad I'm successful at it, because it's allowed me to live very well financially, and give my kids a lot of things. It's enabled me to do stuff that I otherwise wouldn't be able to do. But it's not...

Quotes by Judith Guest

Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of statements about being "able" appear here?
The quotes cover being able to get clear answers from government, a commander being able to guide the military "into thinking more imaginatively," and nations being able to "take actions collectively together."
Is there a quote about government transparency?
Yes: "We should be able to go to our government and get clear answers," a statement calling for openness and accountability.
Does this page touch on international relations?
Yes: "Europe and America must act together in the face of evil. It's high time for Americans and Europeans to restore that unity and be able to take actions collectively together" makes the case for transatlantic cooperation.
Is there anything here about military leadership?
Yes: "A commander in chief with military experience might be able to prod a conservative military into thinking more imaginatively," suggesting that hands-on experience shapes better leadership. For more reflections on personal qualities, see Being.
Is this page more political than personal?
Yes, these particular quotes lean toward government, military, and international themes rather than personal or romantic reflections. If you're looking for warmer, more personal content, try Love, Life, or Good quotes instead.

You might also like our Good quotes and Love quotes for a broader range of reflective lines.