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.

Atticus Finch is, you know, he was just his whole - the business of his modesty and his ability to see tomorrow and to try to buttress his knowledge of what was coming for his kids was something that I'll...

Quotes by James McBride

Hackman is able to live in the moment which means there is nothing for him at that split second than what is occurring in the scene.

Quotes by James Lipton

I wanted when we began this to have a conversation, the kind that you're able to have, and the only way I knew how to do it was not to have a pre-interview.

Quotes by James Lipton

The process of being filmed was, I found, peculiar but not discomfiting. At 13, you are malleable, adaptable, better able to take the unusual in your stride.

Quotes by James Lovegrove

And they kind of left to find a guitar player at the very end, so you know, I don't really take it as any slight that I wasn't able to play on the record. It's flattering just to play with...

Quotes by James Iha

I think if you're able to make the music you want and you can do it in the right kind of context, you don't have to be a circus ringleader to be successful.

Quotes by James Iha

We're an air bag society that wants guarantees on everything that we buy. We want to be able to take everything back and get another one. We want a 401-k plan and Social Security.

Quotes by James Hillman

It was always my plan to go big on 'Jeopardy!,' and I'm glad I was able to stick to the plan under pressure.

Quotes by James Holzhauer

If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.

Quotes by James Herriot

Authority pisses me off. I think everyone should be able to drink and get loud whenever they want.

Quotes by James Hetfield

Every time a new technology comes along, we feel we're about to break through to a place where we will not be able to recover. The advent of broadcast radio confused people. It delighted people, of course, but it also...

Quotes by James Gleick

The nerves were so badly compressed that I had no feeling on the palm of my hand. I mean, you could have pounded a nail through my hand and I wouldn't have been able to feel it.

Quotes by James Gosling

I went off to a school with the children of CEOs and diplomats. To be able to be at home with that group of people and at home with the desperately poor has been good for me in preparation for...

Quotes by James Green Somerville

There are congressmen in our congregation, judges, federal reserve governors. And there are also people who are homeless and some who are mentally ill. To be able to talk to each of those people is something that I've had to...

Quotes by James Green Somerville

What I want, when I write a poem, is no more than this: that it be preserved in some published form so that, in principle, someone, somewhere, will be able to find it and read it. That is all I...

Quotes by James Fenton

In the writing of poetry we never know anything for sure. We will never know if we have 'trained' or 'practised' enough. We will never be able to say that we have reached grade eight, or that we have left...

Quotes by James Fenton

I was blown away by being able to color. Then I started to draw... bringing a blank white canvas to life was fascinating.

Quotes by James De La Vega

My last real job was selling air time for CBS affiliates. I quit that when I was 28, and that was the last real job I had. I beat the system. I've been able to do this full-time for almost...

Quotes by James Denton

There is no greater privilege in living than bringing a tiny new human being into the world and then trying to raise him or her properly during the next eighteen years. Doing that job right requires all the intelligence, wisdom,...

Quotes by James Dobson

As a child, when I lost things such as my precious pocketknife, I learned that if I prayed hard enough, I could usually find it. I was always able to find the lost cows I was entrusted with. Sometimes I...

Quotes by James E. Faust

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.