Logo - Feel The Words

Being Quotes

On identity, openness and staying true to yourself.

This set of quotes explores what it means to simply be: holding onto a child's spontaneity, embracing honesty that feels inappropriate in creative work, or aging with flexibility instead of resistance. For more on self-belief, see our Able quotes.

I've done a lot of odd jobs, including waitressing, which most actors have done. I was a busboy - girl - when I was younger and sold things at little fairs when I was younger. I mostly related the role...

Quotes by Jess Weixler

Being unconscious is the ultimate disability.

Quotes by Jessa Gamble

Writing is more important than being a writer.

Quotes by Jesse Andrews

Every movement that slays its gods creates new ones, of course. I loathe talk of the sixties and seventies being a 'Greatest Generation' of artists, but if we're going to use such idiotic appellations, let this one also be applied...

Quotes by Jerry Saltz

Wolfgang Tillman's stunning large-scale pictures, being shown for the first time, were so offhand I failed to see them as art.

Quotes by Jerry Saltz

I spend more time being what I am: a writer, not the visiting celebrity.

Quotes by Jerry Spinelli

Being on a sitcom stops me from getting Alzheimer's.

Quotes by Jerry Stiller

The Jewish background is not that far from the black groove. Blacks are downtrodden, Jews are downtrodden, therefore they have something in common in that affliction. Being downtrodden often makes one more empathetic and sympathetic.

Quotes by Jerry Leiber

I've had great success being a total idiot.

Quotes by Jerry Lewis

I love doing theater so much - being in front of an audience and seeing how a character grows and develops with every performance.

Quotes by Jerry Hall

When I was 17, I was at La Coupole brasserie, and Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir asked me to join them at their table. They were fascinated that I'd watched their programme on existentialism back home and wanted to...

Quotes by Jerry Hall

I think being eclectic is bad when you're just starting out.

Quotes by Jerry Harrison

Every day more Americans watch their jobs being shipped overseas.

Quotes by Jerry Costello

I call it like I see it. I don't hold back when it comes to being candid on the hot issues.

Quotes by Jerry Doyle

If you're not a born-again Christian, you're a failure as a human being.

Quotes by Jerry Falwell

It's fear of being afraid that frightens me more than anything else.

Quotes by Jerome Cady

As I very much liked to draw and paint as a child, I entered a special art program in high school, which was very much like being in an art school imbedded in a regular high school curriculum.

Quotes by Jerome Isaac Friedman

I love comedies. I love watching them. I think I've always been afraid of being on them a little bit.

Quotes by Jeremy Sisto

Being an actor adjacent to the media industry, I pay attention to that landscape.

Quotes by Jeremy Strong

When we were filming, I thought that I was Peter Pan, you know? I thought I was the coolest kid in the world, so I wound up being the coolest kid in the world.

Quotes by Jeremy Sumpter

Frequently Asked Questions

What perspectives on "being" show up in these quotes?
The quotes touch on being from a particular place ("Being from Louisiana and a big outdoorsman"), being childlike as a performer, being inappropriate as part of the craft of acting, and being flexible and open as part of aging well.
Is there a quote here about acting and creativity?
Yes, two: "As an actor, you always want to reach back to being a child and having the spontaneity and the imagination of a child," and "There's so much we can't express in our day-to-day interaction with people because it's considered inappropriate. And acting is all about being inappropriate." For more on consistent character traits, see Always.
What does this page say about aging?
"Aging gracefully means being flexible, being open, allowing change, enjoying change and loving yourself" offers a positive take on getting older, tied closely to the idea of "being" open to change.
Is there anything here about personal identity or background?
Yes: "Love the show 'Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.' Being from Louisiana and a big outdoorsman, I'm a big fan of 'Duck Dynasty' as well" ties personal identity to place and interests. For more quotes centered on personal likes, browse Like.
How does this page relate to the Able quotes page?
"Being" here is about states and qualities of a person - childlike, open, flexible - while Able focuses more on capability and what someone can do. Also check Good for more positive, character-focused quotes.

You may also like our Good quotes on positive character traits and Always quotes on consistency and steadfastness.