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.

The advantage of being eighty years old is that one has had many people to love.

Quotes by Jean Reno

Being proud and being nationalistic are, for me, completely different things.

Quotes by Jean Reno

Falsity cannot keep an idea from being beautiful; there are certain errors of such ingenuity that one could regret their not ranking among the achievements of the human mind.

Quotes by Jean Rostand

Science has made us gods even before we are worthy of being men.

Quotes by Jean Rostand

The nobility of a human being is strictly independent of that of his convictions.

Quotes by Jean Rostand

I am confident that I can serve my country without being involved as the president of the country now.

Quotes by Jean-Bertrand Aristide

Man is the only animal that learns by being hypocritical. He pretends to be polite and then, eventually, he becomes polite.

Quotes by Jean Kerr

Logical activity is not the whole of intelligence. One can be intelligent without being particularly logical.

Quotes by Jean Piaget

To tell the truth, I don't feel the pressure of fame. I don't have the problem of being a celebrity in terms of recognizability.

Quotes by Jean Kennedy Smith

Everybody is going to love me and this is not being cocky - this is just what I see.

Quotes by Jazmine Sullivan

I see myself maybe being, like, a movie producer or screenwriter or a novelist or a scientist or mathematician.

Quotes by Jazz Jennings

I want to show people they don't have to be scared of being different.

Quotes by Jazz Jennings

Being transgender is not just a medical transition.

Quotes by Jazz Jennings

If someone's OK with being the 'transgender girl,' that's fine, but that's not me.

Quotes by Jazz Jennings

A genius knows how to make himself easily understood without being obvious about it.

Quotes by Jean Anouilh

Perhaps the world's second worst crime is boredom. The first is being a bore.

Quotes by Jean Baudrillard

Recognizing Quebec as being different, recognizing our history, recognizing our identity, has never meant a weakening of Quebec and has never been a threat to national unity.

Quotes by Jean Charest

The worst tragedy for a poet is to be admired through being misunderstood.

Quotes by Jean Cocteau

I'm far from being god, but I work god damn hard.

Quotes by Jay-Z

When I buy something from Raven & Lily, I know that it is good, it is not harming anything, and the people making it are being helped.

Quotes by Jayma Mays

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.