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.

It has been surprising to me that so few conservatives have voiced concern over the precedence that are being set in favor of suppression by this so-called conservative administration.

Quotes by James Bovard

Poetry is man's rebellion against being what he is.

Quotes by James Branch Cabell

I started out with this dream of being a director and doing cinematography and bought my first film camera at 15.

Quotes by James Brolin

Being identified as a poet in France or Denmark or India one is greeted with gracious respect.

Quotes by James Broughton

Today the U.S. is farther from being nourished by poetry than it was a hundred years ago, when books of poems were best-sellers.

Quotes by James Broughton

The hardest thing about being James Brown is I have to live. I don't have no down time.

Quotes by James Brown

My father was weaned on books. I'm halfway between being weaned on books and weaned on television. And if you're weaned on television, you're not as good a writer as if you were weaned on books.

Quotes by James Burrows

Every existence above a certain rank has its singular points; the higher the rank the more of them. At these points, influences whose physical magnitude is too small to be taken account of by a finite being may produce results...

Quotes by James C. Maxwell

I have the capacity of being more wicked than any example that man could set me.

Quotes by James C. Maxwell

I had the pleasure of knowing Ronald Reagan before he became Governor of California. He was a truly great human being and we usually spent our time together reminiscing about mutual friends.

Quotes by James Arness

I was the tallest guy in the school, and I was very conscious of being larger than anybody - classmates and teachers.

Quotes by James Arness

Being in bands and plugging away with not many opportunities and no money for many years really shaped me and taught me about work ethic.

Quotes by James Arthur

I'm 100 million percent not homophobic. I despise that label being attached to me.

Quotes by James Arthur

I don't have anything against SyCo or 'X Factor' or any of that. I'm just a guy who got really afraid of not being in control.

Quotes by James Arthur

What's fulfilling is being happy and being able to help other people. The simple things.

Quotes by James Arthur

I wanted to leave home, and I didn't know where I was going or what I was going to do or what would happen. That's youth, though. Being fixated on things. I was fixated on being a writer.

Quotes by James Avery

The paradox of education is precisely this - that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated.

Quotes by James Baldwin

I grew up in suburban New Jersey in a transitional area that was surrounded by farmland that wasn't being cultivated.

Quotes by James Balog

I'm at my best when I'm being genuine and sincere, and reading my material straight up to an audience that wants to listen.

Quotes by James Bernard Frost

At some stage in the process, most mainstream pop records are being manipulated and possibly completely rebuilt on a computer, with a visual program.

Quotes by James Blake

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.