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.

A commodity producer should be comfortable being exposed to prices.

Quotes by Harold Hamm

Every time we can't drill a well in America, terrorism is being funded. Every onerous regulation puts American lives at risk.

Quotes by Harold Hamm

I also found being called Sir rather silly.

Quotes by Harold Pinter

It was difficult being a conscientious objector in the 1940's, but I felt I had to stick to my guns.

Quotes by Harold Pinter

I was told that, when 'Betrayal' was being produced by one of the provincial companies in England, the two actors playing those roles actually went into a pub one day and played that scene as if it were really happening...

Quotes by Harold Pinter

Cricket, the whole thing, playing, watching, being part of the Gaieties, has been a central feature of my life.

Quotes by Harold Pinter

I'm well aware that I have been described in some quarters as being 'enigmatic, taciturn, prickly, explosive and forbidding'. Well, I have my moods like anyone else; I won't deny it.

Quotes by Harold Pinter

As a director on 'The Office,' there's a tremendous weight that comes with directing features. I was being asked to direct a show that had already won an Emmy for Best Comedy. Steve Carell and the cast had already won...

Quotes by Harold Ramis

Ernie Hudson was new to the comedy world, and being the fourth Ghostbuster, he would have ideas, and he would talk to Ivan Reitman, and Ivan would kind of put him off. I could see how disappointed he was.

Quotes by Harold Ramis

I'm used to being surrounded by really smart 22-year-old students who have no problem saying that something I suggested is not a very good idea.

Quotes by Harold E. Varmus

I remember going to a monastery library when I was very young and being surrounded by ancient books. I fell in love.

Quotes by Hans-Ulrich Obrist

I don't think that genius goes hand in hand with being socially inept or being a sociopath or being a misanthrope, but I do think that it is a mind that can think so differently - so beyond how one...

Quotes by Hanya Yanagihara

The process of being a writer is much more interior than being a scientist, because science is so reactionary.

Quotes by Hanya Yanagihara

You see a virus very differently when it's caught and suspended on a slab of glass than when you're observing how it's ravaged a fellow human being.

Quotes by Hanya Yanagihara

But it's the particularity of a place, the physical experience of being in a place, that makes it onto the page. That's why I don't just do library research. I very rarely write about somewhere I haven't been.

Quotes by Hari Kunzru

I like moral judgment to emerge from the reader. We are being sold a very simplistic morality by our leaders at a time when nuance and understanding are at a premium.

Quotes by Hari Kunzru

I hate being wrong, but I love it when I'm set straight.

Quotes by Harlan Ellison

Being inexhaustible, life and nature are a constant stimulus for a creative mind.

Quotes by Hans Hofmann

Being, in the testimony it gives of itself, informs us not only about what it is but also about what we owe it.

Quotes by Hans Jonas

Modern theory is about objects lower than man; even stars, being common things, are lower than man.

Quotes by Hans Jonas

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.