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First Quotes

On beginnings, and what a 'first' really changes.

The quotes gathered here treat 'first' loosely: a rookie athlete crediting the teammates who set the tone early, a filmmaker's take on what should scare an audience right away, and a physicist weighing what can and can't be known first. If early relationships resonate, see our First Love.

The first glimpse that we have of the notions which the Greeks possessed of the shape and the inhabitants of the earth is afforded by the poems passing under the name of Homer.

Quotes by Joseph Jacobs

The first two crusades brought the flower of European chivalry to Constantinople and restored that spiritual union between Eastern and Western Christendom that had been interrupted by the great schism of the Greek and Roman Churches.

Quotes by Joseph Jacobs

This is the generation whose first cry of life was the Hungarian uprising.

Quotes by Joseph Brodsky

The real history of consciousness starts with one's first lie.

Quotes by Joseph Brodsky

I began to despise Lenin, even when I was in the first grade, not so much because of his political philosophy or practice... but because of his omnipresent images.

Quotes by Joseph Brodsky

I will be the first woman president of Mexico in history.

Quotes by Josefina Vazquez Mota

Making a strong first impression is as important as ever, especially when meeting face-to-face.

Quotes by Joseph Abboud

The most violent appetites in all creatures are lust and hunger; the first is a perpetual call upon them to propagate their kind, the latter to preserve themselves.

Quotes by Joseph Addison

There may be as much nobility in being last as in being first, because the two positions are equally necessary in the world, the one to complement the other.

Quotes by Jose Ortega y Gasset

Such a structure would also raise a number of problems: first of all, which Timorese to pay compensation to? It would open a can of worms in terms of who was really a victim and who was not.

Quotes by Jose Ramos-Horta

On the little money I had collected I lived in Berlin very cheaply, ate very cheaply. And already in 1920 I saved the first salaries I received to go to Munich.

Quotes by Josef Albers

I take pride in the fact that I was the first Hispanic artist to really crack the English market.

Quotes by Jose Feliciano

The accordion was the first instrument I played, when I was 7 years old.

Quotes by Jose Feliciano

Ever since I released my first album, I've tried not to use minor chords as the main element in songs. The way I sing is too melancholic.

Quotes by Jose Gonzalez

I remember the first vinyl I bought: 'Purple Rain,' my favorite Prince album, ever.

Quotes by Jose James

The first condition for making music is not to make a noise.

Quotes by Jose Bergamin

My first dream was Broadway.

Quotes by Jordan Fisher

First impressions are huge, especially with the coaching staff.

Quotes by Jordan Rodgers

Even with Yorkshire I had 19 fifties before I got my first hundred.

Quotes by Jonny Bairstow

'The Tube' was the first time the plebs had gone on the television. The lunatics taking over the asylum.

Quotes by Jools Holland

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this page include a quote about starting an NFL career?
Yes. One quote looks back on the very beginning of an NFL career, crediting teammates named Tim Dwight and Eric Parker with showing what work ethic it takes to be an NFL receiver. It's a good example of first marking an early, formative stage of a career. For more on early milestones, see First Step quotes.
Is there a quote about horror movies or scaring an audience?
Yes - one quote states it plainly: "The first monster you have to scare the audience with is yourself." It's a compact idea about confronting your own fear before you can frighten anyone else. For more on how first moments set the tone, browse First Impression quotes.
Does this collection touch on science, like physics?
It does. One quote discusses the uncertainty relation, explaining that it does not refer to the past, and using the example of an electron's velocity being at first known and its position then exactly measured. It's a more technical, scientific sense of first.
What does the quote about the constitution say?
One quote makes a direct statement: "The constitution does not provide for first and second class citizens." It's a clear, principled statement about equal citizenship. It naturally pairs with First Class quotes on this page.
Do all the quotes here use "first" the same way?
Not at all - that's part of the appeal. Across this page, first describes a rookie's early days in the league, a monster's first scare, an electron's first known velocity, and even first-class citizenship. If you like exploring different kinds of firsts, First Love quotes make a nice companion stop.

One quote pushes past personal firsts into a civic claim about equal standing under the constitution, which broadens the theme beyond simple nostalgia. Related pages include First Impression and First Step.