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Man Quotes

Short lines on character, patience and what it means to be a man.

This is a smaller, general collection of quotes touching on manhood, character and patience. One well-known line uses golf as an example, a test of temperament disguised as a leisure game, to make a wider point about what reveals a man's spirit. For steadier, values-driven lines, see our Good quotes.

Man looks in the abyss, there's nothing staring back at him. At that moment, man finds his character. And that is what keeps him out of the abyss.

Quotes by Hal Holbrook

Man is the religious animal. He is the only one that's got true religion, several of them.

Quotes by Hal Holbrook

A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin.

Quotes by H. L. Mencken

It is hard to believe that a man is telling the truth when you know that you would lie if you were in his place.

Quotes by H. L. Mencken

The one permanent emotion of the inferior man is fear - fear of the unknown, the complex, the inexplicable. What he wants above everything else is safety.

Quotes by H. L. Mencken

A man may be a fool and not know it, but not if he is married.

Quotes by H. L. Mencken

No married man is genuinely happy if he has to drink worse whisky than he used to drink when he was single.

Quotes by H. L. Mencken

Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.

Quotes by H. L. Mencken

The theory seems to be that as long as a man is a failure he is one of God's children, but that as soon as he succeeds he is taken over by the Devil.

Quotes by H. L. Mencken

What a man does for pay is of little significance. What he is, as a sensitive instrument responsive to the world's beauty, is everything!

Quotes by H. P. Lovecraft

I never ask a man what his business is, for it never interests me. What I ask him about are his thoughts and dreams.

Quotes by H. P. Lovecraft

I am disillusioned enough to know that no man's opinion on any subject is worth a damn unless backed up with enough genuine information to make him really know what he's talking about.

Quotes by H. P. Lovecraft

Orthodox Christianity, by playing upon the emotions of man, is able to accomplish wonders toward keeping him in order and relieving his mind. It can frighten or cajole him away from evil more effectively than could reason.

Quotes by H. P. Lovecraft

We must realise that man's nature will remain the same so long as he remains man; that civilisation is but a slight coverlet beneath which the dominant beast sleeps lightly and ever ready to awake. To preserve civilisation, we must...

Quotes by H. P. Lovecraft

We should perceive that man's period of historical existence, a period so short that his physical constitution has not been altered in the slightest degree, is insufficient to allow of any considerable mental change.

Quotes by H. P. Lovecraft

Man's respect for the imponderables varies according to his mental constitution and environment. Through certain modes of thought and training, it can be elevated tremendously, yet there is always a limit.

Quotes by H. P. Lovecraft

The man or nation of high culture may acknowledge to great lengths the restraints imposed by conventions and honour, but beyond a certain point, primitive will or desire cannot be curbed.

Quotes by H. P. Lovecraft

From my experience, I cannot doubt but that man, when lost to terrestrial consciousness, is indeed sojourning in another and uncorporeal life of far different nature from the life we know; and of which only the slightest and most indistinct...

Quotes by H. P. Lovecraft

When we came to Iraq, we didn't understand the complexity - what it meant for a society to live under a brutal dictatorship with ethnic and sectarian divisions. When we first got here, we made a lot of mistakes. We...

Quotes by H. R. McMaster

Lyndon Johnson was a profoundly insecure man who feared dissent and craved reassurance. In 1964 and 1965, Johnson's principal goals were to win the presidency in his own right and to pass his Great Society legislation through Congress.

Quotes by H. R. McMaster

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of content will I find on this Man quotes page?
This page brings together a mix of quotes and messages built around the word "man" - including festive Raksha Bandhan wishes celebrating the bond between brothers and sisters, alongside lines like the wry observation that golf is "the most useless outdoor game ever devised to waste the time and try the spirit of man." If you want more poetic Hindi-style verses on this theme, the Shayari section has more.
Are the Raksha Bandhan messages here suitable to share with siblings?
Yes. Several entries are short, ready-to-send Raksha Bandhan greetings - including one wishing a happy, blessed Rakhi and celebrating the bond of love between brother and sister - written specifically to be copied and sent during the festival.
Is this page only serious, or is there humor too?
There's a mix of tones. Some of the Hindi messages are warm and devotional, referencing Ram Navami, while another - a Raksha Bandhan themed line about a missed "date" that ends with the sister leaving after tying the rakhi - leans toward lighthearted, teasing humor. For more good-natured lines, check Good quotes.
How does this page relate to devotional themes?
The Ram Navami-themed message here touches on devotion to Ram, so if you want more faith-oriented lines, God quotes is a good next stop.
Can I find quotes here for occasions other than Raksha Bandhan?
Yes - alongside the rakhi and Ram Navami-themed messages, there's also a general English quote unrelated to any festival, about golf wasting "the time and try the spirit of man." For more everyday, relatable lines, browse Ham quotes.

Looking for something more spiritual? Our God quotes cover faith and devotion, while the Hindi-language Shayari collection offers a different, poetic take on similar themes.