Logo - Feel The Words

Never Quotes

Quotes on what never happens.

This page gathers quotes centered on absence and limits - books that stayed unpublished, and a pointed line arguing that secrecy is fundamentally undesirable, merely tolerated when unavoidable. Related reading includes Life Quotes.

My Botswana books are positive, and I've never really sought to deny that. They are positive. They present a very positive picture of the country. And I think that that is perfectly defensible given that there is so much written...

Quotes by Alexander McCall Smith

Botswana is actually very peaceful. It's democratic. It never was in debt. They've been fortunate, they've had diamonds.

Quotes by Alexander McCall Smith

Of course I make mistakes. I'm human. If I didn't make mistakes, I'd never learn. You can only go forward by making mistakes.

Quotes by Alexander McQueen

I was never a big networker, but I was a spin doctor, all those shock shows, that's how I got my first backers. But fashion's a scary industry to be in, especially if you've not grown up with it.

Quotes by Alexander McQueen

We never worked in Russia. We never worked for Russia. I want to be careful, but I don't think we have any Russian employees in our company whatsoever. We just don't have business in Russia. We have no involvement with...

Quotes by Alexander Nix

Russian machine never breaks.

Quotes by Alexander Ovechkin

I never look forward. I live for today. And if you think about what's going to happen in a year, in two years, then you begin to plan. And plans never come true.

Quotes by Alexander Ovechkin

You just never know when you're living in a golden age.

Quotes by Alexander Payne

There's a bizarre insistence on how a story should be. 'The protagonist must be sympathetic!' they say. Whatever that means. I never engage in that discussion. I never use that word, 'sympathetic.' I just know 'interesting.'

Quotes by Alexander Payne

I never wanted money worries to slow me down or make me take a job I didn't want.

Quotes by Alexander Payne

A book suggests a whole world and story that I could have never thought of in a million years.

Quotes by Alexander Payne

Some people will never learn anything, for this reason, because they understand everything too soon.

Quotes by Alexander Pope

Never find fault with the absent.

Quotes by Alexander Pope

Blessed is the man who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed was the ninth beatitude.

Quotes by Alexander Pope

Hope springs eternal in the human breast: Man never is, but always to be blest.

Quotes by Alexander Pope

Never was it given to mortal man - To lie so boldly as we women can.

Quotes by Alexander Pope

Never elated when someone's oppressed, never dejected when another one's blessed.

Quotes by Alexander Pope

Man never thinks himself happy, but when he enjoys those things which others want or desire.

Quotes by Alexander Pope

Well people often ask me how I felt growing up with a father who was a politician and who was often away. But when I'm asked that question I often reflect on my inability really to be able to answer...

Quotes by Alexander Downer

I have done martial arts my whole life, so it comes easily, but I have never done proper sword fighting.

Quotes by Alexander Dreymon

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of quotes are gathered under "Never"?
These quotes explore things that haven't happened, aren't wanted, or weren't anticipated — unpublished books that never found a marketing angle, the idea that secrets are "never desirable" even when needed, and a reflection on how it "never occurred" to anyone that private conversation might need protecting.
Are these quotes mostly about regret?
Not exactly regret, more observation — noticing gaps, oversights, or things that didn't come to pass, like unpublished books or an unanticipated need for privacy protections.
Is there a quote about problem-solving here?
Yes — one notes that "people constantly face problems they've never seen before" and have to improvise solutions, which is a nice contrast to the other, more resigned quotes on this page.
How is "Never" different from <a href="/always-quotes">Always</a> quotes?
They're natural opposites — "Always" quotes are about consistency and long-held habits, while "Never" quotes are about absence, gaps, and things that haven't happened.
What should I read if I want something more upbeat?
Good quotes or Like quotes lean lighter, while "Never" quotes tend to be more contemplative. For a broader reflective read, Life quotes is also worth checking.

Other quotes touch on constitutional rights never explicitly written down, and the constant stream of new problems people have never faced before. See also Always Quotes and Good Quotes.