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This page gathers quotes centered on absence and limits - books that stayed unpublished, and a pointed line arguing that secrecy is fundamentally undesirable, merely tolerated when unavoidable.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

I never thought I was breaking a glass ceiling. I just had to do what I had to do, and it never occurred to me not to.

Quotes by Marian Wright Edelman

When I was a kid, I never spoke. I would sit under a table and not speak to anybody. No words for years.

Quotes by Marianne Elliott

My dad had a big influence on me, and although I was never very bright at school, I used to love philosophising with him about big universal things - and I think that's what directing is.

Quotes by Marianne Elliott

I'm quite unusual in directing terms: I'm a woman. I'm quite a girly girl. I was never academic.

Quotes by Marianne Elliott

I never wanted anything to do with the theatre as a child. I was dragged there under duress.

Quotes by Marianne Elliott

I never trusted anybody at all. I don't know why it was so hard, I just didn't.

Quotes by Marianne Faithfull

The food that's never let me down in life is porridge, especially with milk and maple syrup, which is delicious. Paris isn't a porridge place, but I can buy it in London when I'm there and bring it back with...

Quotes by Marianne Faithfull

I'm glad to say my father never felt ashamed of me, but my mother probably did.

Quotes by Marianne Faithfull

I've never felt that being a woman was a competitive advantage or disadvantage.

Quotes by Marianne Lake

Superior people never make long visits.

Quotes by Marianne Moore

My father used to say superior people never make long visits.

Quotes by Marianne Moore

There never was a war that was not inward.

Quotes by Marianne Moore

I will never turn to God.

Quotes by Marianne Wiggins

I never understood the concept of a fluffy summer read. For me, summer reading means beaches, long train rides and layovers in foreign airports. All of which call for escaping into really long books.

Quotes by Maria Semple

I naively thought I would quit television writing, move up to Seattle, my novel would come out, and then I'd have a novel writing career, and so I found myself really stuck in this very poisonous self-pitying state and felt...

Quotes by Maria Semple

One reason I find all this character growth and narrative swerving so exhilarating is because I never got to do it when I wrote for TV. Our characters needed to remain consistent from week to week.

Quotes by Maria Semple

I don't follow other players or the tournaments they play. I have my own schedule and do my own thing. I never really think, 'Oh, I want to be or play like so-and-so.' I just like being myself.

Quotes by Maria Sharapova

A great tennis career is something that a 15-year-old normally doesn't have. I hope my example helps other teens believe they can accomplish things they never thought possible.

Quotes by Maria Sharapova

I mean, I think I'm doing a lot better than other people that have had shoulder surgery in their careers. Some people have never come back.

Quotes by Maria Sharapova

Sometimes when you're putting the work in it just seems so, so hard, and you never know when that work's going to pay off.

Quotes by Maria Sharapova

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.