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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This page gathers quotes centered on absence and limits - books that stayed unpublished, and a pointed line arguing that secrecy is fundamentally undesirable, merely tolerated when unavoidable.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 was never concretely aware of the extent of anti-Semitism in the United States and in the upper levels of the State Department.

Quotes by Erik Larson

I never recreate dialogue. I have often been asked by people, 'You must have made this up because this is dialogue, right?' Anything in my books that is in quotes comes from some kind of living historical document: a letter,...

Quotes by Erik Larson

I was a promiscuous reader. I loved Nancy Drew books and Tom Swift - never the Hardy Boys - but I also read Dumas, Dickens, Poe, Conan Doyle, and Cornelius Ryan's war books. As to favorite character: I'm torn between...

Quotes by Erik Larson

Since United States military operations in Iraq began in 2003, I have visited Iraq at least 15 times. But unlike politicians who visit, the question for me has never been why the U.S. got into Iraq. Instead, as the CEO...

Quotes by Erik Prince

Very few people know someone who would voluntarily go into a war zone to protect a person he has never met. I know 1,000 of them, and I am proud that they are part of our team.

Quotes by Erik Prince

Like Vietnam, Afghanistan was never about troop levels; it is about how troops are utilized.

Quotes by Erik Prince

I am a businessman, not a politician, but I am also a proud American who would never do anything against my country's national interest.

Quotes by Erik Prince

The people we helped in the field, they know what the legacy is. The 40% or so of Americans that really can't stand the name of Blackwater, that's fine, I'll never really win them over anyway. And I really don't...

Quotes by Erik Prince

I never intended to be a defense contractor in the first place.

Quotes by Erik Prince

I think the diplomatic-security needs in Iraq were an anomaly. There's never been a bulge of requirements that large ever before.

Quotes by Erik Prince

Personally, I had over 550 BTC in Gox. I will never get any of that back.

Quotes by Erik Voorhees

I'm a goody two-shoes who's never taken anything stronger than Tylenol.

Quotes by Erika Christensen

I am never up for rain sequences because nothing can beat the excitement and thrill of natural rain.

Quotes by Erica Fernandes

Men and women, women and men. It will never work.

Quotes by Erica Jong

I've never been able to control my public image.

Quotes by Erica Jong

I never became a writer for the money. I am a poet first. Even getting published is a miracle for poets.

Quotes by Erica Jong

Famous people complain about fame, but they never want to give it back, myself included.

Quotes by Erica Jong

A lot of my friends were a lot into theatre a lot earlier than I was. A lot of my friends were kids who were in The Broadway Kids and the kids auditioning for Gavroche in 'Les Miz.' I was...

Quotes by Erich Bergen

If I had an extra 20 or 50 years physically, I could have been the dancer of my dreams. But I never became that dancer.

Quotes by Erik Bruhn

It is clear that Michael Cohen was not truthful with the House Intelligence Committee, which is all the more reason that we never should have ended our investigation.

Quotes by Eric Swalwell

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.