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This page gathers quotes centered on absence and limits - books that stayed unpublished, and a pointed line arguing that secrecy is fundamentally undesirable, merely tolerated when unavoidable.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

I've never been very good at manipulating my career, but fortunately I haven't needed to.

Quotes by Elaine Paige

One was never taught how to begin at drama school. But all it required was one intake of breath.

Quotes by Elaine Paige

Colin Powell has said over the years that Saddam Hussein is like a toothache. It recurs from time to time, and you just have to live with it. At other times, he's compared Saddam Hussein to a kidney stone that...

Quotes by Elaine Sciolino

I never found anyone who could look after me as well as I could look after myself.

Quotes by Elaine Stritch

I've never been married, but I tell people I'm divorced so they won't think something is wrong with me.

Quotes by Elayne Boosler

I've never been able to write for stand-up.

Quotes by Elayne Boosler

I always had a running commentary in my head that was extremely funny and off-center, but I never said it to anyone.

Quotes by Elayne Boosler

It doesn't bother me that I'm not a household word on the East Coast. Baton Rouge, Raleigh, Minneapolis - I'm so popular in these cities where you've never imagined an East Coast comedian working.

Quotes by Elayne Boosler

I wasn't funny as a kid. I remember enjoying comedians, but I never understood it was a job choice or a profession.

Quotes by Elayne Boosler

Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.

Elbert Hubbard

Never get married in college; it's hard to get a start if a prospective employer finds you've already made one mistake.

Elbert Hubbard

Never explain - your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway.

Elbert Hubbard

Our desires always disappoint us; for though we meet with something that gives us satisfaction, yet it never thoroughly answers our expectation.

Elbert Hubbard

This will never be a civilized country until we spend more money for books than we do for chewing gum.

Elbert Hubbard

You never want me in a position to have to think. That's bad.

Quotes by Elden Henson

I had never read Victorian novels before going overseas. I read a handful of authors, but I had not immersed myself in the literature of the 19th century.

Quotes by Eleanor Catton

That line, about half of somebody's supporters being deplorables, was maybe the worst line I've ever heard in politics. You never - even when you're running against a bunch of racists, you never take off against the voters. It was...

Quotes by Eleanor Holmes Norton

I've portrayed so many diverse individuals on the screen that my own personality never emerged.

Quotes by Eleanor Parker

Never be afraid to meet to the hilt the demand of either work, or friendship - two of life's major assets.

Quotes by Eleanor Robson Belmont

Some people say I appeared on the Phil Donahue show to tell 'my' sex change story but I've never appeared on his show for any reason... not even as a member of the studio audience.

Quotes by Eileen Davidson

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.