Logo - Feel The Words

Only Quotes

On narrowed choices and the one option that remains.

The word 'only' frames very different ideas here: a single film genre praised for its originality, a physicist's account of shifting foundations, and a stated view on Cold War-era power struggles across Europe. For more, see our Life quotes.

At dramatic rehearsals, the only author that's better than an absent one is a dead one.

Quotes by George S. Kaufman

Nobody ever defended anything successfully, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.

Quotes by George S. Patton

A piece of spaghetti or a military unit can only be led from the front end.

Quotes by George S. Patton

There is only one sort of discipline, perfect discipline.

Quotes by George S. Patton

Developing our sympathetic compassion is not only possible but the only reason for us to be here on earth.

Quotes by George Saunders

Happiness can exist only in acceptance.

George Orwell

The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them.

George Orwell

Prolonged, indiscriminate reviewing of books is a quite exceptionally thankless, irritating and exhausting job. It not only involves praising trash but constantly inventing reactions towards books about which one has no spontaneous feeling whatever.

George Orwell

Men are only as good as their technical development allows them to be.

George Orwell

War against a foreign country only happens when the moneyed classes think they are going to profit from it.

George Orwell

Those who 'abjure' violence can do so only because others are committing violence on their behalf.

George Orwell

We need to think deeply about whether we can sustain banks that are not only too big to fail, but potentially too big to bail.

Quotes by George Osborne

My grandfather was the architect behind NAFTA, and that has created so much economic opportunity, not only in our country, but in Latin America.

Quotes by George P. Bush

Republicans have to be mindful about reaching out more to Hispanics, not only because they're the fastest growing minority, but also because we share their conservative values on marriage and life.

Quotes by George P. Bush

America's vast population of working poor can only get so poor before even Walmart is out of reach.

Quotes by George Packer

'Charlie Hebdo' had been nondenominational in its satire, sticking its finger into the sensitivities of Jews and Christians, too - but only Muslims responded with threats and acts of terrorism.

Quotes by George Packer

While I've been well-known for trying to keep my fictional characters individual in their looks, it's an even greater challenge not only to make them individual but also identifiable.

Quotes by George Perez

Until very recently, the heavenly bodies have been investigated only with reference to their position and their laws of motion, and a quarter of a century ago astronomy was little more than celestial topography.

Quotes by George Phillips Bond

We cannot waste time. We can only waste ourselves.

Quotes by George Matthew Adams

It's only when the kids are in their late twenties that families really face up to what they are.

Quotes by George Michael

Frequently Asked Questions

What subjects do the "Only" quotes on this page cover?
The quotes touch on horror as a film genre that blends experimental technique into the mainstream, geopolitical strategy around balance of power in Europe, and reflections on the empirical foundations of science and modern physics.
Is there a quote here about horror movies?
Yes, one discusses horror as one of the only genres able to weave abstract, experimental filmmaking techniques into mainstream cinema, noting that creating something genuinely spooky takes particular skill.
Does this page include anything about geopolitics?
Yes, one quote discusses the balance of power in Eurasia from an Anglo-American perspective, weighing the choice of aligning with a Western Europe against Russia.
Is there a quote here about science and physics?
Yes, two touch on this - one on how scientific concepts are drawn from empirical data, and another on how the "foundations of physics have started moving" as modern physics developed, unsettling older assumptions. For more thoughtful, reflective lines, see Life or Good.
Is this page more scientific and political than personal?
Yes, these particular quotes lean intellectual and analytical rather than personal. For more everyday, relatable quotes, try Like or Me.

You can also browse our Good quotes and Like quotes for lighter reflections.