Logo - Feel The Words

Saying Quotes

The gap between what's said and what's meant.

This set focuses on the friction around saying things: doubts other people voice about an unusual project, the strangeness of writing lyrics meant for someone else's voice, and family conflicts that get said and later forgiven. It pairs well with our Know quotes.

When I was in the Air Force, if I walked into a restaurant, in about eight or nine minutes the M.P.'s would show up and drag me out because someone had called saying that someone was impersonating an officer.

Quotes by Melvin Van Peebles

'Know thyself' is a good saying, but not in all situations. In many it is better to say 'know others.'

Quotes by Menander

I'm not saying that 'Twilight' is, you know, some brilliant Oscar-winner, it's not 'Dr. Zhivago.' It's not trying to be. Because it is a female fantasy. I would argue that it's actually a universal fantasy. Which is, the fantasy being...

Quotes by Melissa Rosenberg

I hardly knew anything when I first arrived. I had to learn how to act as I went along. After about a year I got a grip on what acting was all about and it started coming straight from my...

Quotes by Melissa George

I'm constantly saying to myself, 'I'm lucky I was born in the United States.'

Quotes by Melinda Gates

When I started, I was very unsure of who I was. There were a lot of things in the songs that I didn't realize I was saying. But more and more, it fell into place... I got more comfortable in...

Quotes by Melanie Martinez

Over time, I've come to recognize what others bring to the table, and I've developed a much more team-based approach. There's the saying that there is no end to what one can achieve if one doesn't have to take the...

Quotes by Melanne Verveer

Bad taste is simply saying the truth before it should be said.

Quotes by Mel Brooks

If you're a public figure, and if you're working in the White House, you should expect everything you're saying in any context to be leaked.

Quotes by Meghan McCain

I read a quote by James Dean when I was 17; he said, 'I'd rather starve than do a whole bunch of work that I don't care about.' The older I got, the more I understood what he was saying....

Quotes by Mehcad Brooks

To be clear, no one is saying there weren't any legitimate economic grievances in Trumpland, nor is anyone claiming that the economy played no role whatsoever. The point, however, is that it wasn't the major motivating factor for most Trump...

Quotes by Mehdi Hasan

A young female essayist saying they're influenced by Joan Didion is like a young female singer-songwriter saying they're influenced by Joni Mitchell.

Quotes by Meghan Daum

Some people are uncomfortable saying what they feel.

Quotes by Meg Wolitzer

I learn the most from trial and error. I learn about what I'd like to be able to do from people like Barbara Mason. Saying I want to sing like Barbara Mason and doing it, it's two very different scenarios.

Quotes by Mayer Hawthorne

If you come from a place of love, and you're not saying, 'I'm better than you,' that's one thing that allows you to talk about different ethnicities. It's almost like laughing with each other.

Quotes by Maz Jobrani

I've been saying it at all our Senate Democratic retreats we need to speak to the heart, not in a manipulative way, not in a way that brings forth everybody's fears and resentments, but truly to speak to the heart...

Quotes by Mazie Hirono

I keep saying this, but the most important part of directing is casting, and the rest of it is pretty easy.

Quotes by Max Winkler

I'm the only one who is saying, 'Let's take fewer immigrants.' We want people to integrate, we don't want ghettos in Canada.

Quotes by Maxime Bernier

Justin Trudeau is always saying diversity's our strength. It is not our strength.

Quotes by Maxime Bernier

The electric car, it's not the government saying, 'Oh, we must have electric cars.' The market was ready for that. People were ready for that, so, we have electric cars.

Quotes by Maxime Bernier

Frequently Asked Questions

What do these Saying quotes explore?
These quotes look at how what people say gets received — from criticism about taking on different projects, to why writing for someone else's voice is hard, to messy family dynamics, and being misunderstood even when you're being honest. It's a mixed bag; for lighter, more upbeat lines, see our Good collection.
Is there a quote about facing criticism for trying different projects?
Yes — one quote recalls getting pushback from people saying things like, "Why does Whit Stillman think he can do a film about blacks in early '60s Jam..." after taking on projects outside the expected mold. The quote is cut short in our records, but the gist is clear: branching out invited some pointed questions.
Is there a quote about the challenge of writing for someone else?
Yes — one quote points out that it's "weird to try to write lyrics for somebody else," because they can't fully get behind what you're saying if they haven't experienced it themselves. This speaks to how personal voice shapes what rings true, a theme you'll also find in our I Am collection.
Is there a quote about family always forgiving you?
There is. One quote admits, "You always end up saying and doing such horrible things to your family, 'cause you know they're never going anywhere, and at some point, they're going to forgive you." For more on the word 'always' as a theme, see our Always collection.
Is there a quote about being honest even when it's not enough?
Yes — one quote reads, "I know what you're saying, but I already told you all the truth and I, I don't what, I don't know what else to do. I just do the best I can and tell you the only thing I can, and that's what I already..." It's a raw, honest moment about doing your best even when it doesn't resolve things. For more on knowing and understanding, see our Know collection.

A few lines describe the frustration of repeating oneself and still feeling misunderstood, a mood also present in I Am quotes, while the theme of consistency in what one says connects to Always quotes.