Years ago, when I competed in impromptu-style speaking, I began collecting quotes of all sorts for use in speeches. I kept these quotes in a small, brightly-colored notebook and carried it with me to the competition rounds, hoping to prepare my brain for creative thinking and perhaps even incorporate a quote or two into the speech.
Since those competition days, I have rarely looked at the quote book. However, even though I have far fewer speaking opportunities now, I dusted the quote book off today and added a fresh quote because I believe that good quotes are valuable. When we read, ponder, and write down another person's words, we gain insight to their perspective. Furthermore, quotes capture truth in memorable ways, typically better than we can express on our own. The exercise of looking for a good quote also sharpens our minds by forcing us to pay close attention when reading a written work or listening to a speech.
Of course, a good quote is most useful when shared. I hope that you will consider starting your own quote collection, even if you never intend to compete in impromptu-style speaking. Here are a few favorites from my collection to get you started:
The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him. ~ G. K. Chesterton (Illustrated London News, January 14, 1911)
If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything. ~Mark Twain
The art of conquering is learned through defeats. ~Simon Bolivar
Pay no attention to what critics say; there has never been a statue set up in honor of a critic. ~Jean Sibelius.
We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man. ~ C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)
Love prescribes an answer in a given situation as no mere rule can do. ~Elisabeth Elliot (The Liberty of Obedience)
Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much. ~Oscar Wilde
Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. ~Corrie ten Boom
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