There are days when you need a little inspiration. When you just need to hear someone tell you that everything is going to be okay. And when your “hang in there” poster won’t cut it, you probably find yourself looking up inspirational quotes and just start running with them. The one problem with inspirational quotes is that sometimes they don’t come from the most reputable of sources. For instance, it’s great to hear that Hitler believes that anything is possible if you put your mind to it - but does anyone really want to be taking pointers from the guy who committed genocide for no other reason than he thought certain people were icky? The answer to that question is a big fat NO. To illustrate this point further, we’ve put together this list of the most inspirational quotes by the people that we least respect.
You wouldn’t be surprised to find most of the quotes on this list on a poster in a school library. Although, if that was the case, they’d probably have a photo of some mountains or a kitten instead of the quote’s author. The moving quotes collected here are inspiring, confidence building, and they may even start you down the path to a better life - but every word on this list was uttered by someone awful.
Vote up the quotes below that you find to be the most inspirational, regardless of who said it. And if you really like one of them, why don’t you get it printed up and keep it on your wall. Just don’t tell your friends who said it.
http://www.ranker.com/list/inspirational-quotes-by-evil-people/jacob-shelton,
"Words Build Bridges Into Unexplored Regions."
-Adolf Hitler
If you're working on a project and are stuck in a rut, it can be helpful to work it out. Unless you're working with Hitler. You never want to go to unexplored regions with Hitler (for obvious reasons).
“Equality Means Nothing Unless Incorporated Into the Institutions.”
-Slobodan Milosevic
Why, oh why, did the man who was brought to trial by the UN for committing genocide against the Croatians and Bosnians have to make such an excellent point about equality?
"He Who Stops Being Better Stops Being Good."
-Oliver Cromwell
So true! If you're not continuously trying to be better at the thing you're doing, be it writing or darning socks, you'll never be truly great. Of course, the problem here is that Oliver Cromwell's version of "better" probably means something along the lines of being better at regicide, or taking 50,000 Irish Catholics as slaves.
"It Takes Less Courage to Criticize the Decisions of Others Than to Stand by Your Own."
-Attila the Hun
Decision making is a tough enough endeavor as it is, but when we stand idly by and criticize others, we often forget that we should stand behind our own choices as well. This quote stands out mostly because Attila the Hun was so steadfast in his conquering of Europe, his leadership that resulted in the slaughter of thousands by his barbarian hordes, and his general resolution in the plundering of western Europe was relentless.
"Impossible Is a Word Found Only in the Dictionary of Fools."
-Napoleon Bonaparte
No one likes for something to be impossible, especially when you have a dream that seems just out of reach. In Napoleon's case, the word "impossible" was always getting in his way during that darn coup d'etat, the Napoleonic wars, and after his exile following the Battle of Waterloo.
"Better to Live a Day as a Lion Than 100 Years as a Sheep"
-Benito Mussolini
No offense Mussolini, but this quote is such basic world dictator gobbledeegook. How lionesque was it when he was found trying to escape Italy after World War II?
"Don't Drink at All, Don't Smoke, You Must Exercise and Eat Vegetables and Fruit."
-Robert Mugabe
This is excellent advice if you want to be healthy, but coming from the dictator of Zimbabwe, who refers to the LGBTQ community as "worse than dogs and pigs," it's a little more questionable. Maybe just have a beer.
"I Believe in One Thing Only, the Power of Human Will."
-Joseph Stalin
The next time you're feeling down, remember the words of the General Secretary of The Soviet Union. He probably said this quote in the mirror every morning before ordering millions of people to their deaths.
“The Real Strong Have No Need to Prove It to the Phonies.”
-Charles Manson
The world is constantly homogenizing to itself, and sometimes it can be impossible to make yourself stand out from the crowd. But luckily we have cult leader and race war inciter Charles Manson to remind us that the strongest among us don't need to prove anything to anyone.
"Beauty, to Me, Is Being Comfortable in Your Own Skin."
-Gwyneth Paltrow
Everyone in the world should read this quote every day for the rest of their lives. That is, as long as you can forget that it was said by Gwyneth Paltrow, probably while ordering a macrobiotic salad covered in gold leaf.
