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.
Inspiring Quotes Said by People You Don't Respect,
"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).
"You Can't Trust Anybody with Power."
-Newt Gingrich
A wise sentiment. It's interesting to hear someone who held power as Minority House Whip, and served as a Representative of Georgia admit that men are corrupted by power. Although we're wary to pay Newt on the back too much, after all, he is the guy who led the government shut down in the mid-'90s.
"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.
"Any Law That Violates the Inalienable Rights of Man Is Essentially Unjust and Tyrannical. It Is Not a Law at All."
-Maximilien Robespierre
Robespierre was one of the main driving forces behind the Reign of Terror, a 10 month, post-revolutionary period in which mass executions were carried out. The Terror took the lives of between 18,500 to 40,000 people, with 1,900 being killed in the final month. Among people who were condemned by the revolutionary tribunals, about 8% were aristocrats, 6% clergy, 14% middle class, and 70% were workers or peasants accused of hoarding, evading the draft, desertion, and rebellion.
"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?
"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.
"Politics Is When You Say You Are Going to Do One Thing While Intending to Do Another. Then You Do Neither What You Said nor Intended."
-Saddam Hussein
This might be the most succinct summation of politics in human history. If only it came from someone like Barack Obama or Noam Chomsky, and not one of the biggest war criminals that ever lived.
"Defeat Doesn't Finish a Man, Quit Does. A Man Is Not Finished When He's Defeated. He's Finished When He Quits."
-Richard Nixon
At best, Nixon is a divisive figure among Americans. He began pulling Americans out of the nearly 20 year long war in Vietnam, but he also took part in unjust tactics to remain in office and said some horrible things about black people in general. Nixon finally quit in 1974.