Goethe’s 6 best phrases

If German literature has had phrases from famous authors, those have been Goethe’s phrases. This great man of letters was not only a writer, but also a poet, playwright and scientist. His knowledge ranges from medicine to theology, including physics and poetry.

Although His crowning work was Faust, He was also the author of the controversial epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther. The success achieved was such that it ended up triggering a wave of youth suicides, giving its name to the so-called Wherther effect.

Goethe, although he was a cultured man, never stopped learning and being interested in the world until the day he died. Some of his phrases express his own thoughts and reflections in a very complex way. Its idiosyncrasy is framed within the movement Sturm und Drang , precursor of literary Romanticism.

The discomfort of human beings with contemporary society, the allusions to witchcraft and the devil, and sentimental exaltation are characteristics of Goethe’s phrases. Today we can find them represented in thousands of books, paintings and films.

Goethe’s 6 best phrases

Goethe’s phrases are full of wisdom and intelligence. This author was gifted and He ended up working as a secret royal secretary and minister for Crown Prince Charles Augustus. He was able to share some of his most accurate reflections, the same ones that led him to be one of the great figures in History.

For two to love each other, it is enough to separate them

This is one of Goethe’s most insightful phrases. With her, it urges us to question our own selfishness and childishness. We always want what we can’t have; This leads to an idealization that sometimes ends in disgrace. Goethe himself was inspired by his own story: he had fallen in love with the girlfriend of a professional colleague. That same colleague lent the gun to a partner of both of them who ended up shooting himself with it out of unrequited love.

Thanks to this story Goethe was able to write The sorrows of young Werther, work that catapulted him to fame. Of course, he never saw his beloved again, although he had love affairs with other young women.

If you want to live happily, don’t worry about the past

For Goethe, the past must be left behind. It is not enough to not think, we must act according to this philosophy of life. He himself fell into a terrible depression because of the French Revolution. He did not understand that the new social classes were going to change, much less that blood would have to be shed for it.

Getting stuck in the past only creates problems for us and does not allow us to appreciate the happiness of the now. Grayer times will come, but In the meantime, let’s enjoy what we have.

Everyone wants to be someone; nobody wants to grow

Goethe’s phrases explain to us that everyone wants to be recognized and admired, but no one cares to reflect on themselves. When fame and money come, many people do not continue to polish and perfect themselves. They stagnate and forget about their personal growth, trapped under the rubble of their own vanity.

If we worried more about growing than being, possibly the world would be a better place. Abandoning your potential for the sake of conformity is a tremendous mistake.

Talent is nourished in solitude; character is formed in the tempestuous waves of the world

It is ironic that one of the main exponents of Sturm un Drang said this phrase. Goethe had an impetuous, creative, curious and restless character, and thanks to this he managed to succeed. In the same way, He considered that solitude and moments of isolation were necessary for anyone with a minimum of intellectual quality.

We all need to have quality time for ourselves. To mature intellectually there must be a harmony between activity and pause; Without it, we will not be able to achieve anything useful.

If you treat an individual as if he were what he should be and could be, he will become what he should be and could be.

With this phrase, Goethe expresses in words the content of the myth of Galatea and Pygmalion. In Greek legend, the latter (the king of Cyprus) builds a sculpture based on his ideal woman. He worships her so much that the goddess Aphrodite, patron saint of Cyprus, takes pity on him and turns her into a royal woman.

At the moment, This myth lays the psychological foundations of the famous Pygmalion Effect: It treats a person as a failure, and even if they are incredibly good at their jobs, they will end up failing. If, on the other hand, you encourage her and allow her to believe that she can, her own behavior will lead her to success.

Man always believes himself to be more than he is, and he estimates himself less than his worth.

Once again, the German writer hits the nail on the head. Human beings always believe we are better than others, but when push comes to shove, our dignity is conspicuous by its absence. Learning to love ourselves is essential, as long as we do not fall into arrogance.

There is no genius more honored and admired than one who is humble and does not need continuous approval. Who impresses through deception, exaggeration and self-praise does not deserve even the slightest hint of envy.

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