My Favorite Quotes

“Cut the pizza into 4 pieces. I’m not hungry enough to eat 6.” — Yogi Berra

In my 36 years of teaching history and English and the years and years I spent in school myself, I have read thousands and thousands of quotes, sayings, and witticisms. Most are largely forgettable, and others will strike a note of familiarity when I see them in lists of quotations. But some stick with me. They are part of me. They provide a measure of guidance in my daily life. These quotations are by no means exhaustive, but they do give food for thought. Enjoy.

“Men do not beat drums before hunting tigers.” — from the pilot movie for the series Kung Fu. This saying is a simple reminder that if you are planning a big, bold move, it is wise not to alert anyone who might thwart your effort. The less you talk, the better.

“If you don’t know where you’re going, you might not get there.” Yogi Berra. Yogi Berra has a whole host of funny “say what?” kinds of quotes that are fun to read and think about. The technical term for these is “malaprops. I think of Yogi’s quotes as the oral equivalent of an Escher drawing. Take some time to look up some of his sayings, and if you come to a fork in the road on your way there, take it.

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” — Buddha. I use this quote often as a…