Jorge Luis Borges

Quotes collated Apr 2012


To fall in love is to create a religion that has a fallible god.

The mind was dreaming. The world was its dream.

A writer - and, I believe, generally all persons - must think that whatever happens to him or her is a resource. All things have been given to us for a purpose, and an artist must feel this more intensely. All that happens to us, including our humiliations, our misfortunes, our embarrassments, all is given to us as raw material, ad clay, so that we may shape our art.

And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
And gifts aren't promises,

And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and eyes open
With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,

And you learn to build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.

So you plant your garden and decorate your own soul,
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn that you really can endure...

That you really are strong

And you really do have worth...

And you learn and you learn...

With every good-bye you learn.