Henrik Ibsen

"Compromise is the essence of the soul."

"Beauty is the only thing that is worth anything."

"The great thing about the world is that it is constantly changing."

"There are three great mysteries in life: birth, love, and death."

"A person who cannot feel is not a person."

"Work is the true tonic for all the ills of mankind."

"To despise oneself is only fitting."

"Truth must be found in the human heart."

"Everything I have written is for a specific time and a specific purpose."

"No one can be happy unless they are happy with themselves."

"The measure of a man's intelligence is his ability to change."

"There are crimes that become less criminal by being committed with a certain splendor."

"If you can't marry for love, don't marry at all."

"The world will never be happy until every man is free."

"Cowardice is the root of all immorality."

"One's duty is to oneself first and foremost."

"The spirit of truth and the spirit of freedom—these are the pillars of society."

"Master yourself, and everything else falls into place."

"Unexpected obstacles often spell opportunity."

"There is no higher truth than this: the individual must never be sacrificed to society."

"Happiness is the most powerful thing of all."

"A fire burns within me that cannot be extinguished."

"Nothing is more contemptible than a man who does not fear God."

"The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery of facts."

"All weaknesses are the germs of death."

"The human soul is crying out for meaning."

"I don't write for the public—I write to free myself."

"Love is a very beautiful thing, but it is also terrible."

"The majority is always wrong."

"Society is not made of tradition. It is made of people."