Petty Quotes

“Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus; and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs, and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves.”
― William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar

“Don't waste your time trying to provide people with proof of deceit, in order to keep their love, win their love or salvage their respect for you. The truth is this: If they care they will go out of their way to learn the truth. If they don't then they really don't value you as a human being. The moment you have to sell people on who you are is the moment you let yourself believe that every good thing you have ever done or accomplished was invisible to the world. And, it is not!”
― Shannon L. Alder

“Gods are fragile things, they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense. They thrive on servility and shrink before independence. They feed upon worship as kings do upon flattery. That is why the cry of gods at all times is “Worship us or we perish.” A dethroned monarch may retain some of his human dignity while driving a taxi for a living. But a god without his thunderbolt is a poor object.”
― Chapman Cohen

“I pity the man who praises God only when things go his way.”
― Criss Jami, Healology

“Can we believe that the real God, if there is one, ever ordered a man to be killed simply for making hair oil, or ointment? We are told in the thirtieth chapter of Exodus, that the Lord commanded Moses to take myrrh, cinnamon, sweet calamus, cassia, and olive oil, and make a holy ointment for the purpose of anointing the tabernacle, tables, candlesticks and other utensils, as well as Aaron and his sons; saying, at the same time, that whosoever compounded any like it, or whoever put any of it on a stranger, should be put to death. In the same chapter, the Lord furnishes Moses with a recipe for making a perfume, saying, that whoever should make any which smelled like it, should be cut off from his people. This, to me, sounds so unreasonable that I cannot believe it. Why should an infinite God care whether mankind made ointments and perfumes like his or not? Why should the Creator of all things threaten to kill a priest who approached his altar without having washed his hands and feet? These commandments and these penalties would disgrace the vainest tyrant that ever sat, by chance, upon a throne.”
― Robert G. Ingersoll, Some Mistakes of Moses

“To him, a stilted geometric love of arrangement was “system,” and indefatigable and feverish interest in the pettiest facets of day-to-day bureaucracy was “industry”, indecision when right was “caution”, and blind stubbornness when wrong, “determination.”
― Isaac Asimov, Foundation and Empire

“Being bigheaded can be as irritating and as dangerous as being small-minded.”
― Mokokoma Mokhonoana

“Giving an insignificant thing your attention is a form of self-disrespect.”
― Mokokoma Mokhonoana

“It often seems as though the silent, humble servant is secretly wiser and more discerning than the haughty master; yet through dutiful (and sometimes insecure) surrender he continues to serve and carry out petty orders in loyal acquiescence.”
― Criss Jami, Healology

“The guilt you felt
when you were smiling
and others were suffering,
the guilt you felt
when you were petty with friends
and impatient with your parents,
when you were rude to your teachers
and didn’t stand up for strangers,
that guilt
is marvellous.
It proves that you are human,
that you want to be better.
Thank this guilt for teaching you,
for making you aware.
And now endeavour to better yourself.
It is a lifelong work to become
the person we want to be.”
― Kamand Kojouri

“Listen, there are different ways of getting closure and one of those ways might be to make someone miserable for the sake of satisfying your petty soul.”
― Mia Sosa, The Worst Best Man

“The petty man wants to use God for himself; the ambitious man wants God to use him for God.”
― Criss Jami, Healology

“I was never weighed down by beauty in my lifetime. However, I was beaten down by the sad fears of my gender- women who didn't allow you to feel pretty or rejoice in who you are, unless it fell beneath how they thought about themselves.”
― Shannon L. Alder

“Don’t be unwilling to take those little steps; in them are residing great journeys. Move on.”
― Israelmore Ayivor, Shaping the dream

“To come up against someone who appeared not to give a damn about exerting petty power almost restored his faith in the public.”
― Val McDermid, Insidious Intent

“Let your words be petty and actions plenty!”
― Israelmore Ayivor, Become a Better You

“No, thanks," I reply. "I don't like fried dough.”
― Marie Lu, Prodigy

“He was going to hurt the people he hated, but inside he didn't feel any real sense of satisfaction. He hated them all the more for having made him feel so small, so petty and mean, which was all he felt just then. But it wasn't enough to stop him.”
― Riccardo Bruni, The Lion and the Rose

“Just when she was about to reemerge from the depths of her sorrows, someone shook her again. This wasn't the jolt that usually awakens the senses. This was what it takes to finally rise over all that is petty about this world. Jealousy, insecurity and of course, betrayal. Awakening the senses was meant for another day, another time.”
― Anushka Bhartiya

“Bit by bit, whatever you see to be petty becomes plenty.”
― Israelmore Ayivor, Become a Better You

“On Religion - I compare the god of the Christian bible to a psychotic, jealous girlfriend. Who else but a crazy girlfriend would demand that a man mutilate his penis as a sign that he loves her? Who else but a crazy boyfriend would do it?!”
― Marsha Hinds

“A petty person often misses out on what is pretty in life.”
― Gift Gugu Mona

“Partly, I still felt something of the sheer unholy excitement which I had experienced initially at the thought of a friend (especially this one) in trouble.”
― Iris Murdoch, The Black Prince

“I suppose you think I should be thanking you, for stepping up to assist in reviving me.'

'I have no illusions that the day you thank me for anything, Rhysand, is the day the burning fires of hell go cold.'

'Poetic.'

A low snarl.

Too easy. It was far too easy to bait him, rile him. And though I reminded myself of the wall, of the peace we needed, I said, 'You saved my mate's life on several occasions. I will always be thankful for that.'

I knew the words found their mark. My mate.

Low. It was a low blow. I had everything- everything I'd wished for, dreamed of, begged the stars to grant me.

He had nothing. Had been given everything and squandered it. He didn't deserve my pity, my sympathy.

No, Tamlin deserved what he'd brought upon himself, this husk of a life.

He deserved every empty room, every snarl of thorns, every meal he had to hunt for himself.”
― Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Frost and Starlight

“Want some? Unless you're here to continue our earlier argument, in which case, none for you.”
― Rebecca Yarros, Fourth Wing

“Love makes humans petty and cruel, Full of arrogance, lacking in decorum. Suspicious and paranoid beyond reason. And though it cannot last forever, it drives humans to sacrifice all they have.”
― Yūji Kaku, 地獄楽 12 [Jigokuraku 12]

“I once began to ask around what constitutes a good poem. It felt petty, in a sense. A boy would need no help in deciding which girls he thinks are pretty.”
― Criss Jami, Healology

“Cat got your tongue and several other useful organs?”
― Destiny Henderson, Dreaded Dinner Party

“Don't worry about petty things.”
― Richie Norton

“Well, you're not starving, Dio. That much is evident"
- Pieton to Dio”
― Emily Holleman, Cleopatra's Shadows