“It is a good thing for an _____ man to read books of quotations.”
“It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read books of quotations.” Churchill truly valued the power of education and learning.
“There are a terrible lot of lies going about the world, and the worst of it is that __________.”
“There are a terrible lot of lies going about the world, and the worst of it is that half of them are true.” This is a great example of Churchill’s wit and intelligence.
“To build may have to be the slow and laborious task of years. To ______ can be the thoughtless act of a single day.”
“To build may have to be the slow and laborious task of years. To destroy can be the thoughtless act of a single day.” This is so profoundly true, and this quote held great weight in the face of WWII.
“To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to ________.”
“To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to change often.” Change is not as easy as it seems, though! Winston gives us the courage to do it.
“The farther backward you can look, _______.”
“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” This is a great reminder to delve into history and to try to understand the past as much as possible.
“The price of greatness is ________.”
“The price of greatness is responsibility.” And yet, taking on responsibility is far more difficult than it seems.
“Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them ________.”
“Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.” Again, here Winston shows his wit, humor and fierce intelligence.
“Never hold discussions with the monkey ________.”
“Never hold discussions with the monkey when the organ grinder is in the room.” Winston teaches us to always be cautious.
“One ought never to turn one’s back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. _______.”
“One ought never to turn one’s back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half.” Winston teaches us to always face what must be faced. It’s safer in the end.
“Personally I’m always ready to learn, ________.”
“Personally I’m always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught.” It’s true that it’s fun to learn, but often difficult to be taught.
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another ________.”
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Truly, one encounters failure so much in life. It’s important to keep your enthusiasm, nonetheless.
“Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because it has been said, ________.”
“Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because it has been said, it is the quality which guarantees all others.” This is so profoundly true. Without courage, there are no other virtues.
“Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path.________.”
“Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.” It’s about the path itself, and not the end result. Thank you, Winston.
“History will be kind to me for I intend to _____ it.”
“History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.” And, in truth, Winston Churchill did just that.
“Attitude is a little thing that makes a ________.”
“Attitude is a little thing that makes a BIG difference.” That’s so important to remember. It really does come down to attitude, in the end.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the ______ to continue that counts.”
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.” And sometimes, that courage can be the most difficult thing to find.
“If you’re going through hell, _______.”
“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” Did you know that this famous quote was by Winston Churchill?
“Everyone has his day, and _______.”
“Everyone has his day, and some days last longer than others.” It’s true, that everyone has their day, but it seems like the day for some lasts longer than others.
“You have enemies? Good. It means you’ve _______.”
“You have enemies? Good. It means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” Winston Churchill had a few enemies, as well.
“Politics is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. ________.”
“Politics is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen.” Quintessential Winston Churchill wit.
“Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with it is a toy then an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes a master, and then it becomes a tyrant and, in the last stage, just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, ________.”
“Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with it is a toy then an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, and then it becomes a master, and then it becomes a tyrant and, in the last stage, just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster and fling him to the public.” That just about sums it up.
“Those who can win a war well can rarely make a good peace, _______.”
“Those who can win a war well can rarely make a good peace, and those who could make a good peace would never have won the war.” No explanation needed here.
“You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than _______.”
“You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.” It’s truly better perish than to be enslaved.
“We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings _______.”
“We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us.” This is the perfect quote for an interior designer.
“What is adequacy? _______.”
“What is adequacy? Adequacy is no standard at all.” It truly is no standard, at all. Winston aimed much higher than that.
“_________, and that is to try to be right and not to fear to do or say what you believe to be right.”
“There is only one duty, only one safe course, and that is to try to be right and not to fear to do or say what you believe to be right.” Winton Churchill was certainly one to always speak his mind.
“In the course of my life I have often had to eat my words, and I must confess that I have always found it _______.”
“In the course of my life I have often had to eat my words, and I must confess that I have always found it a wholesome diet.” Winston was truly in love with his own words.
“Every man should ask himself each day whether he is not too readily accepting _______.”
“Every man should ask himself each day whether he is not too readily accepting negative solutions.” Winston Churchill would not stand for negative solutions.
“It is wonderful what great strides can be made when there is ________.”
“It is wonderful what great strides can be made when there is a resolute purpose behind them.” Oh, the power of purpose. It can’t be underestimated.
“The first duty of the university is to teach wisdom, not a trade; ________.”
“The first duty of the university is to teach wisdom, not a trade; character, not technicalities. We want a lot of engineers in the modern world, but we do not want a world of engineers.” Truer words were ne’er spoken.
“In finance, everything that is agreeable is unsound and _________.”
“In finance, everything that is agreeable is unsound and everything that is sound is disagreeable.” Finance can be quite corrupt, and too much is never enough.
“All I can say is that I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has _______.”
“All I can say is that I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.” Truly, Winston Churchill did love his drink.
“The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are _______.”
“The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes.” Always be open to the opinions of others. That is the truth.
“All the greatest things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: __________ .”
“All the greatest things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honour; duty; mercy; hope.” Truly, all the greatest things in life can be expressed in a single word.
“I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. _________.”
“I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” And what do we do to the kindly pig? We eat it. . . .
