“Let us be of good cheer, however, remembering that the misfortunes hardest to bear are those which never come.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikiquote
- #quote

Figure timeline
Božena Němcová was a Czech writer of the final phase of the Czech National Revival movement. Her "first published work was a patriotic poem, 'To the Bohemian Women', which brought her to the attention of a circle of writers and intellectuals in Prague, who were enthralled by 'her charming directness and her marvellous mind'". When her novel Babička "was published in 1855, it was quickly recognized…
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
culture · Czech writer · writer · poet · children's writer · collector of fairy tales · editor · national revival activist · opinion journalist · novelist · folklorist · also Božena Němcová, Barbora Novotna, Barbora Panklova, Bozena Nemec, Božena Nemcová, Němcová
Born 4 February 1820 · Died 21 January 1862 · Q157970
38 published statements · 0 followers
See & hear
2 photos
Media from Wikimedia Commons, hotlinked at the source under its own licence — see each file for author and terms.
Live now
Pulling headlines from trusted outlets — this usually takes a few seconds
Checking the wires…
Feed scan
These are live links, not archived citations — they only join the timeline once a collect run verifies and archives them.
Live pulse
Most recent outstanding titles, awards, and quotes
“Let us be of good cheer, however, remembering that the misfortunes hardest to bear are those which never come.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The greatest weakness of all weaknesses is to fear too much to appear weak.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Of what use to destroy the children of evil? It is evil itself we must destroy at the roots.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Never give in — never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The tragedy of marriage is that while all women marry thinking that their man will change, all men marry believing their wife will never change.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“As we are — the world is. That is, if we are greedy, envious, competitive, our society will be competitive, envious, greedy, which brings misery and war. The State is what we are. To bring about order and peace, we must begin with ourselves and not with society, not with the State, for the world is ourselves … If we would bring about a sane and happy society we must begin with ourselves and not with another, not outside of ourselves, but with ourselves.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Of all the causes which conspire to blind Man's erring judgment, and misguide the mind; What the weak head with strongest bias rules, — Is pride, the never-failing vice of fools.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“A corrupting influence often spreads from a leader to the rest of the organization group.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Those who are late to act, arrive, or get up tend to miss opportunities already seized by those who came earlier.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Things that are easily acquired, especially money, are just as easily lost or spent.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“We should not plan and then try to make circumstances fit those plans. Instead we should make plans fit the circumstances.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Those who arrive or apply earliest are most likely to get what they want from a limited supply of things, such as tickets, discounted goods or refreshments.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Minor successes or failures along the way are of no significance – the person who is ultimately triumphant is the only real winner.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“It is wiser to withdraw from a situation that you cannot win than to go on fighting and lose – by a strategic retreat you can return to the battle or argument with renewed energy at a later date.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“It is not enough for a wise man to study nature and truth; he should dare state truth for the benefit of the few who are willing and able to think. As for the rest, who are voluntarily slaves of prejudice, they can no more attain truth, than frogs can fly.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I do believe, Induced by potent circumstances, that You are mine enemy; and make my challenge You shall not be my judge.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world – and loses his health?”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“In a consumer society there are inevitably two kinds of slaves: the prisoners of addiction and the prisoners of envy.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Actions may be, and indeed sometimes are deceptive in a measure though not as much so as words; and accordingly are received in general as more full and satisfactory proofs of the real disposition and character of persons than verbal expressions.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
University of Aberdeen: Henry Prize and BPS Undergraduate Award winner: Barbora Novotna
Prague Daily Monitor: Božena Němcová’s home restored for bicentennial of her birth
Prague Daily Monitor: Božena Němcová was born 200 years ago
Global Voices Online: Nationalist, socialist, and now feminist: The many facets of Czech author Božena Němcová
“People get to upset when you don't let them use you.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“With the surge of refugees, the mission field is coming to us, and many of those who come are from nations closed to traditional missions. Wouldn’t it be just like God to turn a bad situation into something good and full of glory?”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“There is nothing so easy as to be wise for others ; a species of prodigality, by the by — for such wisdom is wholly wasted.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The best way to conquer or control a group of people is by encouraging them to fight among themselves rather than allowing them to unite in opposition to the ruling authority.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Things that you must not have or do are always the most desirable.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Things are not always as they seem, and you can not necessarily trust the evidence of your eyes.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The truth can wait, for it lives a long life.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“It is a fool's prerogative to utter truths that no one else will speak.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Died 1862-01-21.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
It was quickly recognized as a classic and became the foundational work of modern Czech literature"
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Some day Love shall claim his ownSome day Right ascend his throne,Some day hidden Truth be known; Some day—some sweet day.”
Text from Wikiquote, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Born 1820-02-04.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
As Barbara Pankl (or Barbora Panklová according to the usual Czech name-giving for women) in Vienna as a daughter of Johann Pankl from Lower Austria and Teresie Novotná, a maid of Bohemian origin
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
An illegitimate daughter was born to Wilhelmine's younger sister, Dorothée de Talleyrand-Périgord, and Count Karl Johann of Clam-Martinic (1792–1840) in Bourbon-l'Archambault (a French spa)
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
As we are — the world is. That is, if we are greedy, envious, competitive, our society will be competitive, envious, greedy, which brings misery and war. The State is what we are. To bring about order and peace, we must begin with ourselves and not with society, not with the State, for the world is ourselves … If we would bring about a sane and happy society we must begin with ourselves and not with another, not outside of ourselves, but with ourselves.
Connections