Quotes are wonderful things. When properly used they can bestow upon us attributes we never knew we had.

They can make us seem profound:
"Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children (Kahlil Gibran)."

Inspirational:
"Dedication is not what others expect of you, it is what you can give to others. (author unknown)".

Humorous:
"Don't take life too serious. You'll never escape it alive anyway (Elbert Hubbard)".

And in some cases enlightening: "Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles; it empties today of its strength (JRR Tolkien)".

Granted one must find the appropriate quote for the particular situation because as one of the greatest quotes of all times goes: "It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid, than to open it and remove all doubt (Attributed to Mark Twain and Abraham Lincoln)".

Day in, day out these little gems of intellect are intertwined with our daily lives, they cross all language and cultural barriers and are employed by the highest in society right along side with those performing the most menial labor. It seems quotes are to our intellect what the sky and earth are to our physical being, ever present and taken for granted.

While often containing the same wisdom of a proverb, quotes are something different, they are perhaps more akin to humor, occasionally like jokes without punch lines - the entire quote being the punch line. Case in point: "The towels were so thick there I could hardly close my suitcase (baseball legend Yogi Berra commenting on a swank hotel)".

This comparison to humor having been made it should be pointed out that analyzing humor has been historically unfruitful, in fact according to E. B. White: "Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog: Nobody really enjoys it and the frog generally dies as a result".

Treasure-troves of quotes can be found all over the internet, they make for great reading and can often ease or brighten ones day. Numerous sites have collections that are categorized by subject or author. Explore and enjoy...

Quoteland.com
Collection of quotations divided by topic and author, as well as the text of historical documents.

Famous Quotations Network
Quotations can be browsed by category, subject, and author.

Frank Lloyd Wright Quotations
Subjects ranging from Pittsburgh to pepper.

Great Aviation Quotes
Collection of thoughts on flying, airplanes, and last words.

Quote World
Searchable archive and quote.

The Quotations Page
Features quotes collected by author and subject.

Cool Quotes Collection
From Voltaire to restroom graffiti.

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations
Quotes traced to their sources.

Quotable Quotes
Daily quote-a-day list.