Thomas Kempis Quotes


"Gladly we desire to make other men perfect, but we will not amend our own fault."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Men, Desire, Fault, Will)

"First keep peace with yourself, then you can also bring peace to others."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Peace, First)

"But because many endeavor to get knowledge rather than to live well, they are often deceived and reap little or no benefit from their labor."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Knowledge, Labor)

"Bear the Cross cheerfully and it will bear you."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Will)

"Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be."
- Thomas Kempis
"Be assured that if you knew all, you would pardon all."
- Thomas Kempis
"At the Day of Judgment, we shall not be asked what we have read, but what we have done."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Day, Judgment)

"An humble knowledge of thyself is a surer way to God than a deep search after learning."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: God, Knowledge, Deep, Learning)

"Great tranquility of heart is his who cares for neither praise not blame."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Heart, Blame, Praise, Tranquility)

"Activate yourself to duty by remembering your position, who you are, and what you have obliged yourself to be."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Duty)

"What most of all hinders heavenly consolation is that you are too slow in turning yourself to prayer."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Prayer)

"Without the way, there is no going; without the truth, there is no knowing; without the life, there is no living."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Life, Truth, Living)

"What else does anxiety about the future bring you but sorrow upon sorrow?"
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Anxiety, Future, Sorrow)

"All men commend patience, although few are willing to practice it."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Men, Patience, Practice)

"Occasions do not make a man either strong or weak but they show what he is."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Man)

"He who loves with purity considers not the gift of the lover, but the love of the giver."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Love, Purity)

"Who has a harder fight than he who is striving to overcome himself."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Fight)

"The only safe ruler is he who has learned to obey willingly."
- Thomas Kempis
"The loftier the building, the deeper must the foundation be laid."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Building)

"Wait for the Lord. Behave yourself manfully, and be of good courage. Do not be faithless, but stay in your place and do not turn back."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Courage)

"The acknowledgment of our weakness is the first step in repairing our loss."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: First, Loss, Weakness)

"Purity and simplicity are the two wings with which man soars above the earth and all temporary nature."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Nature, Earth, Man, Purity, Simplicity)

"Out of sight, out of mind. The absent are always in the wrong."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Mind, Sight, Wrong)

"We usually know what we can do, but temptation shows us who we are."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Temptation)

"Of two evils, the less is always to be chosen."
- Thomas Kempis
"No man ruleth safely but he that is willingly ruled."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Man)

"Man proposes, but God disposes."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: God, Man)

"Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble, attempts what is above its strength, pleads no excuse of impossibility; for it thinks all things lawful for itself, and all things possible."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Love, Strength, Burden, Impossibility, Nothing, Trouble)

"It is much safer to obey than to rule."
- Thomas Kempis
"Intelligence must follow faith, never precede it, and never destroy it."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Intelligence, Faith)

"If you cannot mould yourself entirely as you would wish, how can you expect other people to be entirely to your liking?"
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: People)

"I would far rather feel remorse than know how to define it."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Remorse)

"How seldom we weigh our neighbor in the same balance with ourselves."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Balance)

"How quickly passes away the glory of this world."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Glory, World)

"He will easily be content and at peace, whose conscience is pure."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Peace, Conscience, Content, Will)

"Oh, how great peace and quietness would he possess who should cut off all vain anxiety and place all his confidence in God."
- Thomas Kempis
(Related: Peace, God, Anxiety, Confidence)