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Piet Hein Quotes

1905–1996 Denmark

Piet Hein (16 December 1905 – 18 April 1996) was a Danish mathematician, scientist, inventor, and poet. He often wrote using the pseudonym Kumbel (Old Norse for "tombstone").

Denmark
Mathematicians
Poets

Random Piet Hein quote

36 quotes

Losing one glove
is certainly painful,
but nothing
compared to the pain,
of losing one,
throwing away the other,
and finding
the first one again.

Love while you've got
love to give.
Live while you've got
life to live.

A bit beyond perception's reach
I sometimes believe I see
that Life is two locked boxes, each
containing the other's key.

It may be observed,
in a general way,
that life would be
better, distinctly
If more of the people
with nothing to say
were able to say it
succinctly.

Mist and Moonshine: Grooks V (1973)

Foes
of what's cooking
see no worth behind it.
Those
that are looking
for nothing — will find it.

The way to grow grand
is not: to demand.
In life's every field
you are what you yield.

Put up in a place
where it's easy to see
the cryptic admonishment T.T.T. When you feel how depressingly
slowly you climb,
it's well to remember that
Things Take Time.

The universe may
be as great as they say.
But it wouldn't be missed
if it didn't exist.

The road to wisdom? — Well, it's plain
and simple to express:
Err
and err
and err again
but less
and less
and less.

The noble art of losing face
may some day save the human race
and turn into eternal merit
what weaker minds would call disgrace.

Freedom means
you're free to do
just whatever
pleases you;
— if, of course
that is to say,
what you please
is what you may.

People are self-centered
to a nauseous degree.
They will keep on about themselves
while I'm explaining me.

Giving in is no defeat.
Passing on is no retreat.
Selves are made to rise above.
You shall live in what you love.

Co-existence
or no existence.

Somebody said
that Reason was dead.
Reason said: No,
I think not so.

To be and not to be, that is the answer.

Misattributed

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Piet Hein (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.