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It is by acts, and not by ideas that people live.

— Anatole France

C'est d'actes et non d'idées que vivent les peuples.

Original text (French)

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Notes from Wikiquote

Series I: Sérénus | As quoted in The Ironic Temper: Anatole France and His Time (1932)

Variants

It is by acts and not by ideas that people live.

More quotes by Anatole France

The gods conform scrupulously to the sentiments of their worshippers: they have reasons for so doing.

The White Stone (1905)

To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.

Archangel Michael, and you, Powers, Thrones, and Dominations, swear all of you to be faithful to your God.

The Revolt of the Angels (1914)

Innocence most often is a good fortune and not a virtue.

Irony is the gaiety of reflection and the joy of wisdom.

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Anatole France (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.