Ellen Degeneres Quotes About Courage, Kindness and Laughter

Ellen Degeneres is one of the most popular present-day comedians, television hosts and advocate of LGBT rights. Here are some of our favourite Ellen quotes on how to live a life full of meaning, purpose and joy!

1. “Find out who you are and be that person. That’s what your soul was put on this Earth to be. Find that truth, live that truth and everything else will come.” – Ellen Degeneres

2. “I work really hard at trying to see the big picture and not getting stuck in ego.” – Ellen Degeneres

3. “If we’re destroying our trees and destroying our environment and hurting animals and hurting one another and all that stuff, there’s got to be a very powerful energy to fight that. I think we need more love in the world. We need more kindness, more compassion, more joy, more laughter. I definitely want to contribute to that.” – Ellen Degeneres

4. “Most comedy is based on getting a laugh at somebody else’s expense. And I find that that’s just a form of bullying in a major way. So I want to be an example that you can be funny and be kind, and make people laugh without hurting somebody else’s feelings.” – Ellen Degeneres

5. “I’m not an activist; I don’t look for controversy. I’m not a political person, but I’m a person with compassion. I care passionately about equal rights. I care about human rights. I care about animal rights.” – Ellen Degeneres

6. “Follow your passion. Stay true to yourself. Never follow someone else’s path unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path. By all means, you should follow that.” – Ellen Degeneres

7. “It’s our challenges and obstacles that give us layers of depth and make us interesting. Are they fun when they happen? No. But they are what make us unique. And that’s what I know for sure… I think.” – Ellen Degeneres

8. “I am saddened by how people treat one another and how we are so shut off from one another and how we judge one another, when the truth is, we are all one connected thing. We are all from the same exact molecules.” – Ellen Degeneres

9. “Sometimes you can’t see yourself clearly until you see yourself through the eyes of others.” – Ellen Degeneres

10. “I learned compassion from being discrimanted against. Everything bad that’s ever happened to me has taught me compassion.” – Ellen Degeneres

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Victor Hugo Quotes on Love, Life and Music

Victor Hugo was a celebrated French author, best known for Les Misérables. Here are some of his best quotes on love, life and music.

To give thanks in solitude is enough. Thanksgiving has wings and goes where it must go. Your prayer knows much more about it than you do. – Victor Hugo

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. – Victor Hugo

Life is the flower for which love is the honey. – Victor Hugo

Change your opinions, keep to your principles; change your leaves, keep intact your roots. – Victor Hugo

Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face. – Victor Hugo

What Is Love? I have met in the streets a very poor young man who was in love. His hat was old, his coat worn, the water passed through his shoes and the stars through his soul – Victor Hugo

Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise. – Victor Hugo

There is something more terrible than a hell of suffering–a hell of boredom. – Victor Hugo

he future has several names. For the weak, it is impossible; for the fainthearted, it is unknown; but for the valiant, it is ideal. – Victor Hugo

If you wish to understand what Revolution is, call it Progress; and if you wish to understand what Progress is, call it Tomorrow. – Victor Hugo

A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labor and there is an invisible labor. – Victor Hugo

A study can be made against invasion by an army; no stand can be made against invasion by an idea. – Victor Hugo

Emergencies have always been necessary to progress. It was darkness which produced the lamp. It was fog that produced the compass. It was hunger that drove us to exploration. And it took a depression to teach us the real value of a job. – Victor Hugo

Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake. – Victor Hugo

He who every morning plans the transaction of the day and follows out that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through the maze of the most busy life. But where no plan is laid, where the disposal of time is surrendered merely to the chance of incidence, chaos will soon reign. – Victor Hugo

Christianity leads poetry to the truth. Like it, the modern muse will see things in a higher and broader light. It will realize that everything in creation is not humanly beautiful, that the ugly exists beside the beautiful, the unshapely beside the graceful, the grotesque on the reverse of the sublime, evil with good, darkness with light. – Victor Hugo

A day will come when there will be no battlefields, but markets opening to commerce and minds opening to ideas. – Victor Hugo

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Italo Calvino Quotes About Books

Italo Calvino was an Italian journalist and writer of short stories and novels. Here are some of his best quotes about classic books.

“A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.”

“Every new book I read comes to be a part of that overall and unitary book that is the sum of my readings…if you need little to set the imagination going, I require even less: the promise of reading is enough.”

“You’re the sort of person who, on principle, no longer expects anything of anything. There are plenty, younger than you or less young, who live in the expectation of extraordinary experiences: from books, from people, from journeys, from events, from what tomorrow has in store. But not you. You know that the best you can expect is to avoid the worst.”

“Who are we, who is each one of us, if not a combinatoria of experiences, information, books we have read, things imagined?”

“It’s better not to know authors personally, because the real person never corresponds to the image you form of him from reading his books.”

“A classic is a book which with each rereading offers as much of a sense of discovery as the first reading.”

“Reading is going toward something that is about to be, and no one yet knows what it will be.”

For more of the classics, check out www.viewtale.com.

The best classic movie quotes

Perhaps you know some, perhaps you don’t, but here are some of the very best classic movie quotes you need to read now.

“I wish I knew how to quit you, Tumblr.” ~ John Green

“Don’t forget I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.” ~ Julia Roberts

“Don’t let’s ask for the moon. We have the stars.” ~ Casey Robinson

“Carpe diem. (Seize the day.)” ~ Horace

“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” ~ Clark Gable

“For the taxable investor, indexing means never having to say you’re sorry.” ~ William J. Bernstein

“Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me… aren’t you?” ~ Dustin Hoffman

“Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.” ~ Michael Douglas

“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room.” ~ Peter Sellers

“Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works.” ~ Oliver Stone

“Vasectomy means never having to say you’re sorry.” ~ Larry Adler

“A boy’s best friend is his mother.” ~ Joseph Stefano

“You can’t handle the truth!” ~ Jack Nicholson

“My momma always said, “Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”” ~ Winston Groom

For more of the classics, check out www.viewtale.com.

Powerful closing lines from literature

Classic literature fans will surely recognize some of these closing lines from these great books. How many do you know?

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”

Dracula by Bram Stoker

“Later on he will understand how some men so loved her, that they did dare much for her sake.”

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

“Max stepped into his private boat and waved goodbye and sailed back over a year and in and out of weeks and through a day and into the night of his very own room where he found his supper waiting for him—and it was still hot.”

The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

“I wrote at the start that this was a record of hate, and walking there beside Henry towards the evening glass of beer, I found the one prayer that seemed to serve the winter mood: O God, You’ve done enough, You’ve robbed me of enough, I’m too tired and old to learn to love, leave me alone forever.”

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

“But I don’t think us feel old at all. And us so happy. Matter of fact, I think this the youngest us ever felt.”

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

“Up out of the lampshade, startled by the overhead light, flew a large nocturnal butterfly that began circling the room. The strains of the piano and violin rose up weakly from below.”

Wild Swans by Jung Chang

“As I left China farther and farther behind, I looked out of the window and saw a great universe beyond the plane’s silver wing. I took one more glance over my past life, then turned to the future. I was eager to embrace the world.”

Origin of Species by Charles Darwin

“There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved.”

For more of the classics, check out www.viewtale.com.

Quotes from famous Christians that will inspire you

Here are some words from well-known Christian individuals faith leaders that will inspire you to show love with your actions.

“All of our humanity is dependent upon recognizing the humanity in others.” – Archbishop Desmond Tutu

“Love is the effort and desire to make someone else everything they were created to be.” – Tim Keller

“You may choose to look th either way, but you can never say again that you did not know.” – William Wilberforce

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa

“These days there is a lot of poverty in the world, and that’s a scandal when we have so many riches and resources to give to everyone. We all have to think about how we can become a little poorer.” – Pope Francis

“Nothing that you have not given away will be really yours.” – C.S. Lewis

“You see, caring for the poor and worshipping God are not mutually exclusive. In fact, I would argue they are one in the same.” – Tai Aderson

“We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself..” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“You can never leave footprints that last if you are always walking on tiptoe.” – Leymah Gbowee

“We cannot love God unless we love each other… we have all known the long loneliness.” – Dorothy Day

For more great classic reads, check out www.viewtale.com.

The Best Classic Films Ever

Looking for something to fill your days? Why not a movie marathon! Here are some of the best classic films ever that you should be watching now.

The Stranger (1946)

This 1940s film directed by Orson Welles is about a Nazi war criminal living under a fake name in Connecticut. When a war crimes commissioner comes to town, the criminal’s life is turned upside down.

The Graduate (1967)

After Ben Braddock graduates from college, he finds himself not only feeling lost, but in a love triangle with a girl and her older mother.

Dirty Harry (1971)

Clint Eastwood stars as Dirty Harry, a man who refuses to play the rules, and this is especially true when it comes to hunting down a madman in San Francisco.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

This goofy movie is about King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. This movie is a classic because there are so many jokes and many twists of adventure.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Harrison Ford stars as Indiana Jones in this classic first film of the franchise. In this adventure, Indy must get to the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis.

Tootsie (1982)

Dustin Hoffman plays Michael Dorsey, a man who transforms himself into a woman to earn himself the role of a soap opera star.

She’s Gotta Have It (1986)

In this Spike Lee film, the female lead tries to balance all three men in her life. While all of them are trying to have her commit, she’s just happy playing the field.

For more classic movies, reads and more, check out www.viewtale.com.

Classic Quotes About Love, Life, and Loving Friendships

Here are some great classic quotes that focus on all aspects of love, life and friendship that you can share with your friends and family.

“There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.”– Friedrich Nietzsche

The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.”– Victor Hugo

“Love yourself first, and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”– Lucille Ball

“The most desired gift of love is not diamonds or roses or chocolate. It is focused attention.”– Richard Warren

“The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard but must be felt with the heart.”– Helen Keller

“Love is, in fact, an intensification of life, a completeness, a fullness, a wholeness of life.”– Thomas Merton

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

​“Love is a friendship set to music.”– Joseph Campbell

​“In order to be happy oneself, it is necessary to make at least one other person happy.”– Theodor Reik

​“We always believe our first love is our last, and our last love our first.”– George W. Melville

“Everyone in life is gonna hurt you; you just have to figure out which people are worth the pain.” – Erica Baican

“Age does not protect you from love, but love, to some extent, love protects you from age.”– Jeanne Moreau

​“You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly.”– Sam Keen

​“The art of love is largely the art of persistence.”– Albert Ellis

“True love comes quietly, without banners or flashing lights. If you hear bells, get your ears checked.” – Erich Segal

​“Growing apart doesn’t change the fact that for a long time, we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled. I’m glad for that.” – Ally Condie

​“Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you; spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.” – Amy Poehler

​“Anybody can sympathize with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathize with a friend’s success.” – Oscar Wilde

“Make a friend when you don’t need one.” – Jamaican Proverb

​“A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.” – Jim Morrison

“No friendship is an accident.” – O. Henry

​“Friends are God’s way of taking care of us.” – Author unknown

​True friendship comes when the silence between two people is comfortable.” – David Tyson

​“A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.” – Arnold H. Glasgow

“The best mirror is an old friend.” – George Herbert

“Someone to tell it to is one of the fundamental needs of human beings.” – Miles Franklin

“Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness.” – Euripides

​“Friendship is the most constant, the most enduring the most basic part of love.” – Ed Cunningham

For more classic reads, check out www.viewtale.com.

Inspiring Lessons from the Pages of Classic Novels

Sure, the classics were written to entertain, but more often than not they were also written to teach, and within the pages of each classic novel lies lessons to be taken to heart. Here are three inspiring lessons from classic novels, and the quotes which brought them to light.

From The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas:

“It’s never too late to turn your life in a completely new direction, and there is huge importance in just one day.”

What beauty there is to be found in the idea of impermanence! You can change, your circumstances can change, life itself can change, and it’s never too late to turn things around.

From The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde:

“Let go of your past, but don’t pretend that it never happened.”

Keeping with the theme of change, becoming someone new doesn’t mean forgetting who you were. Your past is in the past, but it’s important to know your history.

From the A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket:

“Being lonely is OK, and not everyone has to like you. You can’t always rely on people.”

It’s a tough lesson to learn, but at one point or another everyone needs to learn self reliance, as there’s no guarantee to always find someone else who can help. This doesn’t mean we can’t rely on other people on occasion, it just means we all need to be able to take care of ourselves as well.

Looking to catch up on the classics? Visit our online library at www.viewtale.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, from your favorite devices.

Classic Books That Are Surprisingly Short

Reading the classics doesn’t have to be a daunting task, in fact many of the classics are so short that you could even read them in one sitting. If you’re looking to be well read but worried about the commitment, consider one of these three classics that are surprisingly short and definitely worth the read.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (180 pages) Often referred to as “The Great American Novel,” The Great Gatsby is one of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpieces, and at a mere 180 pages it’s a much smaller investment than most people think it to be. A cautionary tale of obsessive love and the demise it leads to, and so so much more.

The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (96 pages) By all accounts The Sorrows of Young Werther is a depressing tale that shouldn’t be read if you’re looking to be uplifted, but it’s a timeless classic that’s well were the mere 96 pages it’s printed on. When Werther becomes friends with a young girl he’s fallen in love with and her fiance, things get messy rather quickly.

War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells (160 pages) The classic tale of alien invasion that sparked panic on more than one occasion when broadcast on the radio. Want to know what all the fuss was about? It’ll only take you 160 pages to find out.

Looking to catch up with the classics? Visit our online library at www.viewtale.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more. Accessible anytime, anywhere, and available on all your favorite devices.