George Bernard Shaw Has The Best Quotes Of All-Time: Here Are 7 Of The Most Insightful

How one playwright’s words cut through the noise to reveal what really matters.

You may not know who George Bernard Shaw was but it’s likely you’ve heard one of his quotes.

They range from the inspirational, to the thought provoking, to the cutting (about society and religion), to the humorous.

For the sake of the Freedom & Greatness audience, I’m going to focus on the ones that reveal truths about life while motivating us to do better.

George Bernard Shaw was an idealist. Not in the sense that he believed in a utopia or that people were inherently good, but in the sense that we should try to better ourselves, get the most out of life and work towards making our dreams come true.

This is why I love his work. He recognises that society, and the systems we live by, are ripe for change and holding us back yet this never imbitters him.

Instead, through his words, he offers you a way of understanding this complex world, your place within it and a refreshing approach to being successful.

Let’s dive in.

On Self-Determination

“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”

Most people get this the wrong way around and spend years and thousands of dollars travelling in search of some moment or experience that will reveal all.

GBS says there’s no need. Instead, get an inspiring vision of who you want to be and dedicate your life to living up to this ideal.

On Being Different

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

My favourite quote of all-time. I think I’ve used it in almost all of my books.

We’re often taught that keeping our heads down and following the status quo is the way to navigate life.

This is ok if you want a secure, comfortable existence but if you want to have an impact or do something extraordinary, then it actually pays to ask questions and challenge commonly held assumptions.

On Difficult Circumstances

“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them.”

For a while, society has celebrated victimhood and excused bad behaviour on the grounds of a difficult environment. However, when looking in the mirror and feeling stuck, ask yourself this question.

Would you rather keep your excuses and the comfort they provide or would you rather win?

If it’s the latter then you’ll need to believe that what you have inside you is more powerful than the environment around you.

On Intention

“A Native American elder once described his own inner struggles in this manner: Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean and evil. The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog all the time. When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied, The one I feed the most.”

Being good (and being successful for that matter) is a question of daily effort.

Don’t think it’ll occur naturally.

You have to focus on what you want and who you want to be.

On Choosing Greatness

“This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”

Even if your past has provided scant evidence of your greatness, realise that you have untapped gifts and talents.

Don’t allow these to fizzle out either through a lack of belief in their existence or playing small. Instead, foster a crazy determination to make the most of yourself and your chosen work.

On Staying Young

“We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

GBS lived to be 94 years old.

He knew something about longevity. The secret is revealed in his quote.

Ageing, to some degree, is a choice. Ignore the people who tell you to act your age or, that, once you’re over 50 (or some other arbitrarily chosen number) you can no longer dream or have fun.

On The Power Of Thought

“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.”

Don’t overlook the importance of your inner world. Society does, with its obsessional focus on the material, but within you are the building blocks of an amazing future.

Final Thought

GBS didn’t just write clever lines — he handed us a blueprint for living with purpose, courage, and imagination. The world might reward conformity, but greatness begins the moment you choose to think for yourself.