Wise Words from Wise People (Feb 2026 Edition)

I’ve collected quotes for many years. My database now contains thousands of them, and every month I add the best ones I find in books, articles, newsletters, TED talks, YouTube videos, podcasts, etc.

Here are the best quotes I found this month:

“It’s better to create something that others criticize than to create nothing and criticize others.” -Ricky Gervais

“There are those who see what should be, and complain that they do not get their due. And then there are those who see what is, and figure out how to use it to their advantage. Or at the least, overcome it.” -James Islington (The Will of the Many)

“Investing is the art of figuring out how and why other people make decisions.” -Morgan Housel

“Everyone must choose one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.” -Jim Rohn

“Evil usually enters the world unrecognized by the people who open the door and let it in. Most people who perpetrate evil do not see what they are doing as evil. Evil exists primarily in the eye of the beholder, especially in the eye of the victim.” -Roy Baumeister

“Life is like a ten speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.” -Charles Schulz

“Definitions belong to the definers, not the defined.” -Toni Morrison

“There is always constant pressure to conform. But originality only happens on the edges of reality. And working on that line is always dangerous because it’s only a short step to disconnected insanity. So resist temptations and advice to play in the middle. The best work always comes from pushing the edge.” -Darren Aronofsky

“Good things happen when you show up as yourself.” -Unknown

“There can be no love without honesty.” -James Islington (The Will of the Many)

“You should be glad you’re nervous...Nervousness means there’s a fear to be faced ahead...The man who is never nervous, never does anything hard. The man who is never nervous, never grows.” -James Islington (The Will of the Many)

“You only know someone well if you can correctly predict how they will react in stressful situations.” -Morgan Housel

“If you’re following your calling, the fatigue will be easier to bear, the disappointments will be fuel, the highs will be like nothing you’ve ever felt.” -Phil Knight

“All your life, you will be faced with a choice. You can choose love or hate…I choose love.” -Johnny Cash

“You can’t ever reach perfection, but you can believe in an asymptote toward which you are ceaselessly striving.” -Paul Kalanithi

“The better you get at what you do, the more people pay attention and the more you can charge...The reward for going from the top 10% to the top 1% isn’t 10x. It’s more like 1000x.” -Kieran Drew

“Presence is being well-known for the right reasons. Think of it as reach multiplied by reputation.” -Kieran Drew

“Never be afraid to sit awhile and think.” -Lorraine Hansberry

“Little things done well is probably the greatest secret to success. If you do enough small things right, big things can happen.” -John Wooden

“Trust (people) and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

“High achievers tend to have major weaknesses. People without major weaknesses tend to be mediocre.” -Guy Kawasaki