“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”

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Meaning

This reads as a call to move from insight to action. It can be taken to mean that intention and understanding only matter when they become concrete effort, which lands in moments when someone has the plan but not yet the habit of carrying it out.

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Original Language & Translation

Originally said in English.

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About Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

German polymath

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German polymath, and one of the central figures of German literature. He is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. Goethe worked as a poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His writing ranged from plays, poetry, and aesthetic criticism to treatises on botany, anatomy, and colour, and his influence extended across literature, politics, Christian thought, and philosophy in the Western world from the late 18th century onward.

More from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (304 quotes) →

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Books by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Die Wahlverwandtschaften. Ein Roman

1999

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Italienische Reise

2007

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The Metamorphosis of Plants

2009

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