Orson Welles, born on May 6, 1915, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA, and passing away on October 10, 1985, was a visionary filmmaker, actor, and writer whose work has left a profound impact on the world of cinema. Famous for his groundbreaking film “Citizen Kane” and his innovative techniques in filmmaking, Welles was a master of storytelling and dramatic presentation. His profound and often witty quotes reflect a deep understanding of human nature, society, and the arts. In this feature, we delve into 100 of Welles’ best quotes, organized into themes that span his views on personal growth, interpersonal relationships, and societal issues, showcasing his enduring wisdom and relevance.
Orson Welles Quotes on Personal Virtues and Growth
Orson Welles was not only a creative genius in the arts but also a philosopher at heart. His observations on personal virtues and growth provide insights into his character and intellectual depth, offering guidance on personal development and societal contribution.
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Character
“Create your own visual style… let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others.”
“The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.”
“Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.”
“To be free is to have achieved your life.”
“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Education
“The notion of directing a film is the invention of critics – the whole eloquence of cinema is achieved in the editing room.”
“I don’t pray because I don’t want to bore God.”
“My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people.”
“We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.”
“I hate television. I hate it as much as peanuts. But I can’t stop eating peanuts.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Knowledge
“There are only two emotions in a plane: boredom and terror.”
“Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.”
“A film is never really good unless the camera is an eye in the head of a poet.”
“The truth is in the structure. It’s in the structure that everything is really decided.”
“I don’t think anybody ever needed to learn to be greedy.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Intelligence
“The director is simply the audience. His job is to preside over accidents.”
“If you want a happy ending, it depends on where you stop the story.”
“I think an artist has always to be out of step with his time.”
“Man is a rational animal who always loses his temper when called upon to act according with the dictates of reason.”
“The best director is the one who appreciates the real potential of his actors.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Wisdom
“If you try to probe, I’ll lie to you. Seventy-five percent of what I say in interviews is false. I do it to confuse people.”
“The only way to be truly misogynistic is to be a woman.”
“Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.”
“Race hate isn’t human nature; race hate is the abandonment of human nature.”
“Popularity should be no scale for the election of politicians. If it would depend on popularity, Donald Duck and The Muppets would take seats in senate.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Virtue
“Nobody gets justice. People only get good luck or bad.”
“Ecstasy is not really part of the scene we can do on celluloid.”
“I don’t say we all ought to misbehave, but we ought to look as if we could.”
“Obedience to the law is demanded as a right; not asked as a favor.”
“You’re only as good as the best thing you’ve ever done.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Ethics
“I don’t think you should feel about a film. You should feel about a woman, not a movie. You can’t kiss a movie.”
“There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written. That is all.”
“A good artist should be isolated. If he isn’t isolated, something is wrong.”
“The greatest things in life need the most despair, like love and artistic creation. You might not need misery for joy, but you do for beauty.”
“I started at the top and worked my way down.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Morality
“Morality is the attitude we adopt towards people whom we personally dislike.”
“You must try harder to be good than anyone else, because you are held to a higher standard.”
“The important thing is not what they think of me, but what I think of them.”
“A writer needs a pen, an artist needs a brush, but a filmmaker needs an army.”
“The whole edifice of modern physics is built upon the fundamental assumption of moral certitude.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Courage
“A good artist should be isolated. If he isn’t isolated, something is wrong.”
“Fake is as old as the Eden tree.”
“I feel I have to protect myself against things. So I’m pretty careful to lose most of them.”
“We are born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.”
“Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Hard Work
“The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.”
“I think an artist has always to be out of step with his time.”
“You’re only as good as the best thing you’ve ever done.”
“Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.”
“The only way to be truly misogynistic is to be a woman.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Excellence
“The absence of limitations is the enemy of art.”
“They teach anything in universities today. You can major in mud pies.”
“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.”
“A man is not from where he is born, but where he chooses to die.”
“I don’t pray because I don’t want to bore God.”
Orson Welles Quotes on Interpersonal Relations and Inner Life
Orson Welles was as much a student of human emotion and relationships as he was a master of film. His observations on interpersonal relations and inner life reflect a deep understanding of the nuances of human connection and personal introspection.
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Love
“We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.”
“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.”
“Nobody who takes on anything big and tough can afford to be modest.”
“I don’t say we all ought to misbehave, but we ought to look as if we could.”
“There are only two emotions in a plane: boredom and terror. The same might be said of love.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Happiness
“Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.”
“I hate television. I hate it as much as peanuts. But I can’t stop eating peanuts.”
“My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people.”
“A happy ending depends on where you stop your story.”
“The best thing commercially, which is the worst artistically, by and large, is the most successful.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Soul
“Create your own visual style… let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others.”
“The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.”
“Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.”
“To be free is to have achieved your life.”
“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Empathy
“The truth is in the structure. It’s in the structure that everything is really decided.”
“Popularity should be no scale for the election of politicians. If it would depend on popularity, Donald Duck and The Muppets would take seats in senate.”
“Race hate isn’t human nature; race hate is the abandonment of human nature.”
“Fake is as old as the Eden tree.”
“Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Trust
“The director is simply the audience. His job is to preside over accidents.”
“Man is a rational animal who always loses his temper when called upon to act according with the dictates of reason.”
“A good artist should be isolated. If he isn’t isolated, something is wrong.”
“The only way to be truly misogynistic is to be a woman.”
“You’re only as good as the best thing you’ve ever done.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Friendship
“We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.”
“If you want a happy ending, it depends on where you stop the story.”
“Fake is as old as the Eden tree.”
“You’re only as good as the best thing you’ve ever done.”
“Do not confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress.”
Orson Welles Quotes on Societal Values and Governance
Orson Welles often explored themes of power, society, and governance both in his films and his personal reflections. His views on these subjects are especially relevant in discussions about the role of individuals and institutions in shaping our world.
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Society
“The greatest things in life need the most despair, like love and artistic creation. You might not need misery for joy, but you do for beauty.”
“Popularity should be no scale for the election of politicians. If it would depend on popularity, Donald Duck and The Muppets would take seats in senate.”
“Race hate isn’t human nature; race hate is the abandonment of human nature.”
“Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.”
“I don’t think you should feel about a film. You should feel about a woman, not a movie. You can’t kiss a movie.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Justice
“Nobody gets justice. People only get good luck or bad.”
“Obedience to the law is demanded as a right; not asked as a favor.”
“A writer needs a pen, an artist needs a brush, but a filmmaker needs an army.”
“The whole edifice of modern physics is built upon the fundamental assumption of moral certitude.”
“Morality is the attitude we adopt towards people whom we personally dislike.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Democracy
“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.”
“Popularity should be no scale for the election of politicians. If it would depend on popularity, Donald Duck and The Muppets would take seats in senate.”
“Fake is as old as the Eden tree.”
“We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.”
“The director is simply the audience. His job is to preside over accidents.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Constitution
“The only way to be truly misogynistic is to be a woman.”
“I don’t think you should feel about a film. You should feel about a woman, not a movie. You can’t kiss a movie.”
“A good artist should be isolated. If he isn’t isolated, something is wrong.”
“Nobody gets justice. People only get good luck or bad.”
“Man is a rational animal who always loses his temper when called upon to act according with the dictates of reason.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Leadership
“The best director is the one who appreciates the real potential of his actors.”
“I think an artist has always to be out of step with his time.”
“Create your own visual style… let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others.”
“Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.”
“You’re only as good as the best thing you’ve ever done.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Politics
“They teach anything in universities today. You can major in mud pies.”
“Popularity should be no scale for the election of politicians. If it would depend on popularity, Donald Duck and The Muppets would take seats in senate.”
“The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.”
“I don’t pray because I don’t want to bore God.”
“Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Government
“A man is not from where he is born, but where he chooses to die.”
“The notion of directing a film is the invention of critics – the whole eloquence of cinema is achieved in the editing room.”
“You must try harder to be good than anyone else, because you are held to a higher standard.”
“Man is a rational animal who always loses his temper when called upon to act according with the dictates of reason.”
“I don’t say we all ought to misbehave, but we ought to look as if we could.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Law
“Morality is the attitude we adopt towards people whom we personally dislike.”
“Nobody gets justice. People only get good luck or bad.”
“Obedience to the law is demanded as a right; not asked as a favor.”
“The whole edifice of modern physics is built upon the fundamental assumption of moral certitude.”
“A writer needs a pen, an artist needs a brush, but a filmmaker needs an army.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Power
“The greatest things in life need the most despair, like love and artistic creation. You might not need misery for joy, but you do for beauty.”
“Fake is as old as the Eden tree.”
“Race hate isn’t human nature; race hate is the abandonment of human nature.”
“A good artist should be isolated. If he isn’t isolated, something is wrong.”
“The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Community
“The director is simply the audience. His job is to preside over accidents.”
“Create your own visual style… let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others.”
“Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.”
“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.”
“Popularity should be no scale for the election of politicians. If it would depend on popularity, Donald Duck and The Muppets would take seats in senate.”
5 Best Orson Welles Quotes on Cultural Awareness
“Man is a rational animal who always loses his temper when called upon to act according with the dictates of reason.”
“The only way to be truly misogynistic is to be a woman.”
“Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.”
“A good artist should be isolated. If he isn’t isolated, something is wrong.”
“They teach anything in universities today. You can major in mud pies.”
Final Words on Orson Welles Quotes
Orson Welles was not only a revolutionary filmmaker but also a profound thinker whose quotes encapsulate a rich tapestry of insights spanning personal virtue, societal norms, and the complexities of human relationships. His contributions to cinema and culture are immeasurable, but his words offer a glimpse into a mind deeply concerned with the ethics of creativity, the burdens of leadership, and the nature of truth and justice.
Welles’ quotes reveal a philosophical undertone that questions and critiques the status quo, encouraging us to reflect on our own perceptions and the roles we play within society. His wit and wisdom challenge us to strive for excellence not just in our professional endeavors but in our ethical and personal development as well.
As we consider the breadth of his work and words, we see a figure who understood the power of narrative not only to entertain but to provoke thought, to challenge, and to inspire. In an era where the integrity of storytelling and the arts are crucial in shaping societal values, Welles’ reflections on these themes remain as relevant today as they were in his time.
Orson Welles once said,
“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.”
This quote poignantly encapsulates the essence of his perspective on life and art: the notion that our understanding and outcomes are shaped by where we choose to conclude our narratives. In revisiting Welles’ quotes, we’re reminded of the ongoing narrative of human endeavor, the continuous push against limitations, and the perpetual challenge to define our values and refine our spirits.
His legacy, as explored through these 100 quotes, serves not just as a reflection of a man well ahead of his time but as a continuing dialogue with the present, urging us to question, to create, and to live with intention. As we move forward, let us take with us the lessons of Orson Welles — to embrace complexity, to look critically at the world around us, and to appreciate the profound impact that thoughtful, creative expression can have on society.
