WIST Quotations

Ibsen, Henrik -- (Attributed)

Dave — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 23:33:35 +0000

Money may be the husk of many things but not the kernel. It brings you food, but not appetite; medicine, but not health; acquaintance, but not friends; servants, but not loyalty; days of joy, but not peace or happiness.

Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) Norwegian poet and playwright
(Attributed)

Widely cited to Ibsen, but I cannot find any actual citations for its origin. The furthest I was able to track back is a 1941 issue of Readers Digest.

Ibsen, Henrik -- A Doll’s House, Act 1 [Torvald Helmer] (1879)

Dave — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 13:12:56 +0000

Many a man can save himself if he admits he’s done wrong and takes his punishment.

Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) Norwegian poet and playwright
A Doll’s House, Act 1 [Torvald Helmer] (1879)

Ibsen, Henrik -- An Enemy of the People, “Billing,” Act 1 (1882)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.

Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) Norwegian poet and playwright
An Enemy of the People, “Billing,” Act 1 (1882)

Ibsen, Henrik -- Brand, “Manden,” Act 2 (1866)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one deed.

Ikke tusend ord
sig prenter, som én gernings spor.

Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) Norwegian poet and playwright
Brand, “Manden,” Act 2 (1866)

Alt. trans.: "A thousand words can't make the mark a single deed will leave."

Ibsen, Henrik -- Hedda Gabler, Act 2 [Hedda] (1890)

Dave — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:57:09 +0000

Oh courage … oh yes! If only one had that … Then life might be livable, in spite of everything.

Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) Norwegian poet and playwright
Hedda Gabler, Act 2 [Hedda] (1890)

Ibsen, Henrik -- The Master Builder, Act 3 [Hilda] (1892)

Dave — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:33:31 +0000

Castles in the air — they are so easy to take refuge in. And so easy to build, too.

Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) Norwegian poet and playwright
The Master Builder, Act 3 [Hilda] (1892)

Ibsen, Henrik -- The Pillars of Society, Act 3 [Bernick] (1877)

Dave — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:17:44 +0000

Look into any man’s heart you please, and you will always find, in every one, at least one black spot which he has to keep concealed.

Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) Norwegian poet and playwright
The Pillars of Society, Act 3 [Bernick] (1877)

Ibsen, Henrik -- Letter to Georg Brandes (3 Jan 1882)

Dave — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:42:08 +0000

I hold that man is in the right who is most closely in league with the future.

Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) Norwegian poet and playwright
Letter to Georg Brandes (3 Jan 1882)

Ibsen, Henrik -- Letter to Ludwig Passarge (16 Jun 1890)

Dave — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 13:54:09 +0000

To live is to war with trolls in heart and soul.

Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) Norwegian poet and playwright
Letter to Ludwig Passarge (16 Jun 1890)

Discussing Peter Gynt, which Passarge was translating. Often paraphrased "To live is to war against the trolls."