Jules Verne

Science fiction pioneer

Modern influential 87 sayings

Sayings by Jules Verne

The sea is only the embodiment of a supernatural and wonderful existence. It is nothing but love and emotion; it is the 'living infinite'.

1870 — From 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas' (1870), expressing his awe of the ocean.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

'There is no impossibility,' said the Professor, 'for him who wills.'

1864 — From 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' (1864), reflecting the spirit of exploration and determina…
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The earth does not want new continents, but new men.

Uncertain, late 19th Century — A reflection on human progress and the need for new ideas, rather than just physical exploration.
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

We are of the opinion that it is not well to make too much noise in the world.

1865 — From 'From the Earth to the Moon' (1865), a subtle irony concerning their ambitious project.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Science, my lad, is composed of errors, but errors that it is good to commit, for they lead little by little to the truth.

1864 — From 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' (1864), an endorsement of the scientific method.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The human mind is never satisfied, never at rest.

Uncertain — A driving force behind his characters' endless pursuit of knowledge and adventure.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The ocean is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides.

1870 — From 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas' (1870), a poetic description of the sea.
Strange & Unusual Confirmed

An English philosopher, named Locke, has stated that 'the human mind is a blank sheet of paper, whereon experience writes its lessons.'

1864 — From 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' (1864), quoting John Locke to support a point about learni…
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

I believe that water will one day be employed as fuel, that hydrogen and oxygen, which constitute it, used singly or together, will furnish an inexhaustible source of heat and light, of an intensity of which coal is not capable.

1875 — From 'The Mysterious Island' (1875), a remarkable prediction about hydrogen fuel.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The great ocean has a voice of its own.

Uncertain — A poetic personification of the sea, often found in his nautical tales.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

It is a great misfortune to be too much alone, and, above all, to be without some one to whom one can talk with perfect freedom.

1875 — From 'The Mysterious Island' (1875), highlighting the human need for companionship.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The future is in the air.

Uncertain, late 19th Century — A metaphorical statement about the coming age of aviation and new possibilities.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

On the ocean, in the deep ocean, there is no sound.

1870 — From 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas' (1870), emphasizing the profound silence of the deep.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

Man is never so great as when he is on his knees before God.

1864 — From 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' (1864), reflecting a religious sentiment sometimes present…
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

All that is human must retrograde, or else advance.

Uncertain — A statement on the necessity of progress and the impossibility of stagnation.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The imagination is a powerful engine.

Uncertain — A core belief of a writer known for his imaginative tales.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The sea is nothing but a huge aquarium.

1870 — From 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas' (1870), a simple yet profound way to describe the ocea…
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

We are like the two poles of a magnet, we attract each other.

1864 — From 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' (1864), describing a relationship dynamic.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

The sea is a friend to those who know it.

1870 — From 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas' (1870), emphasizing respect for nature.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable

It is a great joy to be alive and to see the world.

Uncertain — A simple expression of appreciation for life and discovery.
Strange & Unusual Unverifiable