How can we repay J.K Rowling for the magic and wonder of the Hogwarts world? Who else can we turn to for savvy tweets that shut things down like a boss? Where else can we turn for sage words of wisdom? Whether it's a tweet, a book passage, or a quote directly from Rowling's mouth, the British writer is full of thoughtful, inspiring messages. We've selected some favorite quotes to live by. It's like having your own personal Dumbledore, only with a sharper wit ...
“Some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all — in which case, you fail by default."
“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
“Whatever money you might have, self-worth really lies in finding out what you do best.”
"I actually chose my accountant because he said to me, 'You have to make a fundamental decision. You have to choose whether you organise your money around your life or your life around your money.'"
"Are you the sort of person who gloats when they see a woman fall, or the kind that celebrates a magnificent recovery?"
"You've got to work. It's about structure. It's about discipline. It's all these deadly things that your schoolteacher told you you needed... You need it."
"We do not need magic to change the world. We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: We have the power to imagine better.”
"I’ve got two daughters who will have to make their way in this skinny-obsessed world, and it worries me, because I don’t want them to be empty-headed, self-obsessed, emaciated clones; I’d rather they were independent, interesting, idealistic, kind, opinionated, original, funny — a thousand things before ‘thin.' And frankly, I’d rather they didn’t give a gust of stinking chihuahua flatulence whether the woman standing next to them has fleshier knees than they do. Let my girls be Hermiones, rather than Pansy Parkinsons."
"Life is often painful, but always valuable. Sometimes we need to change the way we're looking at it, or ask for help."
"If you've had the kind of success that you never expected, you can think, Oh, no, how dreadful, I'll never, ever top that, or you can say, 'How incredibly marvellous and liberating that I made money beyond my wildest dreams and that I can affect issues I really care about.'"
“Some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all — in which case, you fail by default."
The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination," 2008 Harvard University commencement address .
“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
“Whatever money you might have, self-worth really lies in finding out what you do best.”
2005 The Leaky Cauldron/Mugglenet.com interview
"I actually chose my accountant because he said to me, 'You have to make a fundamental decision. You have to choose whether you organise your money around your life or your life around your money.'"
2012 interview with The Guardian
"Are you the sort of person who gloats when they see a woman fall, or the kind that celebrates a magnificent recovery?"
2015 tweet
"You've got to work. It's about structure. It's about discipline. It's all these deadly things that your schoolteacher told you you needed... You need it."
2012 appearance on Charlie Rose
"We do not need magic to change the world. We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: We have the power to imagine better.”
“The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination," 2008 Harvard University commencement address
"I’ve got two daughters who will have to make their way in this skinny-obsessed world, and it worries me, because I don’t want them to be empty-headed, self-obsessed, emaciated clones; I’d rather they were independent, interesting, idealistic, kind, opinionated, original, funny — a thousand things before ‘thin.' And frankly, I’d rather they didn’t give a gust of stinking chihuahua flatulence whether the woman standing next to them has fleshier knees than they do. Let my girls be Hermiones, rather than Pansy Parkinsons."
2006 Pottermore.com post
"Life is often painful, but always valuable. Sometimes we need to change the way we're looking at it, or ask for help."
2015 tweet
"If you've had the kind of success that you never expected, you can think, Oh, no, how dreadful, I'll never, ever top that, or you can say, 'How incredibly marvellous and liberating that I made money beyond my wildest dreams and that I can affect issues I really care about.'"
2013 Sky News interview
