J. M. Barrie quotes

J. M. Barrie was a Scottish author and playwright, best remembered for creating the beloved character Peter Pan. His imaginative stories have enchanted readers and audiences around the world for generations. He inspired countless adaptations and remains an enduring figure in children's literature. Here are 85 of his quotes:

Never ascribe to an opponent motives meaner than your own. (J. M. Barrie)
Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. View quote
J. M. Barrie
His lordship may compel us to be equal upstairs, but there will never be equality in the servants' hall. View quote
J. M. Barrie
The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another; and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it. View quote
J. M. Barrie
God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December. View quote
J. M. Barrie
We never understand how little we need in this world until we know the loss of it. View quote
J. M. Barrie
Always be a little kinder than necessary. View quote
J. M. Barrie
I'm not young enough to know everything. View quote
J. M. Barrie
There are few more impressive sights in the world than a Scotsman on the make. View quote
J. M. Barrie
To die will be an awfully big adventure. View quote
J. M. Barrie
If you have love you don't need to have anything else. If you don't have it it doesn't matter much what else you do have. (J. M. Barrie)
Second to the right and then straight on till morning. View quote
J. M. Barrie
Do you believe in fairies?...If you believe, clap your hands! View quote
J. M. Barrie
Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight: always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary? View quote
J. M. Barrie
Why can't you fly now, mother?" "Because I am grown up, dearest. When people grow up they forget the way." "Why do they forget the way?" "Because they are no longer gay and innocent and heartless. It is only the gay and innocent and heartless who can fly. View quote
J. M. Barrie
The best of our fiction is by novelists who allow that it is as good as they can give, and the worst by novelists who maintain that they could do much better if only the public would let them. View quote
J. M. Barrie
When a new baby laughs for the first time a new fairy is born, and as there are always new babies there are always new fairies. They live in nests on the tops of trees; and the mauve ones are boys and the white ones are girls, and the blue ones are just little sillies who are not sure what they are. View quote
J. M. Barrie
For several days after my first book was published, I carried it about in my pocket and took surreptitious peeps at it to make sure the ink had not faded. View quote
J. M. Barrie
Life is a long lesson in humility. View quote
J. M. Barrie
One's religion is whatever he is most interested in, and yours is Success. View quote
J. M. Barrie
Oh, it's - it's a sort of bloom on a woman. If you have it, you don't need to have anything else; and if you don't have it, it doesn't much matter what else you have. Some women, the few, have charm for all; and most have charm for one. But some have charm for none. (J. M. Barrie)
I'm youth, I'm joy, I'm a little bird that has broken out of the egg. View quote
J. M. Barrie
It is frightfully difficult to know much about the fairies, and almost the only thing for certain is that there are fairies wherever there are children. View quote
J. M. Barrie
When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies. View quote
J. M. Barrie
Do you know," Peter asked, "why swallows build in the eaves of houses? It is to listen to the stories. View quote
J. M. Barrie