Obvious Sayings and Quotes

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old obvious quotes, obvious sayings, and obvious proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.

Every high civilization decays by forgetting obvious things. Gilbert K. Chesterton
The true test of a brilliant theory [is] what first is thought to be wrong is later shown to be obvious. Assar Lindbeck
No question is so difficult to answer as that which the answer is obvious. George Bernard Shaw
It's obvious what's timeless and what is not timeless, but you need time to find that answer. Patricia Field
The obvious can sometimes be illuminating when perceived in an unhabitual way. Daniel Quinn
It is bad to want something that not even God could attain, especially when the impossibility becomes obvious. Ernest Sosa
Jealousy is the most obvious sign of impotency. Helen Nielsen
It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. Albert Einstein
Readers are made by readers - it is so obvious it is almost banal to say it. Aidan Chambers
It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for subtlety. Isaac Asimov
There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact. Arthur Conan Doyle
It's obvious that humanity continues to be torn by religious violence. Thomas Keating
A man of such obvious and exemplary charm must be a liar. Anita Brookner
Experts always tend to obscure the obvious. D. V. Ager
All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling. To be natural is to be obvious, and to be obvious is to be inartistic. Oscar Wilde
The obvious is better than obvious avoidance of it. Henry Watson Fowler
It may not seem obvious at first glance, but the way we make decisions in life tells a lot about the kind of faith we have in Jesus Christ. Jim Cymbala
When somebody says that all statements are false, the obvious problem is that as an assertion it's self-defeating. Henry Flynt
Forgive me for stating the obvious, but the world is made up of all kinds of people. Haruki Murakami
It is obvious that the best qualities in man must atrophy in a standing-room-only environment. Stewart Udall
There is perhaps no more obvious vanity than to write of it so vainly. Michel de Montaigne
Everything, in retrospect, is obvious. But if everything were obvious, authors of histories of financial folly would be rich. Michael Lewis
Some of the best opportunities in the world are the most obvious ones. Thomas G. Stemberg
All that is obvious detracts completely from all that is not. Emma Restall Orr
Obvious to you is amazing to others. Derek Sivers
People tell me this is obvious. But it's ok to be obvious. Knowing and doing are different. Many people know many obvious things they completely fail to do, despite their knowledge. Scott Berkun
The hardest lessons to learn are those that are the most obvious. Theodore Roosevelt
If something doesn't work, it becomes obvious immediately. This just isn't going to work. Jerry Garcia
Let us beware of common folk, common sense, sentiment, inspiration, and the obvious. Charles Baudelaire
History is not life, but since only life makes history, the union of the two is obvious. Louis D. Brandeis