Some people look to religion. Others, great works of classical art. For most of us though, life lessons are to be found in the movies (or even its unruly, younger sibling: Television), where guiding wisdom is dispensed by sages as undoubtable as Yoda, Don Corleone or Hannibal Lector.
To help you live a regret-free life, here are 20 of our favourite aphoristic nuggets from cinema history. Follow them closely, and guarantee your own happy ending.
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1| ”Your title gives you claim to the throne of our country. But men don’t follow titles. They follow courage.” – William Wallace, Braveheart
2| “It’s not who I am underneath – it’s what I do that defines me.” – Bruce Wayne, Batman Begins
3| “There should be no boundaries to human endeavour. We are all different. However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. While there’s life, there is hope.” – Stephen Hawking (character), The Theory of Everything
4| “All that is gold, does not glitter. Not all those who wander are lost.” – Bilbo Baggins, The Fellowship of the ring
5| ”A friend should always underestimate your virtues and an enemy overestimate your faults.” – Don Vito Corleone, The Godfather
6| “Some people can’t believe in themselves until someone else believes in them first.” – Sean Maguire, Good Will Hunting
7| “A bruise is a lesson… and each lesson makes us better.” – Arya Stark, Game of Thrones
8| “The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem.” – Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean
9| ”Think to yourself that every day is your last. The hour to which you do not look forward will come as a welcome surprise.” – Hannibal Lecter, Red Dragon
10| “It ain’t about how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.” – Rocky Balboa, Rocky Balboa
11| “You’re mad, bonkers, off your head! But I’ll tell you a secret: all the best people are.” – Alice Kingleigh, Alice in Wonderland
12| “A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone if it is to keep its edge.” – Tyrion Lannister, Game of Thrones
13| “Deeds will not be less valiant because they are unpraised.” – Aragorn, Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
14| “Get busy living or get busy dying.” – Andy Dufresne, from the Shawshank Redemption
15| “Generosity is its own form of power.” – Frank Underwood, House of Cards
16| “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
17| ”With enough courage, you can do without a reputation.” – Rhett Butler, Gone With The Wind
18| “Do, or do not. There is no “try”. – Yoda, Star Wars
19| “Don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something. It’s your dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.” – Chris Gardner, Pursuit of Happyness
20| “I know what I have to do now, I’ve got to keep breathing because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?” – Chuck Noland, Cast Away
21| ”If you are good at something, don’t do it for free.” – The Joker, The Dark Knight