There are many inspiring words that came from famous people of history or characters in a film, and many statements that we often quote to this day. We are familiar with statements like, "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger" from Friedrich Nietzsche, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" from Franklin D. Roosevelt, and "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get" from Forrest Gump.
On Quora, somebody posed a question regarding the most badass things that historical figures have said. Some of my favorites include this roast by J.R.R. Tolkien when his book The Hobbit became popular and a German publisher, Rütten & Loening, contacted him in 1938 inquiring about his ancestry.
There's also this quote from the legendary Marine Chesty Puller who, during the Korean war, made this famous quote which was a great way to motivate his troops when they were facing insurmountable odds.
And this anecdote about St. Thomas Aquinas who had been ridiculed by his peers, and was called "The Dumb Ox" because he was quiet, reserved, and a bit large and slow. His response comes, I think, from the purest of intentions, not wanting to think ill of other people, but it actually sounds like the best comeback.
(Image credit: Leila Thomas, Cella Poynter, Jay Matthews/Quora)