There are a lot of quotes from Dumbledore that demonstrate his immense wisdom and ability to love. It’s hard to choose favorites, but I did it anyway, choosing things he’s said that really spoke to me. Here are 12 particularly inspiring quotes from Dumbledore.
1. “Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!”
This first quote from Dumbledore is silly, sure, but it’s also very astute. He recognizes that words don’t matter; only actions do. As long as you do what is expected of you, you can be as ridiculous as you want.
2. “The consequences of our actions are always so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business indeed.”
Dumbledore would probably agree that planning too far ahead in too much detail is a fruitless endeavor. Our lives are full of surprises, and we’ll never predict all the obstacles and opportunities that come our way.
3. “Clever as I am, I remain just as big a fool as anyone else.”
It’s hard to think of Dumbledore as foolish, but he understands that sometimes the cleverest people among us can also be the most dim when it comes to certain matters. After all, Dumbledore was entranced by the Resurrection Stone that led to his demise, even though he knew better than to meddle with it.
4. “It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow up to be.”
One of my favorite quotes from Dumbledore. He knows that birthright is in many ways a myth. What you become is all that matters in the end.
5. “Happiness can be found, even the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light.”
This is one of the quotes from Dumbledore that has been expressed by other characters and other authors, but not quite the way he said it. Even if it’s hard to find in the dark, there’s always a light switch somewhere. All you have to do is find it and have the willingness to flip it on.
6. “The truth is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution.”
The truth is important, but it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Quotes from Dumbledore like this show his wisdom. Here he understands that the lies and the truth are not black and white.
7. “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”
When Harry Potter was obsessed with the Erised mirror, Dumbledore was wise enough to find him and inform him that you can’t let fantasies get in the way of real life.
8. “Mysterious thing, Time. Powerful, and when meddled with, dangerous.”
Whether you’re time traveling with the Time-Turner or just growing older, time is a very fantastical concept. No one completely understands it, but Dumbledore knows that doing anything to mess with it is dangerous. That includes going backwards in time or trying to rush through life without taking the time to smell the roses.
9. “Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living and above all, those who live without love.”
Death is sad, but a lack of love in your life is the biggest tragedy of all. Quotes from Dumbledore like this remind us of what really matters in the world.
10. “Dark times are ahead and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right.”
The easy path is almost never the right one. Dumbledore knows you should never skate by when you can soar.
11. “Maybe a man in a million could unite the Hallows, Harry. I was fit only to possess the meanest of them, the least extraordinary. I was fit to own the Elder Wand, and not to boast of it, and not to kill with it. I was permitted to tame and to use it, because I took it, not for gain, but to save others from it.”
Quotes from Dumbledore such as this illustrate how his immense compassion enabled him to keep control of the Elder Wand. It perfectly demonstrates that people in power, whether that power be political, social, or something else, should be compassionate.
12. “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on Earth should it mean it is not real?”
Things are exactly as real as we let them be. One of the last quotes from Dumbledore is also one of the most memorable, as he reminds us of the staggering power of belief.
