The Quotes of Duke Ellington

Born: 3/29/1899 12:00:00 AM Died: 5/24/1974 12:00:00 AM

A problem is a chance for you to do your best.

There are two kinds of worries - those you can do something about and those you can't. Don't spend any time on the latter.

On becoming more acquainted with the word of the Bible, I began to understand so much more of what I had been taught, and of what I had learned about life and about the people in mine.

Critics have their purposes, and they're supposed to do what they do, but sometimes they get a little carried away with what they think someone should have done, rather than concerning themselves with what they did.

Fate is being kind to me. Fate doesn't want me to be too famous too young.

Love is supreme and unconditional; like is nice but limited.

Art is dangerous. It is one of the attractions: when it ceases to be dangerous you don't want it.

Freemasonry, as a tradition, is built on the spoken word. It is a mystic tradition that has been passed down from lip to hear across the centuries. It acknowledges the power of language to transform the mind of the individual and even the course of history itself. Throughout history, great changes in civilizations and the rise and fall of empires have depended on a few words, spoken into the right ear at the right time. Freemasonry places great importance on remembering the thoughts of our ancestors. It is from these thoughts that we can learn how to navigate the maze of life and avoid the pitfalls that have entrapped the unfortunate. The Masons below have all contributed to the wisdom of the world and we have selected a small portion of their knowledge to be shared here to inspire, uplift and educate.