189 Quotes by Florence Nightingale

Woman has nothing but her affections, – and this makes her at once more loving and less loved.

Instead of wishing to see more doctors made by women joining what there are, I wish to see as few doctors, either male or female, as possible. For, mark you, the women have made no improvement they have only tried to be “men” and they have only succeeded in being third-rate men.

There are no specific diseases only specific disease conditions.

Mysticism: to dwell on the unseen, to withdraw ourselves from the things of sense into communion with God – to endeavour to partake of the Divine nature; that is, of Holiness.

Passion, intellect, moral activity – these three have never been satisfied in a woman. In this cold and oppressive conventional atmosphere, they cannot be satisfied. To say more on this subject would be to enter into the whole history of society, of the present state of civilisation.

It is very well to say “be prudent, be careful, try to know each other.” But how are you to know each other?

At present we live to impede each other’s satisfactions; competition, domestic life, society, what is it all but this?

Can the “word” be pinned down to either one period or one church? All churches are, of course, only more or less unsuccessful attempts to represent the unseen to the mind.

No woman has excited “passions” among women more than I have. Yet I leave no school behind me.