42 Excuses-Inspired Quotes

In the whirlwind of life, excuses often find their way into our narratives, shaping our actions and perspectives. Whether they're crafted in the heat of procrastination or borne out of necessity, excuses are as human as the ambitions they often delay. Delving into the twists and turns of human reasoning, we've gathered a selection of 42 remarkable excuses-inspired quotes. Each offers a unique glimpse into the art of justification and the irresistible charm that excuses hold. Join us as we explore these quotations, each one a testament to the creativity and resilience found in the everyday dance between intention and action.

1. “It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.” - George Washington

2. “For like a poisonous breath over the fields, like a mass of locusts over Egypt, so the swarm of excuses is a general plaque, a ruinous infection among men, that eats off the sprouts of the Eternal.” - Kierkegaard

3. “Rationalization is a process of not perceiving reality, but of attempting to make reality fit one’s emotions.” - Ayn Rand

4. “The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can't achieve it.” - Jordan Belfort

5. “A werewolf tossed me against a giant packing crate while I was trying to rescue a frightened young girl who'd been kidnapped by an evil witch and a drug lord.” - Patricia Briggs

6. “Idiot. Which road do you take when you're running from something weaker than yourself? Or maybe you're the one looking for an excuse to back out.” - Watsuki Nobuhiro

7. “The heart has its reasons but the mind makes the excuses.” - Amit Abraham

8. “Anyone can have an off decade.” - Larry Cole

9. “Don't you dare take the lazy way. It's too easy to excuse yourself because of your ancestry. Don't let me catch you doing it! Now -- look close at me so you will remember. Whatever you do, it will be you who do.” - John Steinbeck

10. “My sister having so much to do, was going to church vicariously, that is to say, Joe and I were going.” - Charles Dickens

11. “He didn't seem to realize that three excuses was as good as no excuse.” - Ann Brashares

12. “Except in a very few matches, usually with world-class performers, there is a point in every match (and in some cases it's right at the beginning) when the loser decides he's going to lose. And after that, everything he does will be aimed at providing an explanation of why he will have lost. He may throw himself at the ball (so he will be able to say he's done his best against a superior opponent). He may dispute calls (so he will be able to say he's been robbed). He may swear at himself and throw his racket (so he can say it was apparent all along he wasn't in top form). His energies go not into winning but into producing an explanation, an excuse, a justification for losing.” - C. Terry Warner

13. “A man does not have to feel less than human to realize his sin; oppositely, he has to realize that he gets no special vindication for his sin.” - Criss Jami

14. “Taking on too much of other people's drama is just a poor excuse for not taking ownership and control over your own life.” - José N. Harris

15. “Don't use your past as an excuse, excuse your excuses and take action now!!!” - Bernard Kelvin Clive

16. “Kick the crutch out from under your excuses” - Lorii Myers

17. “Part of being of a true existentialist is wanting to be what we make ourselves be by the way we choose to act, as opposed to making excuses for the way we act and regretting it.” - Gary Cox

18. “I make no excuse for what happened. Drunkenness is never more than a symptom, not an absolute cause, and I realize that it would be wrong of me to try to defend myself. Nevertheless, there is at least the possibility of an explanation.” - Paul Auster

19. “The excuses we make to ourselves when we want to do something are excellent material for soliloquies, for they are rarely made except when we are alone, and are very often made aloud.” - Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

20. “No matter how old you are now. You are never too young or too old for success or going after what you want. Here’s a short list of people who accomplished great things at different ages1) Helen Keller, at the age of 19 months, became deaf and blind. But that didn’t stop her. She was the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.2) Mozart was already competent on keyboard and violin; he composed from the age of 5.3) Shirley Temple was 6 when she became a movie star on “Bright Eyes.”4) Anne Frank was 12 when she wrote the diary of Anne Frank.5) Magnus Carlsen became a chess Grandmaster at the age of 13.6) Nadia Comăneci was a gymnast from Romania that scored seven perfect 10.0 and won three gold medals at the Olympics at age 14.7) Tenzin Gyatso was formally recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama in November 1950, at the age of 15.8) Pele, a soccer superstar, was 17 years old when he won the world cup in 1958 with Brazil.9) Elvis was a superstar by age 19.10) John Lennon was 20 years and Paul Mcartney was 18 when the Beatles had their first concert in 1961.11) Jesse Owens was 22 when he won 4 gold medals in Berlin 1936.12) Beethoven was a piano virtuoso by age 2313) Issac Newton wrote Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica at age 2414) Roger Bannister was 25 when he broke the 4 minute mile record15) Albert Einstein was 26 when he wrote the theory of relativity16) Lance E. Armstrong was 27 when he won the tour de France 17) Michelangelo created two of the greatest sculptures “David” and “Pieta” by age 2818) Alexander the Great, by age 29, had created one of the largest empires of the ancient world19) J.K. Rowling was 30 years old when she finished the first manuscript of Harry Potter20) Amelia Earhart was 31 years old when she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean21) Oprah was 32 when she started her talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind22) Edmund Hillary was 33 when he became the first man to reach Mount Everest23) Martin Luther King Jr. was 34 when he wrote the speech “I Have a Dream."24) Marie Curie was 35 years old when she got nominated for a Nobel Prize in Physics 25) The Wright brothers, Orville (32) and Wilbur (36) invented and built the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight26) Vincent Van Gogh was 37 when he died virtually unknown, yet his paintings today are worth millions.27) Neil Armstrong was 38 when he became the first man to set foot on the moon.28) Mark Twain was 40 when he wrote "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", and 49 years old when he wrote "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"29) Christopher Columbus was 41 when he discovered the Americas30) Rosa Parks was 42 when she refused to obey the bus driver’s order to give up her seat to make room for a white passenger31) John F. Kennedy was 43 years old when he became President of the United States32) Henry Ford Was 45 when the Ford T came out.33) Suzanne Collins was 46 when she wrote "The Hunger Games"34) Charles Darwin was 50 years old when his book On the Origin of Species came out.35) Leonardo Da Vinci was 51 years old when he painted the Mona Lisa.36) Abraham Lincoln was 52 when he became president.37) Ray Kroc Was 53 when he bought the McDonalds Franchise and took it to unprecedented levels.38) Dr. Seuss was 54 when he wrote "The Cat in the Hat".40) Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III was 57 years old when he successfully ditched US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River in 2009. All of the 155 passengers aboard the aircraft survived41) Colonel Harland Sanders was 61 when he started the KFC Franchise42) J.R.R Tolkien was 62 when the Lord of the Ring books came out43) Ronald Reagan was 69 when he became President of the US44) Jack Lalane at age 70 handcuffed, shackled, towed 70 rowboats45) Nelson Mandela was 76 when he became President” - Pablo

21. “I have to go," I say, "I am baking a cake.” - Matt Cutugno

22. “If you accept excuses from others, it's usually because you have accepted your own excuse.” - Orrin Woodward

23. “When a man is willing to find an excuse for being God's enemy he need never be at a loss. He who hath to find a fact may find some difficulty; but he who would forge a lie may sit at his own fireside and do it.” - Charles H. Spurgeon

24. “Your complaints, your drama, your victim mentality, your whining, your blaming, and all of your excuses have NEVER gotten you even a single step closer to your goals or dreams. Let go of your nonsense. Let go of the delusion that you DESERVE better and go EARN it! Today is a new day!” - Steve Maraboli

25. “It’s called an ‘accomplishment’, not an ‘intent-ishment’. You’ve got to BE it to SEE it. NO MORE EXCUSES - Decide what you want, create a plan, and get your ass out there!” - Steve Maraboli

26. “Once I ran out of excuses, I reclaimed my life. Now, I don't need excuses.” - Jamie Anne Richardson

27. “Don't make excuses. They're pointless.” - Shannon A Thompson

28. “No one ever excused his way to success.” - Dave Del Dotto

29. “Why not? It's natural selection. Just like nature." I wrinkled my nose. "Boudas love this argument, because it gives them an excuse to do all the wrong things. 'I'm sorry I screwed your sister and got my penis stuck in your German shepherd. It's in my nature. I just couldn't help myself.” - Ilona Andrews

30. “Your explanation is good, but your herring doesn't fry, as we say in Ramaldah," he exploded.” - Andrew Ashling

31. “Excuses are a time thief. Have a goal, accept responsibility, and take action!” - Steve Maraboli

32. “Even if there are instances in which it can be mistook by onlookers, never fool yourself into using misunderstood genius as an excuse to be a fool.” - Criss Jami

33. “But is the word used before you rationalize why the situation is not your fault nor responsibility.” - Orrin Woodward

34. “Anyone can find an excuse. It takes a special person to find the time” - Linda Poindexter

35. “To rush into explanations is always a sign of weakness.” - Agatha Christie

36. “Let's make progress, not excuses.” - Justin Cotillard

37. “No more excuses or procrastination! Stop allowing your days to be stolen by busy nothingness and take calculated steps towards your goals.” - Steve Maraboli

38. “Put some action on your good intentions!” - Lorii Myers

39. “Extend beyond your preconceived limits!” - Lorii Myers

40. “Excuses fall silent behind self-control, focus, and direction.” - Lorii Myers

41. “Push today for what you want tomorrow!” - Lorii Myers

42. “There is no greater symphony of self-destruction than the beautifully poisonous melody found in our excuses.” - Steve Maraboli