The Heart has long been used as a symbol to refer to the spiritual, emotional, moral, and in the past also intellectual core of a human being. As the heart was once widely believed to be the seat of the human mind, the word heart continues to be used poetically to refer to the soul, and stylized depictions of hearts are extremely prevalent symbols representing love.

Quotes

• It is the heart that carries one to heaven.
  • Anonymous proverb, as quoted in "The Mind of the African Negro as reflected in his Proverbs" in The Journal of Negro History, Volume 1 (1916), edited by Carter Godwin Woodson

• "All the same," said the Scarecrow, "I shall ask for brains instead of a heart; for a fool would not know what to do with a heart if he had one."
  • L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

• "I shall take the heart," returned the Tin Woodman; "for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world."
  • L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

• The troubadours had many debates as to what the definition of love would be. One of the most interesting and precise debates states that the eyes are the scouts for the heart, and the eyes go forth to find an image to recommend to the heart. When the image is found and recommended, if the heart is a gentle heart- that is to say, a heart that is capable of love and not simply of lust- then love is born. If, on the other hand, it is not a gentle heart, then all you have is lust- the pig heart. You don't have love.
  • Joseph Campbell

• All these things shall love do unto you
  that you may know the secrets of your heart,
  and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.
  But if in your fear you would seek only
  love's peace and love's pleasure,
  Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing floor,
  Into the seasonless world where you
  shall laugh, but not all of your laughter,
  and weep, but not all of your tears.
  • Khalil Gibran, The Prophet

• "You should respect other religions....the essence of all religions is basically the same: to achieve a true sense of brotherhood, a good heart, respect for others. If we can develop these qualities from within our heart, then I think we can actually achieve true peace."
  • Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama

• Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it.
  • Learned Hand, in "The Spirit of Liberty" - a speech at "I Am an American Day" ceremony, Central Park, New York City (21 May 1944)

• The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?.
  • Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV)

• Tell General Howard I know his heart. What he told me before, I have it in my heart. I am tired of fighting. Our Chiefs are killed; Looking Glass is dead, Ta Hool Hool Shute is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led on the young men is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets; the little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are - perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my Chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the Sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.
  • Chief Joseph, Speech in surrendering to General Nelson Appleton Miles after long evading a pursuit nearly to the border of Canada. (October 5, 1877)

• The only business of the head in the world is to bow a ceaseless obediance to the heart.
  • William Butler Yeats

• I have only one problem with the heart. It is always trying to displace the brain.
  • Anonymous