Virginia Woolf, a literary genius, an advocate for feminists everywhere, a tormented, complicated soul, celebrates her would have been 138th birthday today. And on this special day, we want you to remember some of the remarkable sayings Woolf has blessed us with. So, here are 10 quotes by the prolific author, which makes us realize why she became such a profound figure worldwide.

1. On history

“Nothing has really happened until it has been described.”

image via bbc

2. on personal growth

“I am made and remade continually. Different people draw different words from me.”

image via the new yorker

3. on comedy

“Humor is the first of the gifts to perish in a foreign tongue.”

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4. On feminism

“As long as she thinks of a man, nobody objects to a woman thinking.”

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5. on fiction

“Fiction is like a spider’s web, attached ever so lightly perhaps, but still attached to life at all four corners.”

image via national portrait gallery

6. on aging

“The older one grows, the more one likes indecency.”

image via literary hub

7. on nature

“The beauty of the world, which is so soon to perish, has two edges, one of laughter, one of anguish, cutting the heart asunder.”

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8. On diet

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”

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9. on youth

“I don’t believe in ageing. I believe in forever altering one’s aspect to the sun.”

image via moniq’s artyfacts

10. on being authentic

“If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people.”

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These quotes make it easy for us to realize the impact Virginia Woolf has had on culture, feminism, life and writing, and why her significance is as prevalent to this day.

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