161 quotes about unnecessary follow in order of popularity. Be sure to bookmark and share your favorites!

We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities.

Oscar Wilde

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art...It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.

C. S. Lewis

One should as a rule respect public opinion in so far as is necessary to avoid starvation and to keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny, and is likely to interfere with happiness in all kinds of ways.

Bertrand Russell

When you wish to instruct, be brief; that men's minds take in quickly what you say, learn its lesson, and retain it faithfully. Every word that is unnecessary only pours over the side of a brimming mind.

Cicero

Some of the burden (of tax preparation) is just making sure you don't lose any pieces of paper. If you need to get it replaced, it's a pain. It's all unnecessary. It's all in the state computer in our name. You ought to be able to log online, or have your accountant do it, and get access to all that data.

Joseph Bankman

In both instances, these issues represent the sovereignty of tribal government. It would threaten a vital revenue stream. Passage of this bill is an action that seems both premature and unnecessary.

Rebecca Miles

If two people on a commitee agree on everything, one of them is unnecessary.

Dennis A. Peer

Advertising is totally unnecessary. Unless you hope to make money.

Jef I. Richards

Could significantly interfere with the government's own legitimate investigative activities in an unnecessary and harmful way.

Chuck Rosenberg

Quotas make an unnecessary workload for officers and inconvenience citizens who are following the rules. If an officer observes a violation, they should act on it, but they shouldn't be seeking out or creating situations that aren't there.

Christopher Merdon

My door is always open to any member who wishes to build consensus on reducing unnecessary spending. My preference is to consider any proposal in a thoughtful, deliberate manner rather than reading about it in the newspaper.

Jerry Lewis

If the comptroller comes back and adjusts it, we will too. I think we're all impacted by it, so we're trying not to make as many unnecessary trips.

Bobby Burns

Sanctuaries are not only unnecessary but also obstruct science. Japan considers the proposal irresponsible.

Minoru Morimoto

A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.

Carl Reiner

Every word is like an unnecessary stain on silence and nothingness.

Samuel Beckett

This keyboard brings the keys closer to the users' fingers, reducing reach and unnecessary motion, while encouraging a more natural typing position that requires less effort and is easier on your fingers.

Julie Smith

This governor is spending $80 million of taxpayer money on an election that voters resoundingly have said is unnecessary. That is the most important figure. The rest is campaign rhetoric.

Gale Kaufman

One should respect public opinion insofar as is necessary to avoid starvation and keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny.

Bertrand Russell

Negotiating sugar trade in bilateral free trade agreements is a recipe for disaster for the U.S. sugar industry, and it is unnecessary.

Kent Conrad

Nearly all the tv stations and weather people are forecasting an 80% chance of rain over the next 24 hours so we decided to make the call. We didn't want to make this call, but with the forecast we wanted to make it early and not at the last minute so to not force any unnecessary travel.

Gary Clay

We do not feel on-site training is sufficient for our employees to avoid unnecessary accidents and potential loss of limb or life.

James Mckenzie

I have explained my position and given my personal views in my own words, which I hope has been useful to the board and avoids further unnecessary speculation or any false impressions, which could undermine my personal position or that of the board.

Mike Ruddock

Never. Never, never, never, never. I wouldn't even think to do anything like that. I wouldn't even want that much attention. It's unnecessary and sometimes it can backfire on you. I just feel like being a professional.

Chris Chambers

It's all about no talking, no unnecessary talking during the delivery -- and that way the mother is calm and she's got a lot of work to do, but there's no problem with her making noise. It's just no spoken words.

Pat Felske

It's just an unnecessary cost to business. It's not an insignificant cost to have all your business cards and your stationery redesigned to incorporate the area code.

Barbara Dye

I know that this issue has already generated (letters to the editor) that in my opinion are unnecessary.

Mark Fraser

Paula hit a rock when out training and developed a bruised foot and it is taking a long time to settle down. In particular it has been causing problems on the track, constantly flaring up and she cannot do proper flat out training sessions. It reared up again at the end of January and we feel it would be stupid, too much of an unnecessary risk, to compete in Melbourne.

Gary Lough

Government is an unnecessary evil. Human beings, when accustomed to taking responsibility for their own behavior, can cooperate on a basis of mutual trust and helpfulness.

Fred Woodworth

We can't actually stop hurricanes or tsunamis or other extremes of nature. But ... we can avoid a lot of unnecessary human and economic losses.

Gordon Mcbean

This rush to push through legislation of dubious virtue without any significant review is both unnecessary and unwise.

John Dingell

Unity in things Necessary, Liberty in things Unnecessary, and Charity in all.

Richard Baxter

The species has no sting, and does not display active resistance when interfered with. I once imagined they exercised a sort of superintendence over the others; but this function is entirely unnecessary in a community where all work with a precision and regularity resembling the subordinate parts of a piece of machinery.

Henry Walter Bates

You're going to force the provider to give you the service that you're demanding. No unnecessary test, no unnecessary procedures.

Dave Elshoff

Any unnecessary separation of these functions will result in a disjointed response and adversely impact the effectiveness of departmental operations.

David Liebersbach

I am excited about the impact I pray it has. I hope it is helpful and reveals the unnecessary suffering that goes on with the mentally ill, a broken and under funded system and the stigma that goes along with being mentally ill. I hope it helps people be less sensitive.

Lucy Winer

I am terribly conscious of the fact that the world doesn't need any more actors. There are so many brilliant actors around that one more twit like me joining the back of the queue seems completely unnecessary.

Hugh Laurie

The only thing we're debating is whether 900 is unnecessary or makes the Legislature's version better.

Tim Eyman

Our actions in the aftermath of this terrible incident were swift and decisive. We terminated eight officers and made it perfectly clear that we will not tolerate any unnecessary or excessive force.

Mark Vernarelli

I sort of leave the character at the end of the day. I don't carry anything around with me - no excess baggage or unnecessary thoughts. I think it's too exhausting to do that. To put things into perspective - your work is your work, and your leisure time is something else.

Sean Bean

They're getting rid of unnecessary things and using the money to fund research and development.

Les Funtleyder

Fans are put in the unnecessary position of going to the black market because of the absurd way that FIFA runs the whole thing. FIFA just wanted to start getting its revenues months before the tournament.

Kevin Miles

It is premature, we don't have enough information and . . . it may turn out to be unnecessary.

Jim Moran

It occurs to her that he is attempting to let her win, an act she considers highly unnecessary since she is the stronger player. She does not appreciate his condescension. But two can play at this game, and she knows the female is infinitely more adept.

Luis Camara Silva

It seems on its face . . . that this was unnecessary, unprovoked and excessively violent.

Sgt. Richard Ring

I am certainly not ascribing to the defenders of euthanasia or assisted dying any motive but the desire to spare people unnecessary suffering.

Rowan Williams

It was totally unnecessary, ... The only real difference in the remake is that these days, the screen allows for a bit more sexual explicitness which allows for the characters to show more menace.

Matthew Bernstein

When the 2005 Rule was announced, I made it clear that the federal government's actions placed an unfair and unnecessary burden on states that would amount to a price tag of millions of dollars and result in piecemeal management of federal forest land.

Ted Kulongoski

A lot of this stuff we think was piling on, and unnecessary.

John Walls

Noble has made a billion dollars in profits since 2000, but it doesn't pay its fair share in taxes. Taxpayers are being gouged at both ends of this deal. Noble is getting rich off high energy prices, while the Department of Energy is giving away taxpayers' hard-earned dollars in the form of an unnecessary grant.

Tyson Slocum

We feel this is an extra layer of regulation which is unnecessary.

David Pringle

Only pay the bills ? the rent, buy food, no buy any unnecessary something, don't buy clothes, don't go to restaurant, don't go see the movie, stay home with the family.

Nelson Hernandez

I've learned, I think, to be able to distinguish between the necessary and the unnecessary as far as my limited outside time is concerned. Saying "no" politely is a necessity if one wants to lead any kind of stable life.

Richard Chamberlain

We want to urge our legislatures, commissioners and other county representatives to stop ignoring recommendations, many of which if followed would reduce current jail populations making the costly expansion unnecessary.

Vic Lawson

It does introduce risks to the mother if we start to inject drugs to the fetus and increase the time of the procedure. That would be unnecessary and involve unnecessary costs and risks.

Stuart Derbyshire

There's a sense that because we have the technology to communicate so fast that we should be responding immediately. But often what we see are false deadlines and unnecessary interruptions. It wasn't like that 10 years ago.

Odette Pollar

I thought it was unnecessary. It's up to the bar owner, the one who holds the liquor license, to be responsible for people in establishments.

Dan Cloutier

Absolutely everyone can improve, and the veterans especially, in setting that kind of precedent that we don't make those little mistakes, that we don't fumble the ball, that we don't get unnecessary penalties. We kind of try to set a higher standard for everybody where the team benefits more. We can all do that.

Brad Hopkins

Lead wicks are unnecessary in candles, and the industry has acted recklessly by continuing to manufacture them, ... Now the agency should complete the notice and comment necessary to complete the rule making as rapidly as possible.

Peter Lurie

The tax code is not the only area where the administration is helping the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. It has spent $155 billion for an unnecessary war driven by fear.

Dennis Kucinich

It's the wrong time to do anything that's tax inefficient and (that could) subject owners to any unnecessary financial risks.

Larry Haverty

My feeling is that it is unnecessary.

Craig Rivet

Conducting a second peer review for our Dane County work just one year after the first one was completed is irresponsible, unnecessary and a waste of electric ratepayers' money.

Mark Williamson

There's a big emphasis here on going after hitters. The worst thing you can do as a pitcher is get yourself into a jam with unnecessary walks.

John Koronka

We don't want to put ourselves under unnecessary pressure, but at the same time we have to set ourselves a goal and that is the goal. It is going to be tough but we have the squad capable of doing it.

Jobi Mcanuff

We convince people they have only one talent, or usually there's only one subject that's not beyond their grasp. And I think that's totally unnecessary. From my work with kids I'm quite convinced that kids are born almost universally with abilities in both areas, if we would nurture those abilities.

John Mighton

The accounts are audited, so this lawsuit is baseless and unnecessary.

Tom Andrews

Those trips add a lot to the cost of doing business. It's unnecessary. It's a fairly arbitrary law -- or was, past tense, was. That law changes the situation and the scenario considerably.

John Jensen

I had hoped to use my appointment to overcome the dispute over individuals. Unfortunately, my own appointment is now suddenly drawing unnecessary controversy which risks further undermining the commission's larger purpose.

Rep. Lou Lang

The environmental community believed this rule didn't go far enough, while growers thought it created unnecessary regulation when it is already illegal to allow drift of these pesticides.

Valoria Loveland

As a matter of law, it is unnecessary and improper for this Court to determine whether the reason for the challenged distinction actually motivated the legislature.

Lawrence King

There is no need to purchase additional space or equipment to store unnecessary information and no need to hire staff to manage it. And you eliminate any potential risks of discovery in the event of a legal action where a plaintiff requests you to produce information.

Larry Medina

The data clearly indicates the tires with the higher-than-normal tread separation rate were recalled, and that it's absolutely unnecessary to recall any of the other tires. There are some attorneys out to cash in on the recall.

Susan Krusel

If we don't spend a little money now, we're going to spend a lot of money later (on pollution-related costs), which would be completely unnecessary.

Andy Buchsbaum

This is knee-jerk, because of Katrina. It is unnecessary. We do this once or twice a year because of hurricanes. Some parts of the country never had these problems, or don't have any plans. Our plans are well-tested, well-refined.

Larry Gispert

We need to eliminate the mistakes that we're making that we can control. Unnecessary turnovers. We had two of them right there at the end of the first half that didn't have anything to do with (UNC).

Leonard Hamilton

Civilization is a limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities.

Mark Twain

If ever there was an unnecessary weapon after the Cold War, it's nuclear weapons. We have nuclear capability to burn. This is a situation where the broader policy issues are more important than the job loss.

Christopher Hellman

Welcomes contributions from people who find themselves in the middle of news stories (but) would never encourage anyone to take an unnecessary risk.

Ben Sherwood

For various reasons, education is being driven towards an increasing concentration on the technical and the commercial, to a point at which any more reflective enquiry may come to seem unnecessary and archaic, something that at best is preserved as part of the heritage industry.

Bernard Williams

We put all departments on notice to monitor fuel consumption and limit abuse like unnecessary idling of cars.

J. Murphy

The Battery Brain is an exceptional device that is useful to anyone driving a vehicle. How many times have you gone to start your vehicle and found a dead battery? Everyone can relate to this situation. The Battery Brain saves people time, money and unnecessary wear and tear on their vehicle.

Pete Mateja

The president needs to rein in -- not bolster -- the attorney general's insatiable appetite for new and unnecessary spying powers.

Anthony D. Romero

Each word seemed to me an unnecessary stain on silence of nothingness.

Samuel Beckett

We hope to make any decision by the judge unnecessary.

Joseph Tiberi

This gives the legislature the opportunity to make necessary changes this year ... changes that allow schools to ensure the health of students without providing unnecessary barriers to the educational process.

Sherri Johnson

Reckless declarations could be given erroneous interpretation and be taken out of context, which could drag the army into an unnecessary public debate over the army's and the state of Israel's policies.

Dan Halutz

I think this is downright silly. It's completely unnecessary and expensive.

Scott Stewart

Once to get my meaning down, once to put in anything I have left out, once to take out anything that seems unnecessary, and once to make the whole thing sound as if I have only just thought of it.

Margery Allingham

Saves Israel again from the embarrassment that the haste of the government has caused throughout the world and from the feeling we have imposed unnecessary injustices on many Palestinians.

Yosef Lapid

The Rolling Stones thought the censorship of their songs by the NFL/ABC was absolutely ridiculous and completely unnecessary.

Fran Curtis

Art is the elimination of the unnecessary.

Pablo Picasso

These incubators are an excellent way for new businesses to share resources and therefore cut costs. When a business is just getting started, unnecessary spending can lead to its failure or hinder its progression.

Barbara Strother

It is imperative that we have seamless execution [Saturday]. We cannot afford unnecessary penalties, dropped balls or missed blocks.

Alex Kandabarow

We cloak ourselves in cold indifference to the unnecessary suffering of others - even when we cause it.

James Carroll

To avoid unnecessary duplication, the Asbestos Relief Trust will be entrusted with the management and administration of the new trust.

Richard Spoor

We've enhanced usability without adding unnecessary complexity. And we've given customers the flexibility to configure and use (the software) exactly the way that suits them best.

Paul Loucks

I'm sure it must be a very moving experience to see all these beautiful, incredible animals swimming around. And then we go and put a fork in them in the cafeteria. It's just unnecessary.

Dawn Carr

Besides some unnecessary turnovers, I was proud of our teams' overall play. I can see potential.

Susan Walvius

When two men in business always agree, one of them is unnecessary.

William Wrigley Jr.

Unnecessary provocation of the United States.

Andres Perez

The people who will be his judge is not God, it will be the families of the bereaved British soldiers and it will be the families of the bereaved innocent Iraqis who have all been slaughtered in this totally unnecessary conflict.

Reg Keys

My running mates and I may have potentially saved the county taxpayers millions in unnecessary subsidies earmarked for these developers already, because these freeholders now know that voting taxpayers are watching their every move on this stadium.

Andrew Tidd

The biggest factor is the rising oil price at $67-$68 (per barrel) ... We have to limit unnecessary imports.

Jusuf Kalla

I never took hallucinogenic drugs because I never wanted my consciousness expanded one unnecessary iota.

Fran Lebowitz

For British universities to remain amongst the foremost destinations for international higher education, we urge the government to support our efforts, and avoid putting any unnecessary barriers in our way.

Drummond Bone

The only difference to any other week is we will not take any unnecessary risk.

Neil Craig

Simply put, Mr. Holt took an unnecessary risk and drowned in rough water off Cheviot Beach.

Graeme Johnstone

They have felt for six years that this shooting was completely unnecessary, unjustified, illegal and wrong, ... They have still lost their mother, their sister and daughter, but at this point, they have gotten all the justice that the legal system can provide.

David Rosen

With higher gasoline prices putting a dent in consumer spending and underlying inflation looking to be contained, further interest rate hikes seem unnecessary.

Angus Campbell

That is simply to ensure there is no unnecessary disruption to the process and that people can be landed safely.

Peter Reith

We must also redouble our efforts to reduce unnecessary spending elsewhere in the budget to help offset recovery costs and keep us on track of meeting the president's gal of cutting the deficit in half by 2009.

Joshua B. Bolten

I am made nervous, as someone who works in the same vineyard, by the idea of inventing himself as a fictional character, ... It seems unnecessary. It seems taking a major liberty. And the problem with it is if you invent the fictional character and you take this liberty, then the reader is going to think what other liberties?

David Halberstam

The bottom line is that this development is dangerous and unnecessary.

David Reid

We shouldn't wait for a major outbreak of mad cow disease to take greater preventive action. There is no question that we should not be feeding the remains of any mammals to food animals, and by not closing this dangerous loophole, we are exposing the American public to unnecessary risk.

Jean Halloran

It is important to recognize when something is not working. I hope that my decision to leave will eliminate an unnecessary distraction for a great company.

Michael Ovitz

In my judgment, the further investigation is simply unnecessary.

John W. Warner

After conversations with a number of students, I thought that mandatory divisions between men and women on campus were unnecessary for college students.

Pete Snyder

[Such a situation is] truly heartbreaking, ... It's outrageous. It's unnecessary. It cannot happen.

Bernadine Healy

There's nothing that would restrict a city from allocating funds to a church or synagogue that faces a grave danger or risk. We have always said we have felt this was redundant and unnecessary.

Marc Short

One day President Roosevelt told me that he was asking publicly for suggestions about what the war should be called. I said at once 'The Unnecessary War'.

Sir Winston Churchill

Clutter is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills and meaningless jargon.

William Zinsser

Besides free throws and taking some unnecessary shots at the end of the game, I thought they played such a great game. They played great team defense. We were looking to go inside on them. We knew that was something we needed to do.

Deb Baber

Changes are not only possible and predictable, but to deny them is to be an accomplice to one's own unnecessary vegetation.

Gail Sheehy

I dropped two unnecessary strokes on the short Par-4 fourth and another on the long Par-4 sixth after I blocked my driver into the short rough.

James Kamte

We don't want to cause rents to go up by causing the owner to do unnecessary capital improvements.

Ron Javor

The Rolling Stones thought the censorship of their songs ... was absolutely ridiculous and completely unnecessary.

Fran Curtis

Unfortunately, the limitations of the process have made it impractical to fully inform members. Further, the result has been unnecessary confusion and concern among our members.

Harold Lowman

The extended line of Denny Cook-in-sauces was developed to include a wider scope of classic dishes that are loved by the family but are time-consuming to prepare, giving consumers more choice and versatility without all the unnecessary fuss.

Sharon Reid

A mother is not a person to lean on but a person to make leaning unnecessary.

Dorothy C. Fisher

It's a sweet, sweet deal for the oil sands. That's the subsidy we think is really unnecessary.

Amy Taylor

I'm getting calls from all over the state. What the public needs to do is simply calm down. Folks need to cut out their unnecessary travel and stay home and thank the good Lord that they have a home to stay in.

Roger Lane

Trouble began when city authorities were allocating them space in the flea market, and their chairman came and started making unnecessary noises. Police had to throw tear gas to disperse them because things were getting out of hand.

Rhoda Manjolo

It's dangerous and unnecessary, ... We need an absolute and public blanket ban on recruiting and use of journalists and clergy by any intelligence agencies, and also the use of journalistic cover.

Terry Anderson

A kiss is a lovely trick, designed by nature, to stop words when speech becomes unnecessary.

Ingrid Bergman

The creation of this sugarplum fairy vision of what a city looks like or can look like is an unnecessary, and I think, slightly insulting view of human intelligence.

Reed Kroloff

The IDA felt that, in view of the tragic nature of our circumstances, making us wait another 60 days for a hearing process ... would have been an unnecessary burden.

Paul Rakov

I don't necessarily think it is redundant, but I think it is unnecessary at all levels. I think this [Letters Home] is a very encompassing measure to really kick the whole alcohol policy in gear, and what you're going to end up doing is violating the privacy of a lot of people.

Tim Vonville

There is a concern that some of your actions and your comments . . .were unnecessary and potentially influenced OPP officers... and may have contributed, or precipitated the use of unnecessary force.

Murray Klippenstein

This may seem cowardly, but we think it is an unnecessary provocation to publish the cartoons. Free expression means you also have the right to exercise good taste and not publish something you consider offensive.

Stuart Reid

The last time I flew with him was a year ago, and I definitely did not see the kind of person who took unnecessary risks.

Arthur Marx

They were a lot of physical play, a lot of pushing (and) a lot of unnecessary stuff. But they came out with a 'W' tonight. I guess they wanted it more.

Charles Thomas

We are unwilling to accept any unnecessary risk and we will protect our industry from any invasive disease. At the risk of being offensive to our friends in Florida, this plan, this science, is all new to us. Didn't the scientists just come out against the 1,900-foot rule? Didn't they say that would eradicate canker?

Joel Nelsen

The product, via substantial abstraction, allows for less skilled developers to rapidly generate relatively sophisticated Web applications. The catch is that more experienced developers may find some of the abstraction unnecessary and/or undesirable.

Stephen O'grady

If you put a message out there very strongly, then Chinese people might go into a panic, which is absolutely unnecessary.

Henk Bekedam

The bottom line is there is no communication between QDC and the town. The town learns about QDC initiatives in the newspaper and that has created an unnecessary tension.

Anthony Miccolis

Store cards are an unnecessary and extremely expensive way to borrow and we have always advised people not to use them.

Phil Evans

The rank and file members of the club have the capacity to determine whether the proposal has merit or otherwise ... however, we appeal to all concerned to conduct their campaign in a manner which avoids unnecessary division and antagonism amongst supporters, including sponsors, after the issue is decided.

Andrew Ferguson

The virtual march on Washington February 26 will be an opportunity for every American opponent of an invasion of Iraq to stand up and be counted in every state in the United States. On that day we will call, we will fax, and we will e-mail the president of the United States and every member of the U.S. Senate to voice our opposition to this short-sighted and unnecessary war.

Tom Andrews

The anxiety, increased stress levels and road rage that can be caused by getting lost are unnecessary distractions on today's busy roads when motorists need to be alert and able to concentrate.

Craig Martin

An unnecessary and damaging step.

Scott Mcclellan

If the ECB wanted to give a warning signal to trade unions on upcoming wage negotiations by increasing its interest rate, this was totally unnecessary. Trade unions in Europe already understand the need to have wage increases compatible with the objective of price stability.

John Monks

I believe that the federal government should be doing more to reduce taxes and unnecessary regulations that hamper small business growth.

Sue Kelly

Be discreet in all things, and so render it unnecessary to be mysterious about any.

Arthur Wellesley

The interests of justice have been served, and further proceedings in this matter are unnecessary.

Howard Wilson

He's very reserved. He doesn't say anything unnecessary.

Leonard Garth

Advocating obnoxiously is not a crime. You will hear that Kevin was very passionate about animal rights - treating animals with kindness and respect and without unnecessary cruelty. Kevin is being persecuted for these very beliefs.

Eric Schneider

Strange as it may seem, the power of mathematics rests on its evasion of all unnecessary thought, and on its wonderful saving of mental operations.

Ernst Mach

Even in areas where tap water is safe to drink, demand for bottled water is increasing--producing unnecessary garbage and consuming vast quantities of energy. Although in the industrial world bottled water is often no healthier than tap water, it can cost up to 10,000 times more.

Emily Arnold

The people who were put out of work were pawns in a very nasty and unnecessary political game.

Eliot Seide

For that period, a matter of just over 24 hours, we are appealing to people to please put off their geysers. We are appealing to people ... to switch off their pool pumps and their pool heaters, to switch off unnecessary lights ... to switch off unnecessary appliances.

Ebrahim Rasool

As the A-share door opens for overseas investors, the existence of B shares appears to be unnecessary.

Zhang Qi