50 Captain Jean-Luc Picard Quotes to 'Engage' Your Mind

You want words of wisdom? We'll make it so!

Well-read, composed, courageous, bold, brilliant and even artistic, Captain Jean-Luc Picard is one of the most beloved characters in television history, thanks largely to his charming portrayal by Sir Patrick Stewart. The nature of the character makes for plenty of fantastic Picard quotes, ranging from the humorous to the philosophical to the profound.

Whether Captain Picard is ordering his signature heated beverage, commanding warp speed or proselytizing, these are the best Captain Picard quotes from Star Trek: The Next Generation, as well as his films and, of course, Star Trek: Picard.

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Picard Quotes

1. "Make it so."

2. "Engage."

3. "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot."

4. “It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not weakness, that is life.”

5. "That is what it is to be human: To make yourself more than you are."

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6. "You cannot explain away a wantonly immoral act because you think that it is connected to some higher purpose."

7. "There are four lights!"

8. "If we're going to be damned, let's be damned for what we really are."

9. "We have powerful tools: Openness, optimism and the spirit of curiosity."

10. "Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives. I rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey and reminds us to cherish every moment, because it will never come again."

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11. "What we leave behind is not as important as how we've lived."

12. "The road from legitimate suspicion to rampant paranoia is very much shorter than we think."

13. "Things are only impossible until they are not."

14. "Live now!"

15. "Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again."

16. "Fear is the greatest destroyer."

17. "The past is written, but the future is left for us to write."

18. "To be alive is a responsibility as well as a right."

19. "Buried deep within you, beneath all the years of pain and anger, there is something that has never been nurtured: The potential to be a better man."

20. "There is no greater challenge than the study of philosophy."

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21. "The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force of our lives. We work to better ourselves and the rest of humanity."

22. "There is a way out of every box, a solution to every puzzle. It's just a matter of finding it."

23. "I have never subscribed to the theory that political power flows from the barrel of a gun."

24. "There can be no justice as long as laws are absolute. Even life itself is an exercise in exceptions."

25. "Let's make sure history never forgets the name Enterprise."

26. "You have to measure your successes and your failures within, not by anything that I or anyone else might think."

27. "The Prime Directive is not just a set of rules, it is a philosophy—and a very correct one."

28. "There are times, sir, when men of good conscience cannot blindly follow orders."

29. "To say you have no choice is a failure of imagination."

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30. "Fear is an incompetent teacher."

31. "Hope and the odds make poor bedfellows."

32. "Fear is fear. It doesn't speak in riddles. Fear means you're smart. You understand the risks."

33. "I'm not in the habit of consulting lawyers before I do what needs to be done."

34. "Anyone who treats me like a dying man will run the risk of pissing me off. Is that clear?"

35. "You have a past. You have a story just waiting to be claimed."

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36. "The dreams are lovely. It's the waking up that I'm beginning to resent."

37. "I never asked anything of myself at all. I haven't been living. I've been waiting to die."

38. "Murder is not justice. There is no solace in revenge."

39. "History's darkest moments can be a tipping point for change."

40. "Even in the darkest circumstances, there is always a light—sometimes only a glimmer. Trust that light. Find a way back, no matter what it takes."

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41. "Distance offers no protection from time."

42. "Change always comes later than we think it should."

43. "Time offers many opportunities, but it rarely offers second chances."

44. "There are moments in our lives we fear to re-live and others we long to repeat."

45. "While time cannot offer us second chances, maybe people can."

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46. "The promise of legacy reveals the rot that is hidden underneath it."

47. "One is never safe from the past."

48. "Sometimes those who shine the brightest feel the sting of fear and melancholy in ways that others can never understand."

49. "Halfway to Hell is still not a recommended destination."

50. "If we want to save the future, then we have to repair the past."

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What is Captain Picard's catchphrase?

Captain Jean-Luc Picard has a few catchphrases, but his most popular catchphrase is "Make it so." Others include "Engage" and "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot."

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Why does Picard say "make it so?"

Picard says "make it so" because it's a more eloquent, elegant way of basically saying, "Just do it already." Picard is a classy guy!

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What does Picard say before "warp?"

Before "warp," Picard says "engage."

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Why does Picard say there are four lights?

In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Chain of Command Part II," Captain Jean-Luc Picard is tortured by Cardassian Gul Madred, who tries to force Picard to say he sees five lights. Picard says there are four lights because he refuses to break his will to tell the truth, even while Gul Madred is physically tormenting him. Picard's will cannot be broken, despite the Cardassians' humiliating and painful interrogation methods.

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