Charlie Chaplin birthday: 10 quotes which prove his genius

Charlie Chaplin is perhaps ageless. Defying trends in Cinema, the films by Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin have spanned decades, bringing something different to each new generation of cinema lovers.

An English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film, Chaplin became a worldwide icon through his screen persona "the Tramp" and is considered one of the most important figures in the history of the film industry.

The son of an absconding father and a mum who was soon sent to an asylum, Chaplin began performing at an early age, touring music halls and later working as a stage actor and comedian. At 19, he was signed to the prestigious Fred Karno company, which took him to America. Chaplin was scouted for the film industry and began appearing in 1914 for Keystone Studios. He soon developed the Tramp persona and formed a large fan base.

On the occasion of Charlie Chaplin’s 129th birth anniversary, here are 10 quotes by him that proves he was more than just a comic genius.

• We think too much and feel too little.
• Nothing is permanent in this wicked world – not even our troubles.
• Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.
• Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself.
• That is why, no matter how desperate the predicament is, I am always very much in earnest about clutching my cane, straightening my derby hat and fixing my tie, even though I have just landed on my head.
• To help a friend in need is easy, but to give him your time is not always opportune.
• I’d sooner be called a successful crook than a destitute monarch.
• The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish.
• What do you want a meaning for? Life is a desire, not a meaning.
• I remain just one thing, and one thing only, and that is a clown. It places me on a far higher plane than any politician.