There are many different types of quotes that people like to use. Some of the most common quotes end up becoming cliches when they’ve been overused so much that they lose their original meaning, and they can even cause stereotypes. They might still be true though, just because it’s been overused doesn’t mean it isn’t still true – after all, there’s probably a reason it was used so much in the first place.

For the quotes that don’t become cliches, they can be classified in a number of ways. Some quotes are original thoughts written in a memorable way, they can make use of elements of poetry, such as rhyming and alliteration. They can be a short statement containing a clever observation about life, or a subjective truth. Deep meaningful quotes are often metaphorical, based on common sense or practical experience. They can also make good use of humour or wit to get their point across, in fact the witty quotes are often more popular precisely for this reason.

Sometimes quotes can be taken out of context and used in such a way that they cause people to misunderstand the author’s original intentions. In some cases the quote can be completely changed to the point where it means the total opposite of the original. Mostly this is done in order to be funny though.

The internet has made it easy for everyone to share quotes and publish anything they want. This has the unfortunate side effect that sometimes people will make up quotes and then attribute it to someone who never actually said it. People might do this to make it more likely for people to share the quote – because people are more likely to share a quote if it was said by someone prominent than if it was said by some random stranger on the internet. So if you really want to be sure, always check reliable sources to make sure the quote is accurate.