If you want to avoid common ignorance in the society, there is only one way. Start teaching the very basics of philosophy again that teach the logic and reason of critical thinking. Teach it early like it used to be taught. Science creates power and wealth, but far less understanding. That is taught by philosophy and the basics of philosophy were from before any modern ideologies or religions that now divide us. 

If you want to avoid these kinds of problems in the society, there is only one way. Start teaching the very basics of philosophy including the logic and reason of critical thinking. Teach it early like it used to be taught. It inoculates them against being fooled by ideologies.  Unfortunately philosophy has been crowded out by science. Science creates power and wealth, but far less understanding. That is taught by philosophy and the basics of philosophy were from before any modern ideologies or religions that now divide us.
 

In the last century, philosophy lost the meme war with science and has  been called obsolete. (I reached this conclusion as a biologist looking for what was causing population decline, but it effects a lot more.) Science creates huge wealth and power, but limited understanding. I think that Basic philosophy is the BIOS and Operating System of the human brain. All the rest is applications. Without learning and absorbing that, such as the Maxims of Delphi (only 3 or 4 words each), like we used to, our minds don't develop or work great, including lacking critical thinking skills. hat's my story and I'm sticking with it.

“Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.”
—Arthur Schopenhauer


Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.
Albert Einstein

Born in Germany in 1879, physicist Albert Einstein was a curious, independent thinker from an early age. Read more…

Knowledge and wisdom is the real power.
Arthur (Rickie Sorensen) in "The Sword in the Stone," 1963

“He who learns but does not think is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.” To understand something well, listen to others and think for yourself. Facts alone are useless. But ignoring the wisdom of others is not wise. It only leads to arrogance and error. Understanding requires both, taking in knowledge and then sitting with it.

1. “All I want to know is where I’m going to die, so I’ll never go there.”
On the surface, this quote is funny, but it carries a deeper meaning. Munger believed that the best way to live life was to think backward, think what could go wrong, and then avoid it at all costs.

2. “Knowing what you don’t know is more useful than being brilliant.”
Having the humility and humbleness to know that you don’t know is how you gain wisdom and lifelong knowledge.

This quote reminds me of Socrates. He said: “All that I know is that I know nothing.”

3. “In my whole life, I have known no wise people who didn’t read all the time–none, zero”.
Read widely a lot and read widely. Reading opens the door to knowledge and wisdom.

4. “Being rational is a moral imperative. You should never be stupider than you need to be.”
Please, try not to be stupid!

5. “You don’t have to be brilliant, only a little bit wiser than the other guys, on average, for a long, long, time.”
If there is anybody who knows the importance of doing good things over the long term, it is Charlie Munger.

Being consistently good, over a long time, will beat being occasionally amazing every day of the week.

6. “There’s no way that you can live an adequate life without making many mistakes.”
Mistakes are a critical part of life. If you’re not making mistakes regularly, you’re not growing and you’re not on the road to becoming your best self.

7. “Acknowledging what you don’t know is the dawning of wisdom.”
The smarter you get, the more you begin to realise how little you do know.

8. “Spend each day trying to be a little wiser than you were when you woke up. Day by day, and at the end of the day, if you live long enough … you will get out of life what you deserve.”
If you spend every day being just a tiny bit better than you were yesterday, and doing something to make you a smidge wiser, over a long period, you’ll achieve great things.

9. “If it is wisdom you’re after, you’re going to spend a lot of time on your ass reading.”
Is there anything better for gaining wisdom and knowledge than reading? Probably not.

10. “Bull markets go to people’s heads. If you’re a duck on a pond, and it’s rising due to a downpour, you start going up in the world. But you think it’s you, not the pond.”
Have some humility, keep your feet on the ground, and don’t be like the many people who get carried away with the slightest bit of success.

11. “Assume life will be really tough, and then ask if you can handle it. If the answer is yes, you’ve won.”
At times, life will be tough. It might not be tough at the minute, but they’ll tough times will rear their ugly head when you least expect it. You just need to be prepared for when that time eventually comes.

12. “I try to get rid of people who always confidently answer questions about which they don’t have any real knowledge.”
Always be wary of the overconfident people. It’s often overconfidence that leads to your and other people’s downfall.

13. “It’s a good habit to trumpet your failures and be quiet about your successes.”
Be loud when you fail and humble when you’re successful. The last thing you want to do is stir up envy in others.

14. “Just avoid things like racing trains to the crossing, doing cocaine, etc. Develop good mental habits.”
Any further explanation needed?! Simple.

15. “It’s dishonorable to stay stupider than you need to be.”
The lesson here is simple: avoid doing stupid, irrational things.

16. “It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent.”
Think long-term, think rationally, avoid basic stupidity, and then wait. In the end, you’ll get your rewards.

17. “If you don’t keep learning, other people will pass you by. Temperament alone won’t do it. You need a lot of curiosity.”
Temperament and mindset are important, but nothing is more important than an insatiable appetite to keep learning, no matter how old you are.

18. “The game of life is the game of everlasting learning. At least it is if you want to win.”
Remain curious. Stay humble. Never stop learning. In the end, you’ll come out on top and win.

19. “Avoid working directly under somebody you don’t admire and don’t want to be like.”
You spend such a huge majority of your time at work, so why would you want to surround yourself with people, who you either don’t like, have no respect for, or don’t want to be like? It makes no sense.

20. “It’s been my experience in life, if you just keep thinking and reading, you don’t have to work.”
Think. Learn. Read. It’s as simple as that.

21. “If you rise in life, you have to behave in a certain way. You can go to a strip club if you’re a beer-swilling sand shoveler, but if you’re the bishop of Boston, you shouldn’t go.”
Adjust your behavior accordingly to the position you find yourself in. Oh, and be responsible!

22. “There is nothing more counterproductive than envy. Someone in the world will always be better than you. Of all the sins, envy is easily the worst, because you can’t even have any fun with it. It’s a total net loss.”
Envy is without a doubt one of the most dangerous and toxic feelings one could feel. Do everything you possibly can to prevent it from stirring up the waters inside yourself and others.

23. “Someone will always be getting richer faster than you. This is not a tragedy.”
Getting rich quickly isn’t always the solution. Sometimes getting rich quickly is a curse. Just be aware of that.

24. “If you get a lot of heavy ideology young — and then you start expressing it — you are really locking your brain into a very unfortunate pattern.”
Once you’re stuck in a certain pattern of thinking, it’s very hard to snap out of it. Always stay open-minded and never lean too heavily into a singular mode of thinking.

25. “How to find a good spouse? The best single way is to deserve a good spouse.”
The best way to deserve something in life is to earn it, even your better half!

26. “There is no better teacher than history in determining the future… There are answers worth billions of dollars in 30$ history book.”
History, if you listen closely enough and pay attention, can teach us a lot about the present moment.

27. “The first rule of a happy life is low expectations.”
As contrary as it might sound: Stop expecting too much from life. Stop expecting too much from others, yourself, and the world around you.

If you set your expectations for life too high you’ll be disappointed when things turn out not as you wanted them to. If you set the bar low enough you’ll never be disappointed.

It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive to be better, but instead approach life with a sense of acceptance.

1. “It is silly and pointless to try to get from another person what one can get for oneself.” — Epictetus
Your goals and actions need to align.

Without this alignment, you lack direction and have no clue how to reach your dream outcome.

Without purpose, you risk feeling lost.

You risk going nowhere.

2. “Adversity introduces a man to himself.” — Albert Einstein
They say diamonds are formed under pressure, and the same is true for us as human beings.

You truly discover who you are during times of extreme hardship and heartbreak.

3. “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” — Confucius
Life isn’t a race.

Everything worth achieving takes an inordinate amount of time to come to fruition.

What matters most is that you keep going, regardless of how long it takes.

4. “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” — Henry Ford
Getting started is often the most challenging part of anything worthwhile.

It’s the start where you will always feel the most resistance.

Get over that original resistance, though, and then anything is possible.

5. “The most important thing to do if you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging.” — Warren Buffett
If things aren’t going according to plan, pause, assess, reevaluate, develop a new strategy, and try again.

The worst thing you can do is exacerbate a bad situation.

6. “You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” — Marcus Aurelius
You can’t control other people or external circumstances, but you can always control your thoughts and actions.

Focus on what you can influence internally rather than what is outside your control.

7. “Do not judge me by my success; judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” — Nelson Mandela
Get knocked down seven times, get up eight.

Your true measure lies in how many setbacks you’ve overcome, not just in your final successes.

8. “It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” — Socrates
You are capable of much more than you realise, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

It would be a tragedy not to discover your full potential as a human being.

9. “The secret to getting ahead is simply to begin.” — Mark Twain
The most common way to fail is by never starting at all.

If you dare to take the first step in any endeavor, congratulations, you are already ahead of most people in this world.

Now and then, you’ll come across a few words that make you reassess everything.

They’ll not only change how you see the world, but also yourself and the people you’re closest to.

They might hurt you and hit close to home, but they’ll also profoundly improve your current life.

Here are a few of them words…

1. “Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people.” — Carl Jung
Everyone has some form of darkness lurking underneath the surface, and it’s usually something you’re not very proud of as well.

If you don’t think you do, you don’t know yourself very well.

Rather than denying this, locking it away, and throwing away the key, acknowledge it.

Not only does understanding your own darkness make you understand yourself better, but it also makes you more compassionate toward others.

2. “Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways.” — Sigmund Freud
If you keep everything bubbled up inside, you’ll eventually erupt like a volcano.

And it won’t be pretty. It could get seriously messy.

Find an outlet for how to express yourself before it’s too late to do so.

You’ll feel better for it, and you’ll be less likely to hurt yourself and the people around you.

3. “People may spend their whole lives climbing the ladder of success only to find, once they reach the top, that the ladder is leaning against the wrong wall.” — Thomas Merton
The number of people who dedicate their whole lives to climbing to the top of the mountain only to realize there’s no pretty view at the end is saddening.

Sadly, you might not even know you’re climbing up the wrong mountain until you reach the peak, which is scary.

But luckily, it’s never too late to change course, no matter how far along the journey you are, even if you’re already at the top.

4. "Your relationship with others is a direct reflection of your relationship with yourself." — Mark Manson
If you never seem to develop positive relationships with others, there’s a high probability that others aren’t the problem, you are.

You can never develop good relationships with others until you’ve first developed one with yourself.

5. “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. ”— Aristotle
The ultimate test of a person’s psychological makeup is the ability to dismiss a thought or idea that isn’t true.

The most accurate reflection of a person’s mind is their ability to change their opinions and thoughts at any time.

6. “Man only likes to count his troubles; he doesn’t calculate his happiness.” — Fyodor Dostoyevsky
It’s incredibly sad, but we have this awful tendency to focus more on life’s negatives than on its positives.

With this kind of negative kind of attitude, it’s no wonder people are becoming more and more unhappy.

It’s not a personal problem, it’s a societal problem.

7. “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river, and he’s not the same man.” — Heraclitus
The world is in a constant flux, and so are you as a person.

Your thoughts and mindset from 5 years ago will be different from what they are today, and what you thought was great way back when might seem terrible today.

And that’s okay.

That shows that you’ve grown as a human being.

8. “Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so.” — Bertrand Russell
Now this one is really haunting.

It’s haunting because it’s actually true.

People genuinely can’t stand sitting alone with their own thoughts.

Sadly, it’s gotten to the stage where having the ability to sit quietly with one’s thoughts has become a modern-day superpower, and it’s being able to think alone, which is a person’s greatest advantage.

Reply to Medium article: America’s Big Stupid Energy, or What Happens When Stupid Goes Radioactive and Melts a Society Down
https://medium.com/eudaimonia-co/americas-big-stupid-energy-or-what-happens-when-stupid-goes-radioactive-and-melts-a-society-down-9e07bd34bd6c
Umair Haque


I think it more useful to look at what we lost than at the stupidity that we gained... What have we lost that might account for this gain in stupidity? I'm writing a book about this currently and I'm proposing that we have lost our basic mental operating system. This system protected us from falsehoods and misinformation, both internal and external. It led to understanding and temperance. It gave us wisdom. What is this amazing operating system and how did we lose it? WWI showed the power and wealth offered by science. The 1925 Scopes trial pretty much was the last major battle in the ancient war between science and religion, with science the winner. Yes, you can see that STEM has crowded out just about every topic not STEM, including such valuable teachings as Home Economics, Physical Education, Manual Arts, Civics, etc. Think of those. While not basic operating systems, we can see their value. What else was crowded out that might explain this epic stupidity we face. We know the problem. It's misinformation, from all sources, including internal. What protects us from that? What discerns truth? The logic and reason of Critical Thinking. Everyone knows how horrible we are at that today. We know we need those skills, but no one asks how it is learned. It is a topic that science has denigrated and replaced, claiming it is archaic and obsolete. It is philosophy. No, not Nietzsche or Locke or Hobbs or Machiavelli and not even the Allegory of the Cave. BASIC philosophy, like that engraved on the walls of the temple of Apollo at Delphi or the similar simplicity of the Dao, Buddha or Confucius. More advanced philosophy is wonderful and enlightening, but basic philosophy is the essential operating system that makes the human mind function effectively and STEM has crowded it out. The irony is that science relies on critical thinking and philosophy, but no topic in science teaches it. We have to teach basic philosophy at a young age, like we used to, like we teach reading. Yes, we learn some philosophy from culture, but obviously not enough. It is not just that stupidity has increased so dramatically. It is that our defense against it has reduced.

The '@' sign means copied. The # sign says should copy.

Observe, don't absorb. Buddha.
An entire sea of water cannot sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship. Similarly, the negativity of the world can't put you down unless you allow it to get inside you. - Stoic
You cannot change someone. You can only change how you react to them...
Our greatest freedom is how we react to things.
#
If your mind reasons that you are a loser, guess what? You will be.
If your mind reasons that your life sucks, guess what? It will.
If your mind reasons that you should disappear because you’re worthless, guess what? I don’t have to tell you, do I?

What you think about day and night forms your character and personality. MAsami Saionji

The nobelist pleasure is understanding - Leonardo Di Vinci
"Piety requires us to honor truth above our friends." ARISTOTLE
"Honesty is the first chapter of the book wisdom." ― Thomas Jefferson 

Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something - Henry David Thooreau
No Man Is an Island: The Stoic Golden Rule
#We suffer more in imagination than in reality - Seneca

Life begins where fear ends.
Everything you ever wanted is on the other side of fear.
Risk something or forever sit with your dreams. Herb Brooks
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear. Ambrose Redmoon.
Fear doesn't stop death. It stops life.
Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. James Baldwin

Another's success does not diminish our own. Ours will come with time.
You mustn't confuse a single failure with a final defeat.

If you look for perfection, you will never be satisfied. Leo Tolstoy.
If you aim for perfection, you will probably do good enough.

Creativity is one of the greatest drives in humans.
It is easier to destroy than to create, but creating is fun and a human's greatest ability. 
It is not enough to know your craft — you have to have feeling. Science is all very well, but for us imagination is worth far more. Edouard Manet
Imagination abandoned by reason produces impossible monsters; united with her, she is the mother of the arts and source of their wonders. Francisco Goya
A person without imagination is like a teabag without hot water. Alan Fletcher, acclaimed British graphic designe

You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way. Walter Hagen
Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans. Allen Saunders
There’s no time to be bored in a world as beautiful as this. Unknown
Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast — you also miss the sense of where you are going and why. Eddie Cantor
Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder. E.B. White
Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat. In our mad rush for progress and modern improvements, let’s be sure we take along with us all the old-fashioned things worthwhile. Laura Ingalls Wilder
Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time. John Lubbock
The simplest things are overlooked. And yet, it is the simplest things that are the most essential. Thomas Lloyd Qualls
The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have.

The only effective answer to organized greed is organized labor. Thomas R. Donahue
The most important word in the language of the working class is "solidarity." Harry Bridges
Freedom is never granted: It is won. Justice is never given: It is exacted. Freedom and justice must be struggled for by the oppressed of all lands and races. A. Philip Randolph
We want more school houses and less jails; more books and less arsenals; more learning and less vice … more leisure and less greed; more justice and less revenge; in fact, more of the opportunities to cultivate our better natures, to make manhood more noble, womanhood more beautiful, and childhood more happy and bright. Samuel Gompers

To speak for labor; to plead the cause of the men and women and children who toil; to serve the working class, has always been to me a high privilege; a duty of love. Eugene V. Debs

Before giving advice, ask if you may.
No one wins at revenge.

Your friends will be some of the most valuable things in your life. Friendship is a form of love.
A bird in it's nest, a spider in its web, a person among friends. William Blake
The best friend is he that, when he wishes a person's good, wishes it for that person's own sake. Aristotle

"Optimism realizes that life is bigger than any single battle."– WILLIAM GEORGE JORDAN
"We take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude." – CYNTHIA OZICK

"Time is all we have. Money is a fiction we’ve collectively agreed upon." — Sadhvi Pharasi, 
Nature Doesn’t Rush, So Why Are You?

Very often it is failure that leads to a success that follows.
You must define your life. Don't let anyone else do it.
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
Is you aim for nothing, you will achieve nothing.
A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something. [your instincts]
Sometimes things happen that you don't like. You just have to survive it and go on.
Always try to figure out what the other person's point of view is and why.
Not to decide is to decide.
Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.
It's not the pursuit of happiness. It's the happiness of the pursuit.
It's not the journey or the destination. It's who you become on the journey.
The gratification is in the doing as much or more than the result.
Life is a journey.
Who will betray you once will betray you a thousand times. There is no reason to drink the ocean to realize that it is salty.
What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what difference you want to make. Jane Goodall
Those who want to rule people are the least suited to do it.
Do not ask for an easy life. Ask for the strength to endure a difficult one. Bruce Lee
Above all, don't fear difficult moments. The best comes from them. 
Within you there is a stillness and sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time. herman hesse
"Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive. Because what the world needs, is people who have come alive."
In all things it is better to hope than to despair. Goethe
It takes passion to solve the really difficult problems and questions.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act but a habit. ...maybe.
Endure and keep your days for happiness - Virgil
Life is a succession of lessons that must be lived to be understood - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Enthusiasm is the great hill climber - Elbert Hubbard
If you walk the footsteps of a stranger / You’ll learn things you never knew you never knew. - "Colors of the Wind" from "Pocahontas"
The time is always right to do what's right. Martin Luther King Jr.
#Focus on being productive instead of busy. Timothy Ferriss, "The 4-Hour Workweek"
When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal. Napoleon Hill, "Think and Grow Rich"
Rudeness is a weak person's imitation of strength. Eric Hoffer
Your goals must be at the forefront of your day, not an afterthought. Jill Koenig
The function of man is to live, not to exist.
We have the ability. Teh difference is how we use it. Stevie Wonder
The world only exists in your eyes... You can make it as big or as small as you want. - F. Scott Fitzgerald
You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.
Maya Angelou

The wave that knocks you down, rapidly retreats. Rise before the next arrives. Resiliance lies in rapid recovery, not avoiding falls.
That the situation is hopeless should not prevent us from doing our best.#
Clothes make the man.
The worst thing about lies is that some of them are true.

"Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else." – FRED RODGERS

What is now proved was once only imagined.
Everyone must be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. James 1:19
You are, after all, what you think. Your emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions. Elizabeth Gilbert
It takes something more than intelligence to act intelligently. Fyodor Dostoevsky
The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. # Barak Obama
When life gets hectic and you feel overwhelmed, take a moment to focus on the people and things you are most grateful for. When you have an attitude of gratitude, frustrating troubles will fall by the wayside. Dana Arcuri
We just don't recognize life's most significant moments while they're happening. Back then I thought, "Well, there'll be other days." I didn't realize that that was the only day.
Dr. Archibald "Moonlight" Graham (Burt Lancaster) in "Field of Dreams" (1989)
You'll have bad times, but it'll always wake you up to the good stuff you weren't paying attention to.
Sean (Robin Williams) in "Good Will Hunting" (1997)
The man who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The man who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been before. Francis Phillip Wernig

When a true genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign; that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. Jonathan Swift

Ouiser, I'd recognize this penmanship anywhere. You have the handwritin' of a serial killer.
Clairee Belcher

"I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."
– TENNESSEE WILLIAMS, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

https://www.stoicsimple.com/seneca-stoicism-quotes/
It's not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste so much of it - Seneca

Winning doesn't always mean being first. Winning means you're doing better than you've ever done before.
Bonnie Blair
If you care about what you do and work hard at it, there isn’t anything you can’t do if you want to.
Jim Henson
Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud. Maya Angelou
Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom. George Washington Carver

1. Rules for happiness: Something to do. Someone to love. Something to hope for. Immanuel Kant.
To be alive is reason enough to live, but love is a better reason. Nature says that your job is to survive, but survival is about more than you.
8. Who you marry will be one of the most important decisions in your life. Marrying the wrong person can ruin your life. You are very lucky if you can marry a friend.
Never give up.
You are stronger than you think.
Whatever you are, try to be the best at it. Seneca, William Makepeace Thackeray, Abraham Lincoln
Do what needs to be done without waiting to be told. 
You have to be able to think of things, including things you don't like, without believing them.
Gratitude is one of the best paths to happiness.
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” — Epictetus
The bird in a nest, the spider a web, man friendship. William Blake 
One reason why birds and horses are not unhappy is because they are not trying to impress other birds and horses. Dale Carnegie

"Comparison is the thief of Joy."  Only compare yourself to who you were yesterday. (Very common lesson and very true)
33. People matter more than things."
34. Don't be in a hurry to grow up. Being an adult sucks. (From the Reddit list on the long page. Interesting stuff)
37. Beauty inspires and is worth working for. Always look for it. It is found many places.
38. Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Seneca
39. There is a paradox that many times, your greatest creativity is not when you are working, but when you are just letting your mind wander.
Don't plan it all. Let life surprise you a little.
40. A great man is hard on himself. A small man is hard on others. Confucius
Someone is sitting in the shade today because long ago someone planted a tree.
25. The roots of education … are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. Aristotle
26. All good things lie on the other side of working for them. 
The greatest leaning comes from failure, not success.
30. Learn how to manage money.
"You are not entitled to anything. Nobody owes you anything! Work hard, save, make smart decisions, and surround yourself with like-minded people."

51. Only the curious have something to find. Sean Watkins - One for you
52. Every noble work is at first impossible. Thomas Carlyle
53. Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway. Eleanor Roosevelt - I can go with that
54. If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. Dolly Parton or No mud, no lotus. Thích 
Ask a child- who did you help today?
58. Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.
70. The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away. Pablo Picasso
71. There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up. John Holmes
72. Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants. Epictetus
74. Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.  Ayn Rand
75. Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant. P.T. Barnum
76. Capital as such is not evil; it is its wrong use that is evil. Capital in some form or other will always be needed. Mahatma Gandhi
77. Money looks better in the bank than on your feet. Sophia Amoruso
78. It is preoccupation with possession, more than anything else, that prevents men from living freely and nobly. Bertrand Russell

82. Fame and wealth without wisdom are unsafe possessions. Democritus
83. Only the educated are free. Epictetus
84. Wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder. Socrates
85. The unexamined life is not worth living. Socrates  ... A person must examine their life.
86. The greatest reward of righteousness is peace of mind. Epicurus
87. It is difficulties that show what men are. Epictetus
88. Change is unending. Various
89. It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up. Vince Lombardi

98. All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveller is unaware. Martin Buber
96. @A year from now, you will wish you had started today. Unknown

93. Tough times never last, but tough people do! Robert H. Schuller (Common comment that good and bad times don't last.)

* Elvis Presley *
99. To judge a man by his weakest link or deed is like judging the power of the ocean by one wave.

102. Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain’t goin’ away.
104. @Money can never buy everything your heart desires. It won't buy love, or health, or truth 
108. The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity. Amelia Earhart
109. @Happiness depends upon ourselves. Aristotle

114. "For better or for worse, confidence opens as many doors as competence."  Disney Studios.
115. No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for anyone else. Charles Dickens
119. Respect others. Look for what to respect about them, especially if they are not gifted. 
120. Take care of your friends. Protect their dignity. Really, help whoever you can when they get knocked down. Sometimes, we all need help getting to our feet.

*** Not in My List One ***
Intolerance is the first sign of an inadequate education. An ill-educated person behaves with arrogant impatience, whereas truly profound education breeds humility.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn
People almost invariably arrive at their beliefs not on the basis of proof but on the basis of what they find attractive.
Blaise Pasca
Everyone is a prisoner of his own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices — just recognize them.
Edward R. Murrow

One of the worst things to lose is time. It cannot be recovered.

I've collected over 2000 philosophical quotes for analysis and cross referencing. I cut it down to this for you. I hope it is interesting and amusing.
1. @Rules for happiness: Something to do. Someone to love. Something to hope for. Immanuel Kant.
   He who has a why in life can tolerate almost any how. Nietzsche
2. @To be alive is reason enough to live, but love is a better reason. Nature says that your job is to survive, but survival is about more than you.
3. You don’t meet the people you love; you recognize them. Anna Gavalda (Means friends too).
4. It works out smarter sometimes to go after the girl that wants you rather than the girl you want.
5. In every relationship is a giver and a taker. That can change. You need to be able to both give and take just as you need to be able to lead and follow.
6. Know yourself. your vocation (job) avocation (hobbies), your likes and dislikes.
7. @Your friends will be some of the most valuable things in your life. Friendship is a form of love and the best way to start a "marriage". It supports the parent's relationship when there are children, and the mother naturally focuses on them. Your brothers and sisters should be best friends.  No person is your friend that demands your silence or denies your right to grow.
8. @You must define your life. Don't let anyone else do it.
8. @Who you marry will be one of the most important decisions in your life. Marrying the wrong person can ruin your life. You are very lucky if you can marry a friend.
9. "Love is a serious mental disease."  Plato (I think he knew me) Love is when another person's happiness is more important to you than your own. You are on this Earth to love and be loved.
10. @Whatever you are, try to be the best at it. Seneca, William Makepeace Thackeray, Abraham Lincoln
11. @This is one of my favorites and one of the most important because it makes you think outside yourself and it helps solve the problems of the world:
Army Ranger’s motto: Sua Sponte. Its Latin for: "of your own accord." It means to do what needs to be done without waiting to be told. 

* The commonest lesson in philosophy is about the need for courage * 
### Fear
12. Fears are something to overcome. Without courage, most other virtues cannot be sustained when they are most needed.
13. Bravery doesn’t refer to the absence of fear, but to righteous action in the face of it.
14. Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. Anaîs Nin
15. Do one thing every day that scares you. Elenor Roosevelt. (It sounds good anyway, but you quickly run out)
16. Freedom lies in being bold.  Robert Frost
17. Fear is stupid. So are regrets. Marilyn Monroe
18. Timidness never won the fair maiden's heart.
19. In the end, what we regret most are the chances we never took. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) in "Frasier" (Too true)

20 In my study of philosophy, perhaps the second commonest advice is about the value of humility. Especially true for any superior person. It does though need to be balanced with pride.
21. @It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. Aristotle
22. Patience is a necessary ingredient of genius. Benjamin Dosraeli
23. @Gratitude is one of the best paths to happiness. Science shows that doing things, often small things, for others will bring happiness.
24. @"Comparison is the thief of Joy."  Only compare yourself to who you were yesterday. (Very common lesson and very true)
25. @The roots of education … are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. Aristotle
26. @All good things lie on the other side of working for them. Me and others
27. #We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us. ~ Marcel Proust
28. @The greatest leaning comes from failure, not success.
29. Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel. Socrates

30. @Learn how to manage money. 
31. @"You are not entitled to anything. Nobody owes you anything! Work hard, save, make smart decisions, and surround yourself with like-minded people."
32. It's OK to make mistakes but learn from your mistakes and move on." You should learn more from mistakes than successes.
33. @People matter more than things."
34. @Don't be in a hurry to grow up. Being an adult sucks. (From the Reddit list on the long page. Interesting stuff)

35. You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Maya Angelou (Basic Stoicism)
36. In my life, the best thing I know of is gentleness. Be kind and gentle, especially towards yourself. Me
37. @Beauty inspires and is worth working for. Always look for it. It is found many places.
38. @Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Seneca
39. @There is a paradox that many times, your greatest creativity is not when you are working, but when you are just letting your mind wander.

40. @A great man is hard on himself. A small man is hard on others. Confucius
41. Avoid studies of which the result dies with the worker. Leonardo De Vinci
42. @Don't plan it all. Let life surprise you a little. Julia Alvarez
43. A small act is worth a million thoughts. Ai Weiwei
44. As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.
45. When we sow a seed, we plant the future. (Repeated often)
46. @Someone is sitting in the shade today because long ago someone planted a tree. Warren Buffet
47. Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together. Vincent van Gogh
48. Success is sometimes the outcome of a whole string of failures. Vincent van Gogh
49. Normality is a paved road: It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow. Vincent van Gogh
50. They sicken of the calm, who knew the storm. Dorthy Parker - I love that one
51. @Only the curious have something to find. Sean Watkins - One for you
52. @Every noble work is at first impossible. Thomas Carlyle
53. @Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway. Eleanor Roosevelt - I can go with that
54. @If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. Dolly Parton or No mud, no lotus. Thích Nhat Hanh
55. Be Happy. Take care of your teeth. Always let your conscience be your guide. (To follow your gut feeling is surprisingly common advice. I think it means use trust your instincts.)
56. @Ask a child- who did you help today? (There is a list of these "questions for grandparents" on the main page. They are how one would teach a young child self awareness and awareness of their world.)
57. There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children. Nelson Mandela
58. @Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much. Helen Keller (A lesson for strong people that can do a lot alone.)
59. Reason well from the beginning and then there will never be any need to look back with confusion and doubt. Dalai Lama
60. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. Dalai Lama
61. A fool sees himself as another, but a wise man sees others as himself. Dogen Zenji
62. When reading, only read. When eating, only eat. When thinking, only think. Seungsahn
63. Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder. E.B. White
64. Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans. Allen Saunders
65. Close your eyes and turn your face into the wind. Feel it sweep along your skin in an invisible ocean of exultation. Suddenly, you know you are alive. Vera Nazarian
66. It always pays to dwell slowly on the beautiful things — the more beautiful the more slowly. Atticus 
67. I fall in love every day. With new songs, dogs, scents, pieces of art, illusions, five-minute conversations, a sunset in my rearview mirror, a story. A written note. A daydream. 68. What a pleasure it is. Victoria Erickson
69. To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own. Abraham Lincoln
70. @The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away. Pablo Picasso
71. @There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up. John Holmes
72. @Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants. Epictetus
73. Money is of value for what it buys, and in love it buys time, place, intimacy, comfort, and a private corner alone. Mae West
74. @Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.  Ayn Rand
75. @Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant. P.T. Barnum
76. @Capital as such is not evil; it is its wrong use that is evil. Capital in some form or other will always be needed. Mahatma Gandhi
77. @Money looks better in the bank than on your feet. Sophia Amoruso
78. @It is preoccupation with possession, more than anything else, that prevents men from living freely and nobly. Bertrand Russell
79. Minimalism is asking why before you buy. Francine Jay
80. He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking. Leo Tolstoy, "Anna Karenina"
81. Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone. [Zen] Alan Watts
82. @Fame and wealth without wisdom are unsafe possessions. Democritus
83. @Only the educated are free. Epictetus
84. @Wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder. Socrates
85. @The unexamined life is not worth living. Socrates
86. @The greatest reward of righteousness is peace of mind. Epicurus
87. @It is difficulties that show what men are. Epictetus
88. @Change is unending. Various
89. @It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up. Vince Lombardi
90. Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Martin Luther King Jr.
91. It is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change. Queen Elizabeth II
92. Courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own. Michelle Obama
93. @Tough times never last, but tough people do! Robert H. Schuller (Common comment that good and bad times don't last.)
94. I have learned that there is more power in a good strong hug than in a thousand meaningful words. Ann Hood
95. The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be. Janet Champ and Charlotte Moore
96. @A year from now, you will wish you had started today. Unknown
97. In art and dream may you proceed with abandon. In life may you proceed with balance and stealth. Patti Smith (Yeah, I wish)
98. @All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveller is unaware. Martin Buber

* Elvis Presley *
99. @To judge a man by his weakest link or deed is like judging the power of the ocean by one wave.
100. Money's meant to be spread around. The more happiness it helps create, the more it’s worth. It's worthless as old cut-up paper if it just lies in a bank and grows there without ever having been used to help a body. (Well, he was wealthy)
102. @Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain’t goin’ away.
103. I figure all any kid needs is hope and the feeling he or she belongs. If I could do or say anything that would give some kid that feeling, I would believe I had contributed something to the world.
104. @Money can never buy everything your heart desires. It won't buy love, or health, or true happiness. (It sure can help with peace of mind though)
105. Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.  H. Jackson Brown Jr.
106. "People are like dirt. They can either nourish you and help you grow as a person or they can stunt your growth and make you wilt and die." Plato
107. Action is the antidote to despair. Joan Baez
108. @The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity. Amelia Earhart
109. @Happiness depends upon ourselves. Aristotle
110. The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. James Oppenheim
111. Happiness is not something readymade. It comes from your own actions. Dalai Lama
112. Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose. Helen Keller
113. No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted island, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit. Helen Keller
114. @"For better or for worse, confidence opens as many doors as competence."  Disney Studios.
115. @No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for anyone else. Charles Dickens
116. Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. William James
117. Conquer anger with love, evil with good, meanness with generosity, and lies with truth. Gautama Buddha - also the essence of Christianity
118. The only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action.
Alexander Graham Bell - As long as one can act, no failure remains such, if we keep working to turn it into a success.
119. @Respect others. Look for what to respect about them, especially if they are not gifted. You would like others to respect you for what you respect about yourself, but in your case, they are unlikely to be able to recognize that, so give them something to work with.
120. @Take care of your friends. Protect their dignity. Really, help whoever you can when they get knocked down. Sometimes, we all need help getting to our feet.
121. Some writers warn against being a nice guy. Well, that's me. It comes with good and bad, but with my size I had little choice.
122. @Stop and smell the roses.

Be kind. be Gentle.
Do not judge a person by a weakness htey have without judging them by their strength as well. Palpable.

You get what you work for ... ?

Life is not how it is but how you think it is. 

“Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”
"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive — to breathe, to think, to enjoy, tolove." Marcus Aurelius

Gratitude is the key to unlocking happiness and contentment in our lives. By focusing on what we have, rather than what we lack, we cultivate a sense of abundance and joy.
Zeno of Citium 

Thankfully, perseverance is a great substitute for talent.

It's pain that changes our lives.

If honor was profitable, everyone would be honorable. Thomas More.

We all have different gifts, so we all have different ways of saying to the world who we are. Fred Rogers.

Optimism is a happiness magnet. Mary Lou Retton

Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.
Helen Keller

“Many strokes, though with a little axe, hew down and fell the hardest-timber'd oak.”
—William Shakespeare, "Henry VI, Part III"

I see your fear, and it’s big. I also see your courage, and it’s bigger.
Glennon Doyle

There are moments when tribulations occur in our lives, and we cannot avoid them. But they are there for some reason … Only when we have overcome them do we understand why they were there.
Paulo Coelho

There is something you must remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart, I’ll always be with you.
Christopher Robin (Frankie J. Galasso) in "Pooh’s Grand Adventure"

Being a successful person is not necessarily defined by what you have achieved, but by what you have overcome.
Fannie Flagg

We’re here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark.
Whoopi Goldberg

If you remain calm in the midst of great chaos, it is the surest guarantee that it will eventually subside.
Julie Andrews

Every adversity has the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit.
Napoleon Hill

Life is short, but it is wide. This too shall pass.
Rebecca Wells

*character — the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life — is the source from which self-respect springs.
Joan Didion (born December 5, 1934)

*One's destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.
Henry Miller (born December 26, 1891)

*Hard days are the best because that's where champions are made, so if you push through the hard days you can get through anything.
Gabby Douglas (born December 31, 1995)

Life is composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere, and saccharine if we tried to pretend there were no shadows … The important thing is to teach a child that good can always triumph over evil.
Walt Disney (born December 5, 1901)

There are flowers everywhere for those who want to see them.
Henri Matisse (born December 31, 1869)

*You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.
Woodrow Wilson (born December 28, 1856)

To be aware of a single shortcoming within oneself is more useful than to be aware of a thousand in someone else.
Dalai lama.

“Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.”
​– DALAI LAMA

Hope is essential.

“Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow-ripening fruit.”
—Aristotle, "Nichomachean Ethics"

“There is no doubt that even the greatest musical geniuses have sometimes worked without inspiration.”
—Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

“Impatience is a great obstacle to success.”
—Napoleon Bonaparte

“Leave this world a little better than you found it.”
—Robert Baden-Powell

Be in love with your life, every detail of it. Jack Kerouac

What was important wasn’t the fireworks. It was that we were together this evening, looking in this place, together in this place, looking up into the sky at the same time. Banana Yoshimoto, asleep.

Just remember, the truth spirit of Christmas is in your heart. Chris Van Alberg, the Polar express.

“Plato is my friend—Aristotle is my friend—but my greatest friend is truth.”
—Isaac Newton

You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.
Pooh, "Pooh's Little Instruction Book"

Isn't the smallest chance of victory enough of a reason for us to keep fighting?
The Red Ranger/Jason Lee Scott (Austin St. John) in "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers"

We worked hard, and we deserve to take it easy for a little bit. I mean, just look at that view. It’s beautiful.
Steven (Zach Callison) in "Steven Universe"

As I always say: Make mistakes, make mistakes, make mistakes! It's the best way to learn something.
Ms. Valerie Frizzle (Lily Tomlin) in "The Magic School Bus"

It’s better to do one job well than two jobs … not so well.
Bob (William Dufris) in "Bob the Builder"

"Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness."

Helping others is just the right thing to do.

“When we see men of worth, we should think of equaling them; when we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.”
—Confucius, “Analects”

“All things excellent are as difficult as they are rare.”
—Baruch Spinoza, "Ethics"

“A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.”
– ARNOLD GLASOW

“This much you have taught me: that I should learn to take food as medicine.”
—Augustine, "Confessions"

“Associate yourself with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company.”
—George Washington

“Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.”
– PAULO COELHO

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
—Epicurus, "Letters"

“The best financial plan is to save like a pessimist and invest like an optimist.” — Morgan Housel

It is always our own self that we find at the end of the journey.

#People rarely succeed unless they are having fun. Dale Carnegie.

#There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.
Aldous Huxley, author

The unexamined life is not worth living for human beings.
Socrates

#As Lincoln said—a government of the people, by the people, for the people.

Self-correction begins with self-knowledge.
Baltasar Gracián, writer

One of the sure signs of maturity is the ability to rise to the point of self-criticism.
Martin Luther King Jr.

Find out who you are and do it on purpose.
Dolly Parton

“There are as many ways to love as there are to walk a forest.”
– MARIA POPOVA

#The future depends on what you do today.
Mahatma Gandhi

#Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
Thomas Jefferson

The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.
Confucius

Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.
Stephen King

The real value of a real education … has almost nothing to do with knowledge, and everything to do with simple awareness.
David Foster

Under pressure, the most important thing I have to remember is to breathe.
Curtis Strange, golfer

True character is revealed in the choices a human being makes under pressure — the greater the pressure, the deeper the revelation.
Robert McKee, author and lecturer

I am not looking to escape the pressure. I am embracing it. Pressure is what builds up in the chamber behind a bullet before it explodes out of the gun.
Ronda Rousey, wrestler and mixed martial artist

If you want to know where your heart is, look to where your mind goes when it wanders. Walt Whitman. 

“The best work ethic requires a good rest ethic.” – KEVIN KELLY

“To be good, and to do good, is the whole duty of man comprised in a few words. —Abigail Adams

“In a world that can often feel unstable and uncertain, our relationships — romantic, platonic, communal — become the anchors that ground us.” – ESTHER PEREL

“To be a good human being is to have a kind of openness to the world, an ability to trust uncertain things beyond your own control.” – MARTHA NUSSBAUM

“The optimist goes to work with the best that is at hand now, and proceeds to create better times.” – CHRISTIAN D. LARSON

“It is neither wealth nor splendor, but tranquillity and occupation, which give happiness.” —Thomas Jefferson

“If what must be given is given willingly the kindness is doubled.” — Publilius Syrus, "Maxims"

“A little misery, at times, makes one appreciate happiness more.” —L. Frank Baum, "Adventures in Oz"

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – ANAÏS NIN

“In everything the middle course is best: all things in excess bring trouble to men.” —Plautus

“Wherever there is a human being there is an opportunity for a kindness.”  —Seneca the Younger

“It is the sign of a great spirit to be moderate in prosperity.” —Seneca the Elder

“The secret of happiness is freedom and the secret of freedom is courage.” —Thucydides

“Virtue is the health of the soul.” —Aristo of Chios

“It is difficulties that show what men are.” —Epictetus

“Nature has given men one tongue but two ears, so that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak.” —Epictetus

“The human spirit, driven by an invincible force, will never cease to ask: What is beyond?”
—Louis Pasteur

“Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier.” – ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

“We are stronger when we listen, and smarter when we share.” – RANIA AL-ABDULLAH

“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.”
—Dale Carnegie

“With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable.”
—Thomas Buxton

“I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious effort.” - Henry David Thoreau

“What more valuable than Gold? Diamonds. Than Diamonds? Virtue.”
—Benjamin Franklin

Listen to your gut. It is rarely wrong.

“The one who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand.”
– RABINDRANATH TAGORE

“I am human, therefore nothing relating to humanity is outside of my concern.”
—Terence, "The Self-Tormentor"

“Storytelling is a tool for knowing who we are and what we want.”
– URSULA K. LE GUIN

“The tree which fills the arms grew from the tiniest sprout.”
—Lao Tzu, "Tao Te Ching"  [From small acorns, grow mighty oaks?]

“In every man's writings, the character of the writer must lie recorded.”
—Thomas Carlyle

“The great man is the one who does not lose his [innately good] child's heart.”
— Mencius, "The Book of Mencius"

“Courage is an inner resolution to go forward in spite of obstacles and frightening situations.”
– MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

“Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities, because, as has been said, ‘it is the quality which guarantees all others.’”
— Winston Churchill

“The second half of a man's life is made up of nothing but the habits he has acquired during the first half.”
— Fyodor Dostoyevsky, "The Possessed"

“The effort to strive for truth has to precede all other efforts.”
— Albert Einstein

“To flee vice is the beginning of virtue, and to have got rid of folly is the beginning of wisdom.”
— Horace, "Epistles"


James Garner was eaised dirt-poor in Oklahoma, he lost his mother at five. His stepmother beat him with wire hangers, spatulas, and her fists. At fourteen, he finally fought back. She left, and Garner carried the lesson with him for life: silence is not strength, and standing up, even at a cost, is.
James Garner did not chase stardom. He chased fairness, truth, and dignity, rare qualities in Hollywood. He did not just play the man who outsmarted the system. He was the man who stood up to it — and kept working anyway.

As Augustine said, we know certain basic, simple answers, such as that we exist, that we are capable of knowing, and we love that we know these answers. (Confessions) Even philosophers, who are steeped in wonder and questions, enjoy having answers.

We all try to make things simpler because simple answers are comforting. The problem is that simple answers are rare, if they exist at all. How many questions have simple “yes” or “no” answers? How many problems we face have a simple solution?
*
Per Theresa of Avila: ‘Do not seek certainty because nothing in life is certain. Rather, seek constancy. aka ‘wisdom’.
*
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong." - HL Mencken
*
"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function," is a quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald
*
“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.”
—Galileo Galilei

“Science does not know its debt to imagination.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.” —Samuel Johnson

“Maybe that’s the best part of going away for a vacation — coming home again.” – MADELEINE L’ENGLE

“I wish to be adorned with every virtue, yet there is nothing which I can esteem more highly than the being and appearing grateful.” —Cicero

“It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.” – E.E. CUMMINGS

“Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.”
—Ovid, "The Art of Love"

You are responsible for your own happiness. If you expect others to make you happy, you will always be disappointed. Buddha.

A man who lacks a purpose will distract himself with pleasure.

“Except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power.”
—René Descartes ... yeah, what the Stoics said...

“The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.”
—René Descartes

“Sometimes you simply needed someone kind to sit with you while you dealt with things.”
– GAIL HONEYMAN, ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE

“The brave man carves out his fortune, and every man is the son of his own works.”
—Miguel de Cervantes, "Don Quixote"

“You have to express yourself. And to express yourself, you have to know yourself.”
– ETHAN HAWKE

“Seek out each day as many as possible of the small joys.” – HERMANN HESSE

“Ideas do not reach perfection in a day, no matter how much study is put upon them.”
—Alexander Graham Bell

“To err is human; to forgive, divine.”
– ALEXANDER POPE

Every man dies. Not every man ever lives. ##

“Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.”
—Arthur Conan Doyle, "The Valley of Fear"

Do not just react. Animals react. Choose how you will act, especially in a relationship. ##

“When we let our light shine, we draw to us and are drawn to other bearers of light.”
– BELL HOOKS

“Suddenly a mist fell from my eyes and I knew the way I had to take.”
—Edvard Grieg

“Whoever is happy will make others happy too. He who has courage and faith will never perish in misery!”
—Anne Frank, "The Diary of a Young Girl"

Victor Hugo once said, “There are many charming women, but no perfect ones.” This reminds us that nobody’s perfect — we all have our flaws.

“The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.”
—Marcus Aurelius, "Meditations"

“Wherever you are, be there. Take up space.”
– MAYA STEIN

“We should love others truly, for their own sakes rather than our own.”
—Thomas Aquinas, "Theological Texts"

“What fuels your spirit, fuels your body.”
– CAROLINE MYSS

“Men are only too clever at shifting blame from their own shoulders to those of others.”
—Livy, "History of Rome"

“One always has time enough, if one will apply it well.”
—Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

If you have studied the science of happiness elsewhere, you’ll know that getting happier requires three kinds of effort: using your intellect to understand your emotions and impulses, building conscious habits that create well-being, and sticking to these habits, notwithstanding your short-term urges. Another way of saying this is that you need to pay attention to your passions, intellect, and will.

Kinetic distractions, or hedonistic drives? Must be governed by intellect. (Maybe Thomas Acquinas)

"It is never too late to improve. Get the right heroes and copy them." - Warren Buffet
"When you help someone in any of thousands of ways, you help the world." - Warren Buffet
"Kindness is costless but also priceless." - Warren Buffet
"I write this as one who has been thoughtless countless times and made many mistakes but also became very lucky in learning from some wonderful friends how to behave better (still a long way from perfect, however)." - Warren Buffet

...
Men have conquored their nature, which is violent, aggressive competition. Women are going to have to conquor their nature as well.

Archetypes
Triver's moities

To live on this world is a privilage.

Being alive is a grand thing. Agatha Christie

#The greatest danger to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.
Robert Swan, explorer and environmental activist
***

#It's usually more about the journey than the destination.

#Your past is not your future.

#What is done cannot be undone, but one can prevent it fromn happening again. Anne Frank

"People suffer when they pursue a life or chase a dream that doesn’t belong to them." — Caroline Myss
"You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love." — Jim Carrey

"If the path before you is clear, you’re probably on someone else’s" — Joseph Campbell
An analogy I held close during this time was driving a car in the dark. At night, we can’t see our final destination, all we can see is what our headlights illuminate in front of us. But as the car keeps moving forward more of the journey reveals itself until we arrive at where we need to be.

***
Only a free and independent press will keep a democratic government honest, or at least as honest as it feels it need be because it knows that a free press will always be watching and trying to ferret out what is going on in the shadows.

#Man, far from being the overlord of all creation, is himself part of nature, subject to the same cosmic forces that control all other life. Man's future welfare and probably even his survival depend upon his learning to live in harmony, rather than in combat, with these forces.
Rachel Carson

The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.
Isaac Asimov

#You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him discover it in himself.
Galileo Galilei

#One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose, and life is empty without it. Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don't throw it away.
Stephen Hawking
***
It's a great gift, being alive ... And I'm sober and that I'm not doing drugs, that's a damn good accomplishment ... I'm ahead.
Richard Pryor, "Richard Pryor: Here and Now," 1983

I cannot express how important it is to believe that taking one tiny — and possibly very uncomfortable — step at a time can ultimately add up to a great distance.
Tig Notaro, "I'm Just a Person," 2016

Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist.
George Carlin

We should forgive the ones of us that are weaker and support the ones of us that are stronger. And then we can beat the thing.
Dave Chappelle, "The Bird Revelation," 2017

#Do your thing and don't care if they like it.
Tina Fey, "Bossypants," 2011

The act of creation fascinates me. You can only sit with a blank page and wait. You cannot press a button, cannot program it.
Joan Rivers, "Enter Talking," 1987

Your perceived failure can become the catalyst for profound reinvention.
Conan O'Brien, "Dartmouth College Commencement Address," 2011

#Laugh loudly, laugh often, and most important, laugh at yourself.
Chelsea Handler, "Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea," 2008

“Nothing has such power to broaden the mind as the ability to investigate systematically and truly all that comes under your observation in life.”
—Marcus Aurelius, "Meditations"

“Instruction does much, but encouragement everything.”
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
***


#Don't dwell on the past ... or what you cannot control.
Don't listen to other people? Live your life.
Give it time. Time fixes a lot of things.
Don't compare. Be better than you were yesterday.
Stay calm. You'll get there.
It's on you. Only you are in charge of your life.
#Smile. Life is short. Enjoy it while you can.

A Goal for humanity 07/13/20
There are so many problems and so many solutions but what humanity really needs is a goal that inspires them. Religion has done that in the past but cannot widely do that now. Materialism as an inspiration is a problem. The appeal of both of those though are related to survival. Humanity needs to see a vision of surivival that inspires both the mind and our survival instinct. Ultimately that is what my work is supposed to provide. It's not just a solution to the problems we face or a path to human survival, but a vision of a human future that seems like a goal worth working for.

#your gut instinct is a hardwired part of your brain and you should listen to it.

We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.
John F. Kennedy

There is no better teacher than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.
Malcolm X

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Martin Luther King Jr.

Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.
Rachel Carson

In every relationship is a giver and a taker. Know that is can change. In the future, those that survive will be those that both give and take.

7. "When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love…"

#8. "It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live."

#9. "Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?"

11. "You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength."

#12. "Our life is what our thoughts make it."
Others have said the same too:

"What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create." — Buddha
#"What you are thinking about, you are becoming." — Muhammed Ali
"Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny." — Lao Tzu
So Marcus Aurelius was in good company.

That’s why he felt confident in saying:

#"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts."

It is Lao Tzu’s classic manual on the art of living, the Tao Te Ching, written in the 4th century B.C.E. 
Lao Tzu’s name is most often translated to Old Master. He wrote his book for everyone, but it is especially relevant for older people. His advice is to simplify our lives, lighten our load, and humble ourselves.

“Know honor, yet keep humility.”
—Lao Tzu

“Be silent, if you choose; but when it is necessary, speak—and speak in such a way that people will remember it.”
—Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

“You build inner strength through embracing the totality of your experience, both the delightful parts and the difficult parts.” – PEMA CHÖDRÖN

If you are unaware of the unconscious forces shaping your choices, are you truly the master of your life?

Jung talked about the "shadow" — the parts of ourselves we refuse to acknowledge. These shadows are unconscious, but they influence us just the same. We like to believe we’re always acting from a place of conscious choice, but in reality, our shadow often makes the call.

Awaken your unconscious. The more conscious you become, the less likely you are to be ruled by these unconscious forces. 

"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will rule your life and you will call it Fate."
— Carl Jung

"There is no coming to consciousness without pain. People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own souls. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious." — Carl Jung

"The world will ask you who you are and if you don’t know the world will tell you" — Carl Jung

..."The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are" — Joseph Campbell

1. Befriend Your Shadow
Our shadow is all the things we deny, suppress, or ignore. It’s our fears, behavioural patterns, coping mechanisms, and blind spots. It can even be our belief and value systems if we’ve adopted them from someone (or society) without much scrutiny.
Suppressed emotions are like holding a beach ball underwater. Eventually, they’ll shoot to the surface when we least expect them.
It could manifest as an over reaction to something small, it could show up in your dreams or disrupt your sleep, or at worst, it could turn into illness and/or disease. All of those things happened to me.
That’s why Carl Jung suggested that we befriend our shadow. Otherwise, it will find a way to make itself known in unwanted ways.
“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” — Carl Jung

2. Follow Meaning, Not Pleasure
Carl Jung believed that humans need purpose in life, not mere pleasure or avoidance of discomfort.
Meaning can be so many different things. It can be a spiritual practice, raising a family, building a business, growing a garden, working out, being in a community, seeing friends, looking after animals, or simply residing in the present moment with pure awareness.
“The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it.” — Carl Jung

3. Become whole, not perfect
It was such a relief to learn that becoming whole involved accepting all of my flaws and imperfections instead of trying to get rid of them.
Trying to get rid of them was exhausting. It further added to the idea that I was broken and needed fixing. Acceptance, on the other hand, allowed me to be more compassionate and loving with myself.
It reminded me that a smashed pot needs to be put back together again with all the pieces that are apart. If one piece is missing or not included — however chipped, stained, or lost it might be — it’s incomplete.
If parts of myself aren’t fully integrated, I’m fragmented. That’s not how I want to live my life.
“Wholeness is not achieved by cutting off a portion of one’s being, but by integration of the contraries.” — Carl Jung

4. Get to know your Persona
If you’re anything like me, you won’t be yourself everywhere you go in life. There will be times when you’re more polite than you want to be. There’ll be times when you withhold what you really think and feel. There’ll be times when you say “I’m good” because you know it’s too raw to share how you really feel with a complete stranger.

We all have a mask (or many masks), and that’s ok. Sometimes it’s quite helpful.
The goal is just to get to know these masks so you know when you’re wearing them and why.
“Don’t confuse the mask with the real you.”

Later I learned that Carl Jung referred to this as the path to individuation. 
“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” — Carl Jung

5. Integrate your opposites
Carl Jung believed that in each man and woman lies a masculine and feminine counterpart. He called this anima and animus.

The anima is the feminine side in a man’s psyche; the animus is the masculine side in a woman’s psyche.

For me, being a sensitive man who is more in touch with his feminine side, my work has been to come into my masculine side. I’ve had to learn how to speak my truth and set boundaries without being a defensive asshole. For other men, it’s the other way around.

Whatever it might be, the goal is to balance both our masculine and feminine sides so that the logical and emotional parts, the spiritual and material parts, and the light and darker parts can become one cohesive whole.

This article was written by Stylianos Syropoulos, an assistant professor of psychology at Arizona State University; David Markowitz, an associate professor of communication at Michigan State University; and Kyle Fiore Law, a postdoctoral research scholar in sustainability at Arizona State University, for The Conversation.
​
​Obituaries preserve what families most want remembered about the people they cherish most. Across time, they also reveal the values each era chose to honor.
​
In a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, we analyzed 38 million obituaries of Americans published from 1998 to 2024. We identified the values families most often highlight, and how those values shift across generations, regions, and major historical events.
​
Specifically, working with psychologists Liane Young and Thomas Mazzuchi, we examined the language used on Legacy.com, an online platform where families often post obituaries and share memories of loved ones.
​
During their lifetime, most people tend to be guided by a small set of broad values like caring for others, honoring tradition, keeping loved ones safe, and seeking personal growth. To understand how these values showed up in remembrance, we used text-analysis tools built on curated lists of everyday words people use when talking about those themes.
​
By analyzing the words that appeared again and again in memorials, we could see which values communities chose to emphasize when looking back on the lives of their loved ones, and how those patterns changed over time. Learn which words showed up most often.
https://nicenews.com/humanity/what-obituaries-reveal-life-well-lived/

This is written very close to the end of my analysis of philosophy. 

Over and over in the philosophical maxims is the instruction that a person needs a purpose. That is not hard to understand. One reaches little without a goal. In terms of biology, that purpose is going to be survival. What can be found about this in philosophy? This looks at Existentialism that said that without believing in God, there was no set purpose and we could choose our own. A biologist would assume that human purpose, and the purpose of all life, was survival. Philosophy also mentions the "logical fallacies" including "confirmational bias" or cherry picking data, where one looks for data or opinions to support an already chosen conclusion. This is basically an exercise in that, but the biginning of this story says it is about human survival, so that seems a given. This then goes on to Post-Structualism, regretabley to Post-Modernism and then to look at Rousseau who believed in Naturalism. The reason for all that is to pervasively and logically find the place of survival as a chosen purpose, a choice humanity will have to make in order to survive. 

Interesingly, philosophy also offers a strategy for that in the maxims. Another maxim repeated over and over that the msot satisfying thing a person can do is to help others. That corresponds to the biological analysis of human strategy that says that cooperation, the key to human survival energetic strategy, is not just about working together, but also, dare I say, altruistically helping others.
***
So I looked for a philosophy based on ... human survival... possibly Rousseau. No happening.
Let's see what Mr., Google says.
>Is there a philosophy based on human evolution
Yes, there are several philosophies and philosophical fields deeply rooted in human evolution, including Evolutionary Ethics (explaining morality as an adaptation), Evolutionary Psychology (studying evolved mental mechanisms), Evolutionary Humanism (promoting human flourishing through evolution), and broader philosophical discussions within the Philosophy of Biology, all exploring how our evolutionary past shapes human nature, morality, mind, and society, often challenging traditional views.
*
PhilosophyOfHumanEvolution.pdf - Michael Ruse - Book about how evolution shapes morals, etc.
*
There is a fair amount of discussion about how evolution shapes our thoughts, but not about survival as a purpose.
Philosophers have a problem with human nature and genetic determinism.

OK, I'll do it myself - Survival as purpose. ... move to book.

Poststructuralism and Postmodernism Section - not considered relevant to this

https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/7ddhyx/is_there_a_postexistential_philosophyphilosophers/

The generation of philosophy after existentialism is usually referred to under the term "post-structuralism." These thinkers appear on the scene in the 1960's generation and are roughly connected to the student movement in 1968. The three biggest names are Foucault, Derrida, and Deleuze, the work of whom continues to define a large sector of the philosophical world today.

I think that this essay, "The Ends of Man" by Derrida, gives an interesting insight into the reaction against the existentialism of Sartre and the various readings of Hegel, Husserl, and Heidegger that he'd popularized. Here's a link:
[Very long WTF]
http://www2.hawaii.edu/~freeman/courses/phil360/20.%20Derrida%20-%20The%20Ends%20of%20Man.pdf

Heidegger's critique of existentialism, likewise, was a big motivating factor. You can find this in the "Letter on Humanism."
[404]
http://pacificinstitute.org/pdf/Letter_on_%20Humanism.pdf

For Foucault, I would recommend Society Must Be Defended as a good introduction. His essay "On Popular Justice" also describes some of his disagreements with Sartre. http://www4.uwm.edu/c21/conferences/2008since1968/foucault_maoists.pdf [ - 404]

Deleuze is notoriously difficult, but you might look at some of Manuel De Landa's lectures on YouTube for some of the main ideas.

Poststructuralism is a critical movement challenging the idea of fixed meanings, 
arguing that meaning is fluid, context-dependent, and constructed by systems of power, language, and culture, rather than inherent or universal. Emerging in the late 1960s as a critique of structuralism, it emphasizes how language shapes reality, questions binary oppositions (like male/female), focuses on the reader's role in interpretation (deconstruction), and sees knowledge as unstable and tied to social structures. Key figures include Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, and Roland Barthes, who explored how meaning is deferred and influenced by power dynamics. 
Core Ideas:
[Lamnguage does not reflect reality; Meaning is never final, always shifting; ]
Instability of Meaning: Rejects stable, objective meanings, proposing that meaning is always shifting, deferred, and open to multiple interpretations.
Critique of Structuralism: Moves beyond structuralism's search for underlying, universal structures, arguing these structures themselves are unstable and power-laden.
Deconstruction: A method to reveal the hidden assumptions, contradictions, and power imbalances within texts and systems of thought, often by challenging binary oppositions.
Reader-Response: Shifts focus from authorial intent to the reader's active role in constructing meaning from a text.
Power & Knowledge: Views knowledge as inseparable from power, with social, cultural, and political contexts shaping what is considered "truth". 
Key Concepts & Themes:
Signifier/Signified: Explores how language (signifiers) points to other signifiers rather than fixed realities.
Binary Oppositions: Critiques dualisms (e.g., nature/culture, speech/writing) by showing their interdependence.
Contextualism: Emphasizes that meaning arises from specific cultural, social, and historical contexts. 
Impact:
Poststructuralism profoundly influenced literary theory, philosophy, cultural studies, and various social sciences, challenging traditional understandings of identity, truth, and representation. 
***

Post-structuralism rejects the idea of a literary text having a single purpose, a single meaning, or one singular existence. Instead, every individual reader creates a new and personal purpose, meaning, and existence for a given text.

Poststructuralism and postmodernism are overlapping but distinct concepts: 
Poststructuralism is a critical method focusing on language, power, and meaning's instability, challenging structuralism's fixed systems (think Foucault, Derrida). Postmodernism is a broader cultural/philosophical movement rejecting modernism's "grand narratives," universal truths, and rationality, embracing skepticism, relativism, and fragmentation across arts, literature, and culture. Poststructuralism often informs postmodernism by providing tools (like deconstruction) to critique those grand narratives, revealing how power shapes knowledge. 
Poststructuralism
Focus: Language, discourse, power/knowledge, subjectivity.
Core Idea: Meanings aren't fixed; language structures us (not vice versa); truth is contextual and linked to power.
Key Thinkers: Foucault, Derrida, Kristeva.
Method: Deconstruction—unraveling binary oppositions to show instability. 
Postmodernism
Focus: A cultural condition, skepticism of modernism, art, literature, society.
Core Idea: Rejects universal truths, progress, and totalizing systems (metanarratives); embraces pastiche, irony, and relativity.
Key Characteristics: Fragmentation, parody, unreliable narration, blurring of high/low culture. 
Relationship & Key Difference
Overlap: Both question objectivity, certainty, and fixed meaning.
Difference: Poststructuralism is often the philosophical engine (method) that critiques the cultural condition (postmodernism), revealing how language and power create what we think are stable realities, while postmodernism is the broader cultural output or stance that embodies these critiques in art, politics, and thought. 
In short, you can use poststructuralist techniques (like deconstruction) to analyze postmodern art, but postmodernism is the wider cultural moment, and poststructuralism is a specific philosophical lens. 

Sartre's philosophy, centered on existentialism, 
posits that existence precedes essence, meaning humans are born without inherent purpose and must create their own meaning through radical freedom and choices, leading to responsibility and potential "anguish". Key concepts include being-for-itself (conscious, free beings) and being-in-itself (objects with fixed essences), the daunting nature of absolute freedom, and the self-deception of bad faith (denying freedom by adopting fixed roles). Authenticity involves embracing this freedom and responsibility to define oneself, rather than being defined by others. 

Jean-Jacques Rousseau's philosophy centers on the idea that humans are naturally good but corrupted by society, particularly by the development of private property and inequality, leading to vice and enslavement. 

He proposed the Social Contract, arguing that true freedom comes from submitting to the general will of the people, creating a self-governing community where laws serve everyone, not just the powerful, fostering moral liberty over natural freedom. His work influenced modern democracy, education (through Émile), and Romanticism, challenging Enlightenment reason with a focus on nature, emotion, and authentic human experience. 
Core Concepts
State of Nature & the Noble Savage: Humans in their original state were free, self-sufficient, and compassionate ("pitié"), driven by self-preservation (amour de soi). Society, property, and comparison corrupted this natural goodness, introducing envy, hierarchy, and conflict.
Corruption by Society: Civilization's progress, arts, and sciences, rather than improving humanity, fostered hypocrisy, inequality, and a focus on external validation, leading to unhappiness.
The Social Contract: A framework where individuals surrender natural freedoms for civil liberty, agreeing to a collective body (the sovereign) that enacts laws based on the general will (the common good).
The General Will: The collective interest of the people, distinct from the sum of individual desires. Laws derived from it are universal and apply to all, making citizens free because they obey laws they prescribed for themselves.
Moral Liberty: True freedom found in obeying self-prescribed laws, a higher state than the instinctual freedom of the state of nature, as it makes one master of oneself.
Education & Nature: In Émile, Rousseau argued for child-centered education, allowing children to learn from nature and experience to develop their innate goodness, contrasting with societal corruption. 
Key Works & Influence
Discourse on Inequality & Discourse on the Sciences and Arts: Early critiques of civilization and progress.
The Social Contract: Laid foundations for popular sovereignty, influencing the French and American Revolutions.
Émile, or On Education: Championed child-centered, naturalistic education.
Confessions: Pioneered modern autobiography, focusing on introspection. 
*
Equality, Freedom, and Sovereignty. One problem that arises in Rousseau's political theory is that the Social Contract purports to be a legitimate state in one sense because it frees human beings from their chains.

Nope, that's not what I am looking for

After understanding the point of philosophy and the domains it considers, how then to both teach it to those that need it and in such a way that it will release moral instincts? It seems the best way is by using quotes. This actually seems sort of obvious when you consider how philosophy has often been taught in the past. From the carvings on the temple of Apollo in Delphi to the words preserved on the walls of the Jefferson memorial, quotes are what are considered and remembered. Quotes play a big role in how we understand ourselves and our world. They feel like fundemental truths. The wisdom of the wise, and the experience of ages, may be preserved by quotation and is effectively communicated. What makes a quote truly memorable is that it packs a lot of wisdom into a small number of words. A good quote forces you to think and leds to an understanding you had not clearly put into words. Quotes help put your own thoughts into just a few words. Your mind naturally works to focus and summarize what you already know. Quotes are a great way to focus and rewire your thoughts. Perhaps the best thing about quotes is when you discover one that communicates a completely new though or one that completes your own. Quotes can come from anywhere. From books, or songs, or your teacher in grammar school, or perhaps from some famously wise figure in history. Both can trigger insight, how we grow and one of the great pleasures of life. Quotes connect people's thoughts. It may be a family member or it may bridge the centuries between you and another person hundreds or even thousands of years ago. If you want to give what philosophy can provide, teach it using quotes. 

If you doubt the value of teaching exposing young children to these thoughts, consider what Melanie Klein said:
One of the many interesting and surprising experiences of the beginner in child analysis is to find in even very young children a capacity for insight which is often far greater than that of adults.

Always pursue an inspiration.
Look for expert advice.

Whether they’re overheard tidbits that we jot down for our own safekeeping, or time-worn idioms that have facilitated generations of thinking and healing, quotations can play a big role in how we understand ourselves and the world around us. These cherished words resonate with us because they strike at some fundamental truth, often putting into words what can otherwise feel largely ineffable.

Quotes can come from just about anywhere: great literary works, songs, films, motivational speakers, public and historic figures, or even from elegantly insightful people in our everyday lives. What makes a quote truly memorable is that it packs a lot of wisdom into a small number of words. Or, as poet Letitia Elizabeth Landon once said, "An apt quotation is like a lamp which flings its light over the whole sentence."

Here, we’ve rounded up 14 quotes about the ongoing fascination we have with quotes, and the significance they have in keeping us enlightened, uplifted, and curious.

“Brevity is the soul of wit.” — William Shakespeare, "Hamlet"

It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read books of quotations.
Winston Churchill

A fine quotation is a diamond in the hand of a man of wit and a pebble in the hand of a fool.
Joseph Roux, poet

Old words are reborn with new faces.
Criss Jami, writer

In quoting others, we cite ourselves.
Julio Cortázar, novelist

Life itself is a quotation.
Jorge Luis Borges, writer

Minds of people need a good revolution and great quotations are good revolutionists.
Mehmet Murat İldan, playwright

A quote is a powerful tool for our mind, our soul, our spirit. A quote can sharpen your mind and give you an instant and rapid relief if your soul is down, in a dark time.
Dotchamou Zakari, author

The profoundest thought or passion sleeps as in a mine, until an equal mind and heart finds and publishes it.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognized wiser than oneself. #
Marlene Dietrich, actress

The wisdom of the wise, and the experience of ages, may be preserved by quotation. #
Issac D'Israeli, writer

Affirmations and quotes are a great way to rewire your thoughts.
Scott Allan, author

A humorous quotation is a little window on the world that gives life a comic twist.
Gyles Brandreth, writer and politician

A book that furnishes no quotations is no book — it is a plaything.
Thomas Love Peacock, novelist

It is in the quotations of so many incredible people that I am able to find succinct clarity about life’s infinite challenges.
Peter Begley, author

Wisdom is one of three fundamental levels of cognitive advancement. These levels are: knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.
Knowledge is the basic level of cognitive activity or thinking, and ideally, learning. Knowledge is gained through the acquisition of facts. Knowledge is also gained through the awareness of experience.

#Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.
William S. Burroughs

Set peace of mind as your highest goal and organize your entire life around it.
Brian Tracy

#The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep.
E. Joseph Cossman

#What we know is a drop. What we don't know is an ocean. Isaac Newton
A mother... Every time I look at our children, I think: what an amazing mother. And that is what I love you for the most. Mike

For Locke, ideas can be broken down into two types. There are simple ideas and complex ideas. Simple ideas can be further broken down as simple ideas of sensation and reflection. Simple ideas of sensation are created by sense impressions.
Locke adds to this basic view of perception that the mind can combine simple ideas into complex ideas. When we perceive objects, ideas such as the height of the tree, the color of a tree, the width of the tree, and so on are combined in our mind into the complex idea of a tree.
The difference is that Locke sees us as, at least sometimes, actively thinking about and creating new ideas in our minds, but always exclusively from the simple ideas that are put in our minds through experience of the world.

Locke says that all simple ideas come from experience, but we can combine simple ideas in new ways. One example he gives is that we have experienced the simple idea of gold and the complex idea of mountain, and we can combine these ideas into the new idea of a gold-colored mountain. We can think this idea even though we have never experienced a gold-colored mountain. In this way, Locke is acknowledging the creative ability of the human mind more than Hobbes did.

Hell is truth seen too late. Thomas Hobbes

Without great solitude, no serious work is possible.
Pablo Picasso

I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.
Albert Einstein

#Be alone, that is the secret of invention; be alone, that is when ideas are born.
Nikola Tesla

I restore myself when I'm alone. A career is born in public — talent in privacy.
Marilyn Monroe

We all accept too easily that life has to be hard and forget to make sure we have the most fun we can. Amy Schumer 

#There are two types of people in this world. Those who live. And those who wait to die."

#It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
"A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens, 1859

The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.
Jack London #

Warren Buffet 
"Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago."

#One can best prepare themselves for the economic future by investing in your own education. If you study hard and learn at a young age, you will be in the best circumstances to secure your future.

#It's better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you'll drift in that direction.

Beware the investment activity that produces applause; the great moves are usually greeted by yawns.

A willingness to look unimaginative for a sustained period — or even to look foolish — is also essential.

I like thinking big. I always have. To me it’s very simple: if you’re going to be thinking anyway, you might as well think big.


What counts for most people in investing is not how much they know, but rather how realistically they define what they don't know.

Look for integrity, intelligence, and energy. #

I insist on a lot of time being spent, almost every day, to just sit and think. That is very uncommon in American business. I read and think. So I do more reading and thinking, and make less impulse decisions than most people in business. I do it because I like this kind of life.

It's only possible to live happily ever after on a day to day basis. Margaret Bonanno

Today marks the 64th anniversary of Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1960) -- a novel containing truths so universal that they bear repeating in 2024... 🔥 👇
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it."
"I wanted you to see what real courage is ... It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do."
"People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for."
"The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience."
"Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of another ... There are just some kind of men who -- who're so busy worrying about the next world they've never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results."

#“We know the truth not only through our reason but also through our heart.”
—Blaise Pascal

“The search for truth is never over.”
– MORGAN FREEMAN

“Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.”
—Martin Luther

“I like to learn. That’s an art and a science.”
​– KATHERINE JOHNSON

“If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.”
​– BARACK OBAMA

“Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.”
— John F. Kennedy

“Study the past if you would define the future.” – Confucius

“I would tell my younger self, just be yourself — that who you are is good enough.”
– VIOLA DAVIS

“At any moment, man must decide, for better or for worse, what will be the monument of his existence.”
—Viktor Frankl, "Man's Search for Meaning"

"A society that mocks virtue prepares its own collapse." - Plato

Be as honest as you can be.

Everything you want is on the other side of fear.

You have far more inner stregnth than you think. 
Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.
The price good men pay for ignoring politics is to be ruled by evil men.
Be good at following. Be good at leading if you cna and when you must.
Civilization is the current ecology that humans survive in. It is our life support system. Protect it, maintain it and know how to help repair it when it gets damaged.
The Earth supports our life and civilization. Protect it.


Big things are made of smaller things. To solve big problems, break them into smaller ones.

Be alone, that is the secret of invention; be alone, that is when ideas are born.  Nikola Tesla



"Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago." Warren Buffet 




Another extremely important lesson that is repeated through thousands of years of history is that: whatever you are, be the best at it. Always strive for excellence. Abraham Lincoln was one of the more recent people to say that.

Perfection is the enemy of good enough. 
If you strive for perfection you will probably achieve good enough.

At the same time a balance is needed because perfectionism is a dream killer. - It is the enemy of creativity, good relationships, and happiness. Whatever you want to achieve, your perfectionism will kill it.

Comparing yourself to others is one of the best ways to destroy your happiness.

Now hopefully that would be an adequate, if minimal outline of the commonest Western philosophy. Note that all of it applies to a person’s self and self development. It's does not cover much about dealing with others. That is largely what human intelligence developed for, remembering, understanding, and responding to others in your social group. 

One of the commonest themes in philosophy is the importance of your friends. Always respect others and protect their dignity. Do not care what others think of you. Do what needs to be done without being told. People will remember how you made them feel. 

Be prepared for when civilization is damaged.
Love one another

*** If your population is resource limited rather than limited by choice, perhaps to resource limitations, you are really not controlling your destiny.

(Check Alan Watts)
In 100 years you will be dead and forgotten...

"Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change" — Wayne Dyer
Our perception of life begins from the inside. Reality then mirrors back to us what’s being put out.

"It is the paradox of life that the way to miss pleasure is to seek it first." — Hugh Black
Seek not to find pleasure then, cultivate within and become it.

"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." — Albert Einstein
Life is a process of becoming.
It’s a process of experimentation, exploration, and inquiry.

2. Fulfill your potential.
3. Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last. Samual Jackson 

writings of Goldman, are: The path to what you want is to take action.

It is not just about learning to think. It is also learning what to think. You make much your own experience by choice.

Work with others. Collaborate. A team can do more than an individuaal. That said, yoou may have to work alone.

Follow your own moral compass, then the only expectations I need to live up to are my own.

When it comes to the arts, passion should always trump common sense. You aren’t just following dreams, you’re reaching for your destiny.

Life isn't fair. You have to work with what you have.
You cannot always succeed, but you must always try.
You must always make the path for yourself.

You are supposed to fail occasionally because you are supposed to be pushing yourself and always raising the bar.

The word "happy" would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.
Carl Jung

Be so good they can't ignore you.

It's pain that changes our lives.

“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.”
—G.K. Chesterton

...
Happiest are the people who give most happiness to others.
The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom.


Usually the journey is more important than the destination.

What did you learn today?
Were you able to help someone today?
Bravery doesn’t refer to the absence of fear, but to righteous action in the face of it.

We must turn to each other and not on each other. Jesse jackson  

The man who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. 

He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.
Friedrich Nietzsche

Self-belief does not necessarily ensure success, but self-disbelief assuredly spawns failure.
Albert Bandura

In each of us are places where we have never gone. Only by pressing the limits do you ever find them.
Joyce Brothers

Know your limits and accept them. Know it of others as well.

The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.
Paulo Coelho

Love is friendship that has caught fire. 

If you look for perfection, you will never be satisfied.
Leo Tolstoy 
Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow.
Robert Kiyosaki

Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life. Will Durant.

We need men (and women) who can dream of things that never were. John F. Kennedy 

Love is when someone else's happiness is more important than your own.

A person must find their muses. Perhaps a teacher, perhaps a lover, perhaps an enemy. That which makes us the most we can be.

It is not just that books can take you where you could never go, within or without, also books shape your mind inside and out.


The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.
Maya Angelou

The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men. Plato

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.
Anaïs Nin

Listen. Just listen. You don’t have to agree. Just see if you can understand.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

17. It's never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else.
18. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

20. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
24. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
25. Always choose life.
26. Forgive but don’t forget.

29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
30. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does..

37. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
38. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have not what you need.
40. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
42. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Pursue your passion. Motivates and makes work easy.
Embrace failure. It is part of success and is the best teacher.
Have a growth mindset. Work to improve yourself. See cahllenges as an opportunity to learn. 
Invest in relationships. Positive people can support you and open doors.
Health is your most valuable asset.

12. "If you can’t control your mind, everything and everyone else will"


Rules for happiness:
Something to do. Someone to love. Something to hope for.
Immanuel Kant.

Be nice to yourself.
This above all: to thine own self be true.
William Shakespeare

It’s the job that’s never started as takes longest to finish.
Samwise Gamgee, "The Fellowship of the Ring"

Deeds will not be less valiant because they are unpraised.
Aragorn, "The Return of the King"

It is useless to meet revenge with revenge: It will heal nothing.
Frodo, "The Return of the King"



Sometimes you win. Sometimes you learn. John Maxwell 
The greatest leaning comes from failure, not success. #


Unhappiness can lead to action.
‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down.
Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.

Marcus Arelius said trees grow because that is what they are meant to do
Unfulfilled potential was the worst thing.
Happiness was from virtue, fulfilling your potential.

People may not remember what you said but they will remember how you make them feel.

From weakness comes stregnth and from stregnth comes weakness. 

We ought not to desire the impossible. [Personal Goals]

What skill would you like to master?

What we start, leads to the future.

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. #
Seneca

Only the curious have something to find. Sean Watkins


Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway.
Eleanor Roosevelt

If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.
Dolly Parton
*
You cannot find peace by avoiding life.
Virginia Woolf

Fears are something to overcome.
Without courage, most other virtues cannot be sustained when they are most needed. ##

People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

Visualize what you think success will be.

Dr. Joe Dispenza
4. “Turn your brain from a record of the past into a map of the future.”
6. “If all of your attention is in the present moment, you’ve got a lot of energy to create with.”
9. “We don’t perceive things the way they are, we perceive things the way we are.”
12. “We are who we practice to be.”
13. “It’s a universal principle that you get more of what you think about, talk about, and feel strongly about.”
16. “If you can’t control your mind, everything and everyone else will.”


All beginnings are difficult. It usually gets easier.

Once we have been given skills and taught morals, it’s up to us to go out and do, see, and experience things for ourselves.
For some things, you can never be too prepared. Certain things (like rainy days) require planning ahead to avoid damage or disruption. (Stoicism)
He who asks a question might be a fool for five minutes; he who doesn’t ask a question remains a fool forever.


“Knowledge is power,” Sir Francis Bacon 

Time is precious. Use it for important things.
Be thankful. It brings happiness and peace.
Control what you can. Ignore what you can't.
Life is about change. Expect it and deal with it.

“The basic laws of the universe are simple, but because our senses are limited, we can't grasp them.” —Albert Einstein

Make good use of your time when your legs are strong and your heart is curious.

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”
—Dale Carnegie

People who can keep their cool are always considered more mature than those quick to ignite the flames of passion.
The greatest prosperity and highest achievement in a Dharmic civilization is the eradication of mental perturbances, and the ability to function in a world full of them — without being imbalanced and possessed by their pull.

15 Quotes To Help You Focus On Your Goals

Setting goals is vital for personal growth and development; doing so provides direction and purpose in our lives. Studies have shown that goal-setting positively impacts neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to adapt and reorganize by forming new neural connections and pathways in response to our experiences. Essentially, setting goals helps us train our mind to envision what we want, and the brain rewires itself to accommodate this new self-image, making it easier for us to modify our behaviors so we can achieve our goals.

Whether it’s a short-term objective, such as training for a 10K, or a long-term aspiration, such as pursuing an advanced degree, setting a goal creates a roadmap for self-improvement. While it may be fun and exciting to establish a new target, reaching the desired result requires dedication, perseverance, and a determination to overcome obstacles and setbacks. Setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) can help.

If you’re embarking on a new aspiration, or are already well on your way to accomplishing a major milestone, these 15 powerful quotes offer encouragement and support for staying the course.

Your goals must be at the forefront of your day, not an afterthought.
Jill Koenig

We define ourselves by our actions. With each decision, we tell ourselves and the world who we are. Think about what you want out of this life, and recognize that there are many kinds of success.
Bill Watterson

Goals are dreams with deadlines.
Diana Scharf Hunt

Fall in love with boredom. Fall in love with repetition and practice. Fall in love with the process of what you do and let the results take care of themselves.
James Clear

We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.
Marie Curie

It matters not what goal you seek / Its secret here reposes: / You’ve got to dig from week to week / To get Results or Roses.
Edgar A. Guest

You have to focus on your dreams, even if they go beyond common sense.
Anna Sui

Obstacles can’t stop you. Problems can’t stop you. Most of all, other people can’t stop you. Only you can stop you.
Jeffrey Gitomer


The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance — and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.
Oprah Winfrey

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
Robert J. Collier

Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.
Bill Bradley

There’s really just one thing I can control: my attitude during the journey, which is what keeps me feeling steady and stable, and what keeps me headed in the right direction.
Chris Hadfield

When I stay focused on the end, the details are handled.
Iyanla Vanzant

Concentrate all your thought upon the work in hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.
Alexander Graham Bell

If we continue to accumulate power and not wisdom, we will surely destroy ourselves. Carl Sagan

If you plant the seeds of hate, don't be surprised when something poisonous bites you.

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
—J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Lord of the Rings"

“The brave man carves out his fortune, and every man is the son of his own works.”
—Miguel de Cervantes, "Don Quixote"

“You’ve got to make the most of your life.” - Robert Redford

“Except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power.”
—René Descartes [Huh?]

“Hateful to me as the gates of Hades is that man who hides one thing in his heart and speaks another.” —Homer, "The Iliad"

“There are opportunities even in the most difficult moments.” – WANGARI MAATHAI

“I much prefer the sharpest criticism of a single intelligent man to the thoughtless approval of the masses.”
—Johannes Kepler

“Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.” – JOSEPH CAMPBELL

“Age imprints more wrinkles in the mind than it does on the face.”
—Michel de Montaigne, "Essays"

“Only by doing the best we can with the very best that an era offers, do we find the way to do better in the future.” – FRANK DRAKE

“Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once.” —William Shakespeare, "Julius Caesar"

“Eyes of youth have sharp sight, but commonly not so deep as those of elder age.” —Elizabeth I of England

“People bloom at different stages of their lives, and often more than once.”
​– LAUREN GRAHAM

“Joy in looking and comprehending is nature's most beautiful gift.”
—Albert Einstein

“Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.” —George Washington

“The second half of a man's life is made up of nothing but the habits he has acquired during the first half.”
—Fyodor Dostoyevsky, "The Possessed"

“All art is but imitation of nature.” —Seneca the Younger

“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.” – HENRI MATISSE

No one can make you feel bad without your concent ##

If you have to chose between two or more courses of actions, choose the one you would rather be remembered for.

“A small act is worth a million thoughts.” – AI WEIWEI

“Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance.” — Samuel Johnson, "The Prince of Abissinia"

“Admire as much as you can, most people don’t admire enough.” – VINCENT VAN GOGH

“It can be no dishonor to learn from others when they speak good sense.”
—Sophocles

“A bird is safe in its nest — but that is not what its wings are made for.”– AMIT RAY

[Only humans can prepare for the future and it is an incredibly powerful skill. Luck favors the prepared.]
“A man prepared has half fought the battle.”
—Miguel de Cervantes, "Don Quixote"

“The brave man carves out his fortune, and every man is the son of his own works.” [??]
— Miguel de Cervantes, "Don Quixote"

“No man can be brave who thinks pain the greatest evil; nor temperate, who considers pleasure the highest good.”
—Cicero, "On Duties"

“Look for what you notice but no one else sees.” – RICK RUBIN

“The better part of one's life consists of his friendships.”
—Abraham Lincoln

“Art lifts man from his personal life into the universal life.”
—Leo Tolstoy, "What is Art?"

“When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for the moment.” – GEORGIA O’KEEFFE

When it comes to other people, Trump isn’t relational. He’s transactional. Every interaction is a deal. Transactions don’t foster friendships. RR

“Patience is the companion of wisdom.”
—Augustine of Hippo, "On Patience"

“Everything is waiting for you.”
– DAVID WHYTE

Alone you can go fast. Together you can go far. 

“By mutual confidence and mutual aid—great deeds are done, and great discoveries made.”
—Homer, "The Iliad"

“I attribute my success to this—I never gave or took any excuse.”
— Florence Nightingale

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.”
— Marie Curie

“Virtue is the health of the soul.”
—Ariston of Chios

“Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.” #
—G. K. Chesterton

“Ideas are everywhere, but knowledge is rare.”
– THOMAS SOWELL

“That which has become habitual becomes as it were natural.”
—Aristotle

“Observe what a person pursues, examine how they go about it, and see where they find comfort — can a person hide who they are?” Confucius

When someone mentions “ancient Greek philosophy,” chances are Socrates is the first name that pops into your head. In fact, this barefoot philosopher from Athens (470–399 BCE) was such a game-changer that we still divide Western philosophy into two eras: before Socrates and everything after. But what made him so special? As the Roman philosopher Cicero would later put it:

“Socrates was the first who brought down philosophy from the heavens, placed it in cities, introduced it into families, and obliged it to examine into life and morals, and good and evil.” (Tusculan Disputations, 5.4)

Socrates never meant to start a movement — he was more interested in having good conversations than founding a school. But his impact was huge. Think of him as the philosophical equivalent of a rock star — everyone wanted to copy his style. His followers went on to create some of history’s most influential schools of thought: Platonism, Aristotelianism, Cynicism, Stoicism, and Academic Skepticism. The Stoics especially saw themselves as Socrates’s true heirs, referring to themselves explicitly as “Socratics.”

Socrates shaped Western thought and culture by demanding rationality.

Here’s where things get interesting: Socrates himself never wrote anything down. Everything we know about him comes…

2500 years ago, the wisest man of all time was born.
That man was none other than the great Greek philosopher Socrates.
What made Socrates so wise?
His willingness to question his own ignorance, his relentless self-examination, his integrity, and above all, the mastery of himself.
The guy left a lasting mark on philosophy that continues to shape the way many of us think and act.

1. “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
Knowing what you don’t know is more important than knowing what you do know.

Acknowledging what you don’t know is the dawning of wisdom, humility, and intelligence.

2. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
You have literally no idea who you’re talking to or what someone is going through.
... More likely by  Scottish minister-author Rev. John Watson, who wrote as “Ian Maclaren.”  1887.
That’s why every encounter deserves kindness, respect,and love.

3. “He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.”
If you’re not happy now, what makes you think that having more will fix matters?

This one reminds me of something Naval Ravikant said: “If you can’t be happy with a coffee, you won’t be happy with a yacht”.

4. “The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.”
More never ends. Ever.

Wanting more isn’t always a bad thing, though. It’s wanting more that gets us out of bed in the morning. More gives us a sense of purpose and drive.

However, bear in mind that true happiness comes from wanting less and savoring what you already have.

5. “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
Without reflection, we will never grow.

If we don’t reflect, how do we expect to learn? How do we wish to know what went well and what went wrong? How do we know what problems we need to solve next time around?

6. “Death may be the greatest of all human blessings.”
The thought of death terrifies most people.

Yet, at the same time, death is very freeing and liberating. Remembering we are mortal encourages us to live life on our terms, doing what we want to do, with the people we want to do it with.

7. “If you get a good wife, you’ll become happy; if you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher.”
Socrates had a notoriously tricky and bad-tempered wife, which explains why he says this!

I once read that, despite his wife being extremely difficult, Socrates used his challenging marriage as an exercise of wisdom. That doesn’t mean you need to do the same, though!

8. “It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”
You’re capable of much more than you think you are, both mentally and physically.

If you never test yourself, you’ll never discover how high your ceiling is. You’ll never see what you’re capable of.

Eastern Traditions

This is something of a summary page of Eastern Philosophical Traditions, just to make things clear, organized, and referencable. It is also for comparing it to Western philosophical concepts. Like the best of this examination, it is to evaluate what can be left out, but still be complete.

Reviewing these shows that contrast between the "beliefs and practices" of the tradition and the maxims, memesw, or quotes from the tradition. While this review is important, in the terms of this study, the memes are more important, because they are building blocks of thought, and strategies. Per this examination, based around philosophical memes, Toaism and Buddhism probably provide the most.

China's three main religions are Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, often referred to as the "three teachings" because they have profoundly influenced Chinese society and culture. These belief systems are highly intertwined, and many people may follow elements from all three simultaneously. 

Complementary: Throughout history, the three traditions have been seen as complementary, with each addressing different aspects of life. Some say Confucianism guides social life, Taoism guides leisure, and Buddhism guides how to face death.

Yin and Yang
The concept of yin and yang originated in ancient China, with early mentions found on oracle bones from around the 14th century BCE. It began as a way to describe natural phenomena, like the sunny side (yang) and the dark side (yin) of a mountain or the cycle of sunlight and darkness. The concept became a fundamental part of Chinese philosophy, especially through the work of the School of Yin-Yang in the 3rd century BCE, and was later incorporated into Taoism and other aspects of Chinese culture. 

Compares to the second maxim of Delphi: "Nothing in Excess". Compares to Aristotle's description of the "Golden Mean". Compares to Hegel's dialectic.

Western philosophy does explore duality, but often views opposites as separate and in conflict, such as good vs. evil, with the aim of overcoming one to achieve a "better" state rather than in a necessarily balanced state. 

From a Christian perspective, the concept is seen as fundamentally different from biblical teaching because it promotes a perpetual dualism of opposing forces that are of equal and necessary importance. The Bible contrasts this with its belief in the singular, sovereign Creator God who is ultimately good and whose power is not dependent on evil. Some Christians believe the concept of yin and yang can contradict their faith because it suggests a balance where good and evil are interdependent, which goes against the biblical view of a God who is pure light with no darkness

Taoism (Daoism)
Taoism: An indigenous Chinese religion focused on living in harmony with the Tao (the natural way of the universe), with practices often including meditation and a focus on nature. 

Buddhist quotes and memes are endless. 

Taoism is an ancient Chinese philosophy and religion that emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao (the "Way"), or the natural order of the universe. Key principles include simplicity, humility, and non-interference in natural events, often achieved through practices like meditation and Tai Chi. It recognizes the interdependent and complementary nature of all things, symbolized by yin and yang. 

Taoism has its origins in ancient China, with its philosophical roots reaching back to the 3rd or 4th century B.C.E.. Primarily attributed to 5 authors, especially Laozi and Zhuang Zhou. (Seems similar to the Seven Sages that wrote the Maxims of Delphi.)

In practical strategic terms, it emphisizes a simple life, avoiding extravagance, and finding contentment in what is, rather than striving for more. (Sounds like Stoicism in that.)
Humility: Cultivating a peaceful and modest heart to live in harmony with others. 

Confucianism:
Confucianism: A system of ethics, education, and social principles that influenced Chinese government, family life, and social structure. 

Confucianism is a philosophy focused on social harmony through ethics, rituals, and respect for authority.

This is illustrated through the five main relationships Confucius interpreted to be the core of society: ruler-subject, father-son, husband-wife, elder brother-younger brother, and friend-friend. In these bonds, the latter must pay respect to and serve the former, while the former is bound to care for the latter.

"The superior man has a dignified ease without pride. The mean man has pride without a dignified ease."
Confucius, The Analects of Confucius[8]
This quotation exemplifies Confucius' idea of the junzi (君子) or gentleman. Originally this expression referred to "the son of a ruler", but Confucius redefined this concept to mean behaviour (in terms of ethics and values such as loyalty and righteousness) instead of mere social status.[6]

Buddhism: Observe, don't absorb.
Introduced to China from India, it became a major religion and has since been integrated with and influenced by Chinese culture.

Buddhist quotes and memes are endless. 

Awareness of suffering, the impermanence of material things, and reincarnation.
The concept of "interdependent causation" states that all phenomena are interconnected. 

While Buddhism provides an elaborate cosmology and a detailed theory about the afterlife, Taoism meets other needs. The principle focus of Taoism is the path of Tao, an all encompassing, formless power, that brings all things together in an eternal cycle.
***

The Buddha said this thousands of years before the self-help industry existed. He said it the minute of his death, when a dying man doesn’t bother with what’s optional. He said, “Be a lamp unto yourself, be a refuge to yourself. Take yourself to no external refuge.” “Work out your salvation with diligence,” he added. Scholars across Buddhist traditions agree these words are as historically reliable. 

Shinto
Shinto is Japan's biggest religion, practiced by about 80% of the population, though many people also blend its practices with Buddhism. While most Japanese people visit Shinto shrines and participate in its festivals, a smaller number identify as formal members in surveys, reflecting a common cultural view that religious beliefs and practices don't have to be exclusive.  

The Essence of Buddhism

Another core principle of Buddhism is living in nonviolent and compassionate coexistence with all beings. Like much of Buddha’s wisdom, these core values transcend religious boundaries; their insight can apply to anyone looking for a more grounded and fulfilling life.

This selection of quotes highlights some of the core tenets of Buddhism, which may be viewed not as strict rules, but rather as universal guidelines for finding inner peace, reducing unhealthy attachments, and fostering a more harmonious existence, regardless of our spiritual beliefs.

Conquer anger with love, evil with good, meanness with generosity, and lies with truth.
Gautama Buddha

The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth in the present moment, to appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now.
Thích Nhất Hạnh

Let your body relax and your heart soften. Open to whatever you experience without fighting. Let go of the battle. Breathe quietly and let it be.
Jack Kornfield

If the mind can stay with itself and not go out looking for things to criticize or latch onto, it can maintain a natural form of stillness.
Upasika Kee Nanayon

Please guide all beings from this swamp of cyclic existence!
Padmasambhava

Intention is the core of all conscious life. It is our intentions that … help others, our intentions that lead us away from the delusions of individuality toward the immutable verities of enlightened awareness. Conscious intention colors and moves everything.
Hsing Yun

To be attached to one’s own happiness is a barrier to the true and perfect path. To cherish others is the source of every admirable quality known.
Tsongkhapa

See everyone as a Buddha. This purifies the mind of ignorance and arrogance.
Master Baek

The essence of our experience is change. Change is incessant. Moment by moment life flows by and it is never the same. Perpetual alteration is the essence of the perpetual universe.##
Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

Wisdom is born of meditation; without meditation wisdom is lost.
Gautama Buddha

Mindfulness is a mental activity that in due course eliminates all suffering.
Ayya Khema

When we fall on the ground it hurts us, but we also need to rely on the ground to get back up.
Kathleen McDonald

Wisdom does not mean knowledge but experiential understanding. Wisdom helps you to change radically your habits and perceptions, as you discover the constantly changing, interconnected nature of the whole of existence.
Martine Batchelor

We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.
Thích Nhất Hạnh

All material form should be seen as it actually is with proper wisdom thus: "This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self."
Gautama Buddha

Buddhist Wisdome from Pema Chadron

Buddhism - Passiveness.

Buddhist Wisdom From Pema Chödrön

Buddhist nun and author Pema Chödrön is renowned for her teachings on what she calls "the wisdom of no escape," which emphasizes the importance of facing our fears instead of avoiding them, and embracing life for what it is, ups and downs alike.

Throughout her life, Chödrön has been a dedicated practitioner and teacher of Buddhism whose words have inspired and guided people around the world. Born in New York City in 1936, she traveled in 1974 to the Karma Dzong Meditation Center in Colorado, where she learned from Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the founder of the Shambhala Buddhist community in North America. She became one of Trungpa Rinpoche's closest disciples and was one of the first Westerners to receive full monastic ordination in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

In the years since, Chödrön has been a key figure in bringing Buddhism to the West, and has played an important role in the growth of the Shambhala community in North America. She has trained many Western Buddhist teachers, and has served as a mentor to countless students. Her message of fearlessness, compassion, and wisdom is a beacon of hope and a reminder of the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity and find peace and happiness in the midst of life's challenges.

Here, we're sharing just a few of the quotes that have earned Chödrön a reputation for wisdom and insight.

One can appreciate and celebrate each moment — there’s nothing more sacred. There’s nothing more vast or absolute. In fact, there’s nothing more!

The happiness we seek is already here and it will be found through relaxation and letting go rather than through struggle.

Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.

The truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that.The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.

#Whether we experience what happens to us as obstacle and enemy or as teacher and friend depends entirely on our perception of reality. It depends on our relationship with ourselves.

We think that brave people have no fear. The truth is that they are intimate with fear.

Clarity and decisiveness come from the willingness to slow down, to listen and look at what’s happening.

When we are willing to stay even a moment with uncomfortable energy, we gradually learn not to fear it.

No one ever tells us to stop running away from fear. We are very rarely told to move closer, to just be there … The advice we usually get is to sweeten it up, smooth it over, take a pill, distract ourselves, but by all means make it go away.

In practicing meditation, we’re not trying to live up to some kind of ideal — quite the opposite. We’re just being with our experience, whatever it is.

When things are shaky and nothing is working, we might realize that we are on the verge of something.

Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.

We don’t sit in meditation to become good meditators. We sit in meditation so that we’ll become more awake in our lives.

When we resist change, it’s called suffering. But when we can completely let go and not struggle against it, when we can embrace the groundlessness of our situation and relax into its dynamic quality, that’s called enlightenment.

Sometimes when things fall apart, well, that’s the big opportunity to change.

About the Author
April Dávila is a lover of words. Her debut novel "142 Ostriches" was released in 2020.

Daoism - About (G)

Daoism (also spelled Taoism) is an ancient Chinese philosophical and spiritual tradition emphasizing harmony with the natural order of the universe. It originated around the 6th–4th centuries BCE, primarily through the foundational texts: the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching), attributed to Laozi (Lao Tzu), and the Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu). Unlike Confucianism's focus on social roles and rituals, Daoism promotes simplicity, spontaneity, and alignment with the flow of life.
Daoism doesn't have a strict list of "15 principles," but its teachings revolve around core concepts drawn from these texts. Here are 15 basic principles that capture the essence of Daoism:

Dao (Tao, 道) — The fundamental, ineffable "Way" or ultimate reality that underlies everything in the universe. It is the source of all existence, beyond words and definitions (Dao De Jing opens: "The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao").
Wu Wei (無為) — Effortless action or non-action. Acting in harmony with the natural flow without force, striving, or interference — like water flowing around obstacles.
Ziran (自然) — Naturalness or spontaneity. Living authentically according to one's true nature, without artificial constraints or pretense.
Yin and Yang (陰陽) — The complementary opposites that create balance and change in the universe (e.g., dark/light, passive/active, female/male). Everything contains both, and harmony arises from their dynamic interplay.
De (德) — Virtue or inner power. The natural moral force that emerges when one aligns with the Dao — not imposed rules, but effortless goodness.
Simplicity (Pǔ, 樸) — Embracing the "uncarved block" — returning to a plain, unadorned state of being, free from complexity and excess.
The Three Treasures — Compassion (慈), frugality (儉), and humility (不敢為天下先). These are the highest virtues for living in harmony.
Harmony with Nature — Humans should live in balance with the natural world, not dominate it. Observe and follow the rhythms of seasons, water, and the earth.
Relativity and Perspective — All things are relative (from Zhuangzi). What seems good or bad depends on viewpoint; transcend rigid judgments.
Acceptance and Non-Resistance — Flow with change rather than fight it. Accept life's transformations as part of the Dao.
Emptiness and Non-Attachment — Like an empty vessel or valley, being open and receptive allows true fullness. Let go of desires and ego.
Qi (氣) — Vital energy or life force flowing through all things. Cultivating and balancing qi leads to health and longevity.
The Sage (Shénrén or Zhēnrén) — The ideal person who embodies Daoist wisdom: humble, flexible, wise, and in perfect harmony with the Dao.
Reversal and Paradox — True strength lies in softness (e.g., water is soft yet wears down rock); the Dao often works through opposites and seeming contradictions.
Self-Cultivation and Immortality — Through meditation, breathwork, and living simply, one refines the self, achieves inner peace, and aligns with the eternal Dao (in religious Daoism, this includes pursuits of longevity or spiritual immortality).

These principles interconnect: by practicing wu wei and embracing ziran, one naturally cultivates de and lives in harmony with the Dao. Daoism encourages direct experience over dogma — explore it through nature, reflection, and simplicity for a more peaceful, flowing life.

Confucianism - About

Confucianism, founded by Confucius (Kongzi, 551–479 BCE), is a philosophical and ethical system emphasizing moral self-cultivation, social harmony, proper relationships, and virtuous governance. Its core revolves around key virtues and principles that guide individual behavior and society.
While Confucianism doesn't have a rigid list of exactly "15 principles," the foundational ones are often grouped into the Five Constants (Wuchang, 五常) — the most central virtues — and expanded with additional key concepts from the Analects and later Confucian thought. Here are 15 basic principles commonly recognized in Confucian ethics and teachings:

Ren (仁) — Benevolence or humaneness: The supreme virtue of compassion, empathy, kindness, and love for others. It involves treating people with genuine care and is the foundation of all morality.
Yi (義) — Righteousness or justice: Doing what is morally right and appropriate, acting with integrity even when difficult or unprofitable.
Li (禮) — Propriety or ritual: Observing proper etiquette, rituals, and social norms to maintain order, respect, and harmony in relationships and society.
Zhi (智) — Wisdom or knowledge: Cultivating understanding, discernment, and moral insight through learning and reflection.
Xin (信) — Trustworthiness or sincerity: Being honest, reliable, and true to one's word, fostering trust in all interactions.
Xiao (孝) — Filial piety: Respect, obedience, care, and devotion toward parents, elders, and ancestors — the root of all virtues.
Zhong (忠) — Loyalty: Faithfulness and devotion to superiors, rulers, friends, and one's duties.
Shu (恕) — Reciprocity or empathy: The "Silver Rule" — do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself (a practical expression of ren).
He (和) — Harmony: Seeking balance, peace, and cooperation in relationships and society, avoiding extremes.
De (德) — Virtue or moral power: The overall character developed through cultivating the above virtues, influencing others positively.
Junzi (君子) — The ideal of the noble or superior person: Striving to be a morally refined gentleman through self-improvement and ethical conduct.
Rectification of Names (正名, Zhengming) — Using correct titles and roles to ensure clarity, order, and proper behavior in society.
Education and Self-Cultivation — Lifelong learning and moral improvement as essential for personal growth and societal betterment.
Five Relationships (五倫, Wulun) — Proper conduct in key social bonds: ruler-subject, father-son, husband-wife, elder-younger sibling, and friend-friend.
The Golden Mean (中庸, Zhongyong) — Avoiding extremes and maintaining moderation and balance in all actions.

These principles interconnect: the Five Constants (1–5) form the ethical core, while others support social harmony and personal development. Confucius taught that by embodying these, individuals become exemplary (junzi), families flourish, and society achieves peace and order. They remain influential in East Asian culture and ethics today.

Shintoism - About

Shintoism (or Shintō, meaning "the way of the kami") is Japan's indigenous spiritual tradition, deeply rooted in nature worship, ancestor veneration, and harmony with the world. It has no founder, no central scriptures, and no rigid dogma — instead, it emphasizes practices, rituals, and a worldview centered on kami (sacred spirits or deities inhabiting nature, ancestors, and phenomena).
Unlike Confucianism or Daoism, Shinto lacks a formal list of "principles," but scholars and practitioners often highlight recurring core concepts and values. Here are 15 basic principles that capture the essence of Shinto beliefs and practices:

Kami (神) — Belief in kami: supernatural spirits or divine essences that reside in nature (mountains, rivers, trees), ancestors, and even abstract forces. Everything has the potential to be sacred.
Animism — The world is alive with spirits. All things — animate and inanimate — possess a spiritual essence or can house kami.
Purity (Kiyome 清め) — Emphasis on physical and spiritual cleanliness. Ritual purification (e.g., hand-washing at shrines or misogi bathing) removes impurities (kegare) to approach the sacred.
Harmony (Wa 和) — Living in balance with nature, society, and the kami. Avoiding disruption and promoting peaceful coexistence.
Reverence for Nature — Nature is sacred and the dwelling place of kami. Humans should respect and live in harmony with the environment, not dominate it.
Gratitude and Thankfulness — Expressing appreciation to the kami for blessings, life, and nature's bounty through offerings and prayers.
Ancestor Veneration — Honoring deceased family members and ancestors as protective kami who influence the living.
Family and Tradition — Upholding family values, continuity of customs, and the role of the household as the foundation of society.
Human Goodness — Humans are inherently good; evil comes from external impurities or evil spirits, not innate sin.
Ritual and Offerings — Performing ceremonies, prayers, and offerings (e.g., food, sake, or dance) to maintain good relations with the kami.
Fertility and Procreation — Celebrating life cycles, growth, renewal, and the sacredness of reproduction and family continuity.
Subordination to the Group — Prioritizing community, family, and society over the individual for collective harmony.
Kannagara no Michi — Living "in accordance with the way of the kami" — a natural, intuitive path of sincerity and alignment with the divine order.
Avoidance of Absolutes — No strict good vs. evil dualism; morality is contextual, focused on maintaining purity and harmony rather than rigid commandments.
Joy and Celebration — Shinto is optimistic and life-affirming, with festivals (matsuri) celebrating seasons, harvests, and community joy in the presence of the kami.

These principles interconnect: by purifying oneself, revering nature and ancestors, and living harmoniously, one aligns with the kami and fosters a balanced, grateful life. Shinto often coexists with Buddhism in Japan (shinbutsu-shūgō), blending seamlessly into daily culture and seasonal rituals.

12 quotes come from Zen masters

Ever since the Indian monk Bodhidharma introduced Buddhism to China around the fifth or sixth century CE, establishing what eventually became known as Zen Buddhism, masters of this spiritual pursuit have delivered morsels of wisdom that are equal parts enlightening and confounding.

Zen Buddhism rejects the dualistic, black-and-white thinking of modern life and instead focuses on the self and the strength that can be found within. For thousands of years, Zen teachers, philosophers, and poets have ruminated on the meaning of Zen, and provided quotes, anecdotes, and verses dedicated to illuminating its mysteries.

These 12 quotes come from Zen masters throughout history, from Bodhidharma himself to the Japanese teachers who introduced Zen to the U.S. in the 20th century.

In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.
Shunryū Suzuki

You ought to know how to rise above the trivialities of life, in which most people are found drowning themselves.
D.T. Suzuki

A Buddha is someone who finds freedom in good fortune and bad.
Bodhidharma

Each of you is perfect the way you are … and you can use a little improvement.
Shunryū Suzuki

You must love in such a way that the person you love feels free.
Thích Nhất Hạnh

Just be true, and there are no barriers.
Huineng

A fool sees himself as another, but a wise man sees others as himself.
Dōgen Zenji

Having no destination, I am never lost.
Ikkyū

When reading, only read. When eating, only eat. When thinking, only think.
Seungsahn

Those who do not have faith in others will not be able to stand on their own.
Sheng-yen

No mud, no lotus.
Thích Nhất Hạnh

To live is enough.
Shunryū Suzuki

Western philosophy, originating in Ancient Greece and evolving through the Enlightenment to the modern day, is built on a foundation of reason, individual autonomy, and the pursuit of objective truth. While there isn't one "official" list of 15, the following principles represent the core pillars that define the Western intellectual tradition.

Foundations of Logic & Knowledge
The Principle of Rationality: The belief that the universe is orderly and can be understood through human reason. This shifted the Western focus from mythology to logical explanation.

The Law of Non-Contradiction: A foundational rule of logic (perfected by Aristotle) stating that a statement cannot be both true and false at the same time in the same way.

The Socratic Method (Elenchus): The principle that truth is best discovered through a process of rigorous questioning, dialogue, and the elimination of contradictions.

Empiricism: The idea that knowledge must be grounded in sensory experience and observation. This principle eventually became the bedrock of the modern scientific method.

Universalism: The pursuit of objective, universal truths that apply to all people at all times, rather than truth being entirely relative to individual or cultural perspective.

Metaphysics & Human Nature
Mind-Body Dualism: Popularized by René Descartes, this is the distinction between the physical body and the non-physical mind or soul, a concept that has deeply influenced Western psychology and theology.

Humanism: The philosophical stance that emphasizes the value, agency, and potential of human beings. It shifts the focus of inquiry from the divine to the human experience.

Individualism: The belief in the inherent worth and autonomy of the individual. In Western thought, the individual is often viewed as the primary unit of reality and morality.

Causality: The principle that every event has a cause (Cause and Effect). Understanding the world means identifying the necessary and sufficient conditions that lead to an outcome.

Linear Progress: Unlike many Eastern traditions that see time as cyclical, Western philosophy often adopts a "linear" view, suggesting that history and human knowledge are moving toward a state of improvement or "perfection."

Ethics & Political Philosophy
Eudaimonia (The Good Life): The Aristotelian principle that the ultimate goal of human life is "flourishing"—living excellently in accordance with reason and virtue.

The Golden Mean: The ethical principle that virtue lies in the balance between two extremes (e.g., courage is the mean between cowardice and recklessness).

The Social Contract: The theory that political authority and the "rule of law" come from a voluntary agreement among free individuals to form a society for mutual benefit.

Categorical Imperative: Immanuel Kant’s principle that you should act only according to rules that you would want to become a universal law for everyone.

Utilitarianism: The ethical principle that the "right" action is the one that produces the greatest amount of good (or happiness) for the greatest number of people.

A child who asks questions does not become a fool. #
Do not follow the path. Go where there is no path to begin a trail.#
Let not what you cannot do tear you from what you can do.
There is no beauty but the beauty of action.
#Love truth even if it harms you, and hate lies even if they serve you.
Hands wash each other.
#You cannot know the good within yourself if you cannot see it in others.
#Don't be in a hurry to swallow when chewing is pleasant.
#Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.
Leading a race does not mean that you will win it.
If you want to improve your memory, lend someone money.

The impacts of ancient Greek and Roman civilizations still echo now, centuries later. Their contributions can be seen throughout the world in nearly every culture that has ever existed, in areas as diverse as architecture, language, philosophy, and technology. Geographical proximity between the Romans and the Greeks sparked conflicts and conquests, but it also facilitated cultural exchanges between the ancient rivals: The conquering Romans adopted many aspects of the more advanced Greek culture.

The historical period known as classical antiquity stretches from the earliest recorded writings of the Greek poet Homer in the eighth century BCE to the decline of the Roman Empire in the fifth century BCE. Historians have long studied how the development of Western civilization evolved from Greco-Roman culture, and the influence of those ancient civilizations can still be seen in the modern world, from farming techniques used by the Romans to Greek influences on U.S. democracy.

Though many texts written during this lengthy historical period have been lost over the centuries, a vast body of writing still exists, encompassing the histories of Greece and Rome as well as prose, poetry, and drama that explores their mythologies, philosophies, and cultures.

From the sage insights of Virgil to the sharp observations of Euripides, here are 16 wise and witty quotes from Greek and Roman writers of the classical era.

Life and death are balanced as it were on the edge of a razor.
Homer

A host is like a general: misfortunes often reveal his genius.
Horace

Either don’t try at all or make damned sure you succeed.
Ovid

Well, one must learn / By doing the thing; for though you think you know it / You have no certainty, until you try.
Sophocles

We cannot all do all things.
Virgil

We live, not as we wish to, but as we can.
Menander

The wise learn many things from their enemies.
Aristophanes

Things ’twas hard to bear ’tis pleasant to recall.
Seneca the Younger

A bad end comes from a bad beginning.
Euripides

If at every human error Jupiter should hurl his thunderbolts, he would in a brief space be weaponless.
Ovid

I have learned from the best of all teachers, experience.
Pliny the Younger

Beauty is beauty only while you gaze on it, / but one who’s good will soon be beautiful as well.
Sappho

Dare to know.
Horace

No one’s wholly corrupted overnight.
Juvenal

Fortune will help the brave.
Virgil

When you’re sick a bed is like a friend: a good thing to have, but painful to need.
Euripides

Kristina is a coffee-fueled writer living happily ever after with her family in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia.

Never Heard Before
Timeless Stoic wisdom in small packages.
Tom Addison

Out of the ‘big three’ Stoic philosophers, i.e., Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Seneca, I would say that Seneca is the best writer of them all.

His work is poetic, but at the same time, it’s genuinely helpful.

I have a massive abundance of different Seneca quotes on life, death, and how to become a better person, compiled in my note card box and bouncing around in my brain, too many to include in one single article, anyway.

But I thought these 24 quotes in particular are so beautiful that they’re worth sharing:

1. “You are unfortunate in my judgement, for you have never been unfortunate. You have passed through life with no antagonist to face you; no one will know what you were capable of, not even yourself.”
Without difficulties, pushbacks, challenges, and hardships, you’ll pass through life without fully knowing your true capabilities.

2. “As fire tests gold, so misfortune tests brave men.”
Misfortunes introduce you to the person you’ve always wanted to become.

3. “No man was ever wise by chance.”
Wisdom takes a whole lifetime of work, and no matter what anyone says, wisdom isn’t something you can randomly stumble upon.

4. “No man will ever be happy if tortured by the greater happiness of another.”
If you can’t be happy and you remain bitter despite another person’s success, you’re in for a miserable life.

5. “The man who has anticipated the coming of troubles takes away their power when they arrive.”
Bad shit will happen in life, and if you’re prepared for things going wrong, you’ll be able to take on anything.

6. “Behind every admiring stare in the crowd lies the face of envy.”
Everyone will admire you and want you to succeed right up until the moment you start doing better than them.

7. “It is praiseworthy to pursue wholesome studies even if they lead to no practical outcome.”
If a ‘pointless’ practice brings you a sense of happiness and fulfillment, keep on doing it regardless of what anybody else says.

8. “Wherever there is a human being, there exists the opportunity for an act of kindness.”
There is always a place for kindness in this world, always.

9. “Many men would have attained to wisdom, had they not supposed they had done so already.”
Wise people never admit they’re wise, because they always know there is so much more to learn.

10. “We ought to know that what makes us struggle is the fault, not of our locations, but of ourselves.”
Your environment isn’t the problem, you’re the problem!

11. “Many a time an old man well advanced in years has so other evidence to prove his length of life than his age.”
Age is just a number; what really matters is how well you’ve lived your life.

12. “Nothing delights the mind as much as loving and loyal friendship.”
A person’s life isn’t complete without someone to share it with.

13. “What is burdensome about returning to the place from which you came? The man who will not know how to die well will live badly.
Accepting death means accepting nature, therefore allowing you to live wisely, while fearing it leads to a poor life.

14. “The man who fears death will never do anything worthy of a man who is alive.”
Death is inevitable, and if you fear the inevitable, you will never live life to its maximum capacity.

15. “Be aware, then, that every human condition is subject to change, and that whatever mishap can befall any man can also happen to you.”
You’re not invincible, and what has happened to one person can always happen to you.

16. “Life brings neither happiness nor peace of mind to those who live it constantly behind a mask.”
A life that’s constantly lived behind a mask, without ever being truly yourself, is a guaranteed way to live a miserable life.

17. “Life is long, if only you knew how to use it.”
It’s not that any of us don’t have enough time to live a long and prosperous life; we choose to waste a huge chunk of the time allotted to us.

18. “It was not that you were wishing for another man’s company; it was that you could not settle for your own.”
If you’re not comfortable in your own company, in your own skin, you’ll never be entirely comfortable around anybody else either.

19. “Men are tight-fisted in keeping control of their fortunes, but when it comes to the matter of wasting time, they are positively extravagant in the one area where there is honour in being miserly.”
People are frugal when it comes to spending their hard-earned cash, but when it comes to spending their time, they’re so unbelievably wasteful.

20. “The greatest obstacle to living is expectation, which depends on tomorrow and wastes today.”
Stop expecting so much from life, because it’s unrealistic expectations that distort the way you see your current reality.

21. “Those who forget the past, ignore the present, and fear for the future have a life that is very brief and filled with anxiety.”
It’s as simple as this: Failing to learn from the past, appreciate the present, and face the future calmly leads to a short, anxious, and unfulfilling life.

22. “Nothing to my way of thinking is a better proof of a well-ordered mind than a man’s ability to stop just where he is and pass some time in his own company.”
Being able to sit there alone and be comfortable with your own thoughts speaks volumes about how comfortable you are with yourself.

23. “We should cherish old age and enjoy it. It is full of pleasure if you know how to use it. Fruit tastes most delicious just when its season is ending.”
Embrace getting older, because quite often, the later years of life are the ones you’ll find the most enjoyable and fulfilling.

Ancient lessons from Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Seneca that still apply today.
9 Stoic One-Liners You Should Write Down and Never Forget

Stoicism is a philosophy that began over 2,300 years ago in Ancient Greece.

Even though it’s ancient, its ideas can still be applied just as much in today’s world as they were thousands of years ago.

And you know what? It’s a philosophy that will remain applicable and practical in another 2,000 years as well.

Human beings will continue to experience the same fears, frustrations, and struggles, which is why Stoic philosophy isn’t going anywhere.

Personally, Stoicism has changed my life in so many ways.

More specifically, the following quotes from Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Seneca did.

Let’s dive in.

Quotes from Marcus Aurelius
“The best revenge is to not be like your enemy.”
Just because someone has wronged you doesn’t mean you should wrong them in return.

Fighting fire with fire is rarely the solution to the problem.

The real solution is to be the bigger person, remain calm, and refuse to become like the person who wronged you.

“Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself.”
If you constantly expect other people to live up to the same level of discipline as yourself, you’ll forever remain frustrated and annoyed.

Instead, practice tolerance and understanding toward others while maintaining high standards for yourself.

“The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.”
You become what you consistently think about.

Your life becomes a reflection of the quality of your thoughts.

If you spend all your time thinking negatively, your life will begin to reflect that, and vice versa.

It’s a simple idea, yet many people never fully realize how powerful it is.

Quotes from Epictetus
“First, tell yourself what you want to be, then act your part accordingly.”
Think about the kind of person you want to become, set the aim, and then begin acting accordingly.

Break things down into manageable pieces. Bit by bit, step by step.

It takes time, but that’s how you become the person you want to be and build a life you can be proud of.

“The more we value things outside our control, the less control we have.”
Control is one of the core ideas in Stoic philosophy.

If something isn’t under your control, stop attaching so much value to it.

When you place too much importance on things outside your control, such as other people’s opinions, outcomes, or circumstances, you give away your peace of mind.

“Whenever anyone criticizes or wrongs you, remember that they are only doing or saying what they think is right.”
People behave the way they do for a reason.

They believe they are correct.

Rather than immediately judging or reacting with anger, try approaching the situation with empathy and perspective.

Most people act based on what they believe is right, even if they are mistaken.

Quotes from Seneca
“We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.”
We spend an enormous amount of time worrying about what might happen.

We imagine worst-case scenarios and stress over them, only for most of our worries to never materialize.

All that time worrying was simply wasted energy.

“No man is more unhappy than he who never faces adversity.”
Human beings perform best when thrown into stressful situations.

It’s impossible to become the best version of yourself without being challenged in some way.

Adversity reveals who you are and introduces you to the person you are capable of becoming.

“The one thing all fools have in common is that they’re always getting ready to start.”
The most difficult step is always the first one.

It’s the step that requires the most courage, and every step after that becomes slightly easier.

The best time to start was years ago. The second-best time is now.

You won’t be perfect, and you never will be.

Just focus on making a start and stop waiting for the perfect moment.

Kung-fu-tsu, better known to the Western world as Confucius, was a philosopher, sage, and teacher whose wisdom has shaped Chinese thought for over 2,000 years. Born into a China that was a mosaic of small and often warring states, Confucius developed a philosophy that sought to bring peace and prosperity to all people.

Confucianism was deeply rooted in ethics, virtue, and correct behavior. It taught that each person could contribute to universal harmony if they practiced self-discipline, cultivated their characters, and performed the roles that had been allotted to them. Not everyone could be born a king or lord, but being a good parent or dutiful child could be just as nourishing to the soul and important to a peaceful existence.

To Confucius, happiness came not through gluttony and self-indulgence, but through frugality and duty to others. He believed fulfilling the needs of others could also fill oneself with serenity and gratitude. Forgoing one’s duty to serve, on the other hand, could have wider damaging effects: A ruler who ignored the needs of their subjects might unbalance the cosmos and suffer a reign beset with natural disasters.

Confucius set out four simple virtues that he believed were enough to keep the world in its proper order: benevolence, moral wisdom, righteousness, and observance of traditional rituals. According to Confucianism, ritual brings together a community in peace and helps to cultivate "ren," a Chinese word meaning humanity, goodness, and love. Confucius taught that once we understand our shared humanity, we open ourselves up to feelings of altruism, respect for one another, and even friendship.

In Confucius’ idea of the ideal state, the rulers were kind, religion was properly celebrated, and the wise were treasured. Despite living in difficult times and often in exile, Confucius spent his life seeking to help others achieve this.

After Confucius’ death in 479 BCE, his disciples spread around the country to advise Chinese rulers in his worldview and political theories. In time, Confucianism became the dominant philosophy in China and other parts of eastern Asia, and remained so for centuries. Confucius’ sayings have endured to this day (and many others have been falsely attributed to the sage). Here are 10 quotes from the extraordinary life of Confucius that exemplify his teachings.

The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.

Confucius was born in 551 BCE in the state of Lu (modern Shandong province). His father, Kong He, was commander of the army garrison and died when Confucius was only three years old. Filial piety, the respect for your parents, would become a central tenet of Confucianism. "When your father is alive, observe his will. When your father is dead observe his former actions," Confucius said. He believed a loving and respectful family unit was vital to a well-functioning society.

Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.

Confucius was sent to school to learn the ways of the gentleman. His studies included the Six Arts of classical China: music, archery, religious rites, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics. One who mastered these was thought to have everything an honorable person required. Confucius learned to love knowledge, and thought an education could improve a person’s character as well as their mind. He believed learning should be done "for the sake of the self," and could be a process that lasted a lifetime. "To study and not think is a waste. To think and not study is dangerous," he said.

If you see what is right and fail to act on it, you lack courage.

Confucius lived in Lu, a state controlled by a family of dukes at a time when rival families were squabbling for power. Many common people suffered as the great lords fought. By 501 BCE, Confucius’ wisdom was recognized and he was given a small town to govern. He thought that just as a family should respect a patriarch, so should a state have one respected ruler. With no army of his own, he used words and persuasion to disarm the feuding powers of Lu.

The man of virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.

Confucius gathered many followers and disciples thanks to his profound wisdom. He sent those he taught to convince important people in the ways of peace and common humanity. His disciple Zhong You was appointed as chief magistrate in the city of Pu (near modern-day Changyuan), and another disciple, Ran Qiu, advised members of the Lu court.

When the archer misses the center of the target, he turns round and seeks for the cause of his failure in himself.

Confucius’ ideas of reform were not met with universal approval in China. His attempts to return rulers to their traditional piety and frugality would have hampered their lavish lifestyles. Other dukes worried that the Duke of Lu would become too powerful with the philosopher by his side, advising him as governor. When Confucius disapproved of the way his lord was behaving, he went into self-exile from Lu. He did not blame others for his distress but turned it into an opportunity for personal growth. He realized that by visiting other Chinese states he could refine his teachings.

Within the four seas, all men are brothers.

Examining how other lords ruled and other people lived only increased Confucius’ belief in the unity of humanity. "By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart," he said. Confucius believed we could educate ourselves to come together.

When you meet someone better than yourself, turn your thoughts to becoming his equal. When you meet someone not as good as you are, look within and examine your own self.

While in exile, Confucius was always on the move, yet he still found time to learn and to teach. He believed a person was only truly themselves when they were with others: A sage sitting alone in the mountains may be wise but can only be a teacher if they have students. Confucius believed that what is good for society is good for the individual, because each person we meet can have something to teach us.

What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.

One of Confucius’ most famous sayings has been echoed through the ages, often referred to as the "Golden Rule," and phrased in English as "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." The basic principle of treating others the way we wish to be treated is found across the world’s religions, cultures, and ethical theories today, and the idea was central to Confucius’ teachings. When asked whether there was one word that could guide a person through life, Confucius replied, "reciprocity."

At 15 I set my heart on learning, at 30 I knew where I stood, at 40 I had no more doubts, at 50 I knew the will of Heaven, at 60 my ears were attuned, and at 70 I followed my heart’s desire without crossing the line.

Confucius observed that new insights and understanding can be achieved at each stage of life. Looking back on his own experience, he reflected that every new chapter brings a new role to play, and a new chance to grow.

If I hear the Way of truth in the morning, I am content even to die in that evening.

Confucius finally returned to his home in Lu at age 68. He never had been able to put his plans for the perfect state into practice, but he spent his final years with his closest disciples, continuing to teach and advise. After his death at age 72, Confucius’ followers spread his philosophy across China. Confucius’ ideals — such as "Jen," compassion, and "Yi," justice — became the foundation of Chinese education. Today he is still offered reverence, as generations of people heed his words and wisdom in a world Confucius could not have imagined.

Ben Gazur is a freelance writer, historian, and folklorist.

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."
"They must often change who would be constant in happiness or wisdom."
"What the superior man seeks is in himself; what the small man seeks is in others."
"In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of."
"It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop."
"When anger rises, think of the consequences."
"When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals; adjust the action steps."
"Faced with what is right, to leave it undone shows a lack of courage."
"To be able under all circumstances to practice five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness."
"To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage or of principle."
"Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with true virtue."
"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves."
"Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation, there is sure to be failure."
"Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire."
"Men's natures are alike, it is their habits that carry them far apart."
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance."
"Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles."
"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."
"Respect yourself and others will respect you."
"Silence is a true friend who never betrays."
"The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved."
"The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence."
"Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without."
"Study the past if you would define the future."
"Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart."
"Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men."
"Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses."
"Have no friends not equal to yourself."
"He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it."
"He who learns but does not think is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger."
"He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good."
"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated."
"A superior man is modest in his speech but exceeds in his actions."
"Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes."
"The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large."
"The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell."
"By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart."
"He who will not economize will have to agonize."
"When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves."
"He with whom neither slander that gradually soaks into the mind, nor statements that startle like a wound in the flesh, are successful may be called intelligent indeed."
"If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself."
"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."
"If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?"
"Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star."
"It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve, and bad things are very easy to get."
"Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?"

For once touched by love, everyone becomes a poet.
Plato

Close your eyes, fall in Love, stay there.
Rumi

Trust love even if it brings sorrow. Do not close up your heart.
Rabindranath Tagore

Our capacity to love is an unstoppable essence that when nurtured can expand without limit.
Pema Chödrön

Understanding someone’s suffering is the best gift you can give another person. Understanding is love’s other name.
Thích Nhất Hạnh

Love is the primary treasure … It is our ability to fully identify and empathize with the wondrous beings and entities of this remarkable universe.
Lao Tzu

Love is to conquer self and turn to courtesy.
Confucius

Loving others as one loves oneself is humaneness, and this is the heart of humans.
Kaibara Ekken

Love concentrates all the power of the will without effort.
Swami Vivekananda

Merits of giving away food thrice a day / Cooking in three hundred pots / Cannot equal the merits / Gained from a moment’s love.
Nāgārjuna

According to the United Nations, there are currently more than 370 million Indigenous people spread across 70 countries worldwide. In total, they belong to some 5,000 different Indigenous groups and speak more than 4,000 languages. Many of these groups have distinct social, economic, and political systems, as well as distinct culture and beliefs. Sadly, they are often marginalized or directly threatened by more dominant powers in society — despite having been the original inhabitants of the land they occupy.

Indigenous peoples often have a strong attachment, understanding, and respect for their native lands, be it the great plains of the United States, the Canadian prairies, or the Amazon rainforest. This connection is frequently apparent in the wise words of Indigenous leaders both past and present. Today, with many Indigenous communities on the frontlines of the battle to protect our natural world, this wisdom is perhaps more important than ever.

The following quotes span the centuries and the globe, from the words of famous Native American chiefs to the current leaders of Indigenous peoples still struggling to protect their lands, their heritage, and the planet.

Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.
Chief Tecumseh

Chief Tecumseh of the Shawnee tried to unite several Native American tribes before his death in the War of 1812.

This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.
Chief Seattle

Chief Seattle of the Duwamish and Suquamish is the namesake of the city of Seattle, Washington.

When a tree grows be it ever so strong and large; it rots away gradually and down it goes at last, but through time another young tree shoots forth from there, and as it grows, it gathers beauty and strength.
Chief Peguis

Chief Peguis of the Saulteaux, Canada. Peguis initially helped European settlers, saving some from starvation, but became increasingly concerned about illegal settlement on tribal lands.

The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it. You might as well expect all rivers to run backward as that any man who was born a free man should be contented penned up and denied liberty to go where he pleases.
Chief Joseph

Chief Joseph of the Wal-lam-wat-kain (Wallowa) band of Nez Perce, who led his people through a tumultuous period of forced removal from their ancestral lands by the United States federal government.

The American Indian is of the soil, whether it be the region of forests, plains, pueblos, or mesas. He fits into the landscape, for the hand that fashioned the continent also fashioned the man for his surroundings. He once grew as naturally as the wild sunflowers, he belongs just as the buffalo belonged.
Chief Luther Standing Bear

Chief Luther Standing Bear of the Oglala Sioux was an author, philosopher, and actor who fought to preserve his heritage.

Love is something you and I must have. We must have it because our spirit feeds upon it. We must have it because without it we become weak and faint. Without love our self-esteem weakens. Without it our courage fails. Without love we can no longer look out confidently at the world.
Chief Dan George

Chief Dan George of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation of Canada was an actor, musician, poet, and author.

Even though you and I are in different boats, you in your boat and we in our canoe, we share the same River of Life. What befalls me, befalls you.
Oren Lyons

Oren Lyons is the Onandaga Nation Chief and member of the Indigenous Peoples of the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations.

Cows run away from the storm while the buffalo charges toward it — and gets through it quicker. Whenever I’m confronted with a tough challenge, I do not prolong the torment, I become the buffalo.
Wilma Mankiller

Wilma Mankiller was an American Cherokee activist and social worker who became the first woman elected as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.

It is the early morning in the Amazon, just before first light: a time that is meant for us to share our dreams, our most potent thoughts. And so I say to all of you: the Earth does not expect you to save her, she expects you to respect her. And we, as Indigenous peoples, expect the same.
Nemonte Nenquimo

Nemonte Nenquimo is a Waorani leader of the Ecuadorian Amazon. In 2020, she was the only Indigenous woman on the Time 100 list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

The struggle, like life itself, should be joyful.
Miriam Miranda

Miriam Miranda, of the Garífuna community of Honduras, bravely continues her fight for human and environmental rights today despite facing numerous hardships.

Stand up for what you believe. Just having that strong determination can make other people join you in your struggle.
Silvia Carrera

Silvia Carrera is the the cacique general of the Ngöbe-Buglé Comarca Indigenous territory of western Panama, known for her ongoing battle against mineral mining.

We get a lot of strength from many principles including reciprocity (you are me and I am you) and that gives us strength as women and this connection with life and the web we have among each other.
Aura Lolita Chávez

Aura Lolita Chávez, a women's rights activist and member of the Council of K'iche Peoples in Guatemala, is a prominent global leader in the struggle to preserve natural resources.

In Indian philosophy, thinkers emphasize the pursuit of wisdom, self- realization, and understanding the nature of reality. It is often intertwined with spiritual practices, ethical living, and personal transformation.

Dharma is a comprehensive concept covering duty, nature, and truth. 

What are the 4 goals of Indian philosophy?
The four life goals are Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. Artha can be loosely translated as wealth and power; it is acceptable to pursue these two qualities following Hindu values. Hindus revere the Kama for their achievements. Being a practical faith, it's no surprise that many Hindus gravitate toward the Kama.

What are the 4 pillars of Indian philosophy?
The four puruṣārthas are Dharma (righteousness, moral values), Artha (prosperity, economic values), Kama (pleasure, love, psychological values) and Moksha (liberation, spiritual values, self-realization).

These are known as Vaishesika, Nyaya, Samkhya, Yoga, Purva Mimansa and Vedanta or Uttara Mimansa. These six systems of philosophy are said to have been founded by sages Konada, Gotama, Kapila, Patanjali, Jaimini and Vyasa, respectively. These philosophies still guide scholarly discourse in the country.
There are six major (āstika) schools of Vedic philosophy—Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mīmāṃsā and Vedanta—and five major non-Vedic or heterodox (nāstika or sramanic) schools—Jain, Buddhist, Ajivika, Ajñana, and Charvaka.

Dharma is a fundamental, multi-faceted term in Indian religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism) generally referring to cosmic order, duty, righteousness, and the "way things are". It represents the natural law that sustains the universe and dictates ethical, virtuous living, encompassing both personal duty and universal truth.

What are the 4 virtues of Hinduism?
They are four Hindu virtues: harmlessness or non-violence (ahimsa), compassion (daya), self-control (dama) and generosity (dana).

From Ikigai to Wabi-Sabi: 8 Japanese Philosophies for Purposeful Living

Every culture has its own unique array of ideologies, and learning about those outside our own can help us form a more vivid and nuanced worldview. It’s similar to the idea that expanding our vocabulary to include words from other languages can translate into richer and more diverse emotional experiences. 

In Japan — where Shintoism, Zen Buddhism, and Confucianism have long shaped society — many ancient philosophies are deeply enshrined in daily life. Several of them share common tenets, emphasizing themes like simplicity, harmony, acceptance, and intentionality. 

1. Ikigai 
A reason for living 
A combination of the Japanese terms “iki,” meaning “life,” and “gai,” meaning “to be worthwhile,” ikigai essentially describes a reason for being (or a raison d’etre, if you ask the French). The word is believed to date back to Japan’s Heian period, between 794 and 1185. 

While 21st-century Western writers have popularized a four-component Venn diagram approach to discovering ikigai, Japanese denizens have a broader understanding of the concept. Rather than a framework to be fulfilled, it can be thought of as any elements that make life feel worthwhile. For example, a person’s children or career may be their ikigai, but one may also derive it from a morning coffee ritual with a friend or time spent gardening. 

To apply ikigai to your life, focus on cultivating small joys and rituals while also considering your larger purpose. 

2. Kaizen
Continuous improvement 
Kaizen is a more modern concept that took off in post-World War II Japan and was actually influenced by American ideas. Following the conflict, Japan faced production issues, and U.S. scientists were brought in to aid in revitalizing the economy. An organizational philosophy evolved that emphasizes continuous improvement, commitment, and discipline. The word is a combination of the terms “kai,” meaning “change,” and “zen,” meaning “good.” 

While the concept is often put into practice by businesses, individuals can embrace kaizen in their daily lives as well. “One of the core pillars of kaizen is the belief that small, consistent changes can lead to significant transformations over time,” the Kaizen Institute explains, adding: “The key to getting started is identifying a habit or area of improvement that, while seemingly minor, delivers an immediate positive impact.” 

That may mean incorporating a few more weekly servings of veggies into your diet, adding 10 more minutes of intentional movement to your day, or creating a morning routine that prioritizes your mental health. Then, challenge yourself to continue improving in each area while celebrating your small wins along the way. 

3. Mottainai
Regret over waste
Loosely translated, the term “mottainai” means “what a waste,” and it’s used to express regret or sadness when something is squandered. As a philosophy, it centers gratitude and “embodies the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle, fostering respect for the objects we use and the environment they come from,” according to the Japan National Tourism Organization, which added: “This ethos has shaped a culture that values sustainability and finds beauty in objects that have been repaired or transformed.” 

Mottainai encourages us to be mindful of our consumption and grateful for the things we have. To help implement this, try to reduce and reuse as much as possible. Make sure you’re recycling correctly to limit waste, and explore tips for reducing and reusing. 

4. Oubaitori
Don’t compare
The term “oubaitori” comes from the kanji, or Japanese characters, that symbolize four flowering trees: cherry blossom, plum, peach, and apricot. It’s an ancient idiom meaning that people, like the flowers on those trees, bloom and flourish at their own rate and in their own way. The overall takeaway: Don’t compare yourself to others. 

Embrace oubaitori by focusing on your individual journey and happiness while celebrating your inherent uniqueness. And remember, we don’t need to be superstars to be happy or live meaningful lives — revisit our piece on the power of embracing an average existence. 

5. Shikata Ga Nai
Accept what you cannot control  
Loosely translating to “it cannot be helped,” this term is used similarly to the French phrase “c’est la vie,” meaning “that’s life” (or, less poetically, the American term “s*** happens”). At once both fatalistic and freeing, to say shikata ga nai is to encourage yourself (or someone else) to let something go and focus on that which is under your control.

A way to invite the spirit of shikata ga nai into your life is to practice gratitude for what you have rather than yearning for what it is you’ve lost or wish were different. It may also help you release frustration by encouraging you to step back and reflect on what you’re fighting for or against.

6. Shoshin 
A beginner’s mind
A Zen Buddhist concept, shoshin very roughly translates to “beginner’s mind.” It’s the belief that no matter your age, education, or experience level, there’s value in approaching life through the lens of a beginner: one of excitement, openness, and a willingness to learn. 

As cognitive neuroscientist Christian Jarrett explained in a piece about shoshin for Psyche, research suggests that those with degrees or expertise in a specific area may often overestimate their own knowledge or close their minds to possibilities or suggestions put forth by others. 

“By practicing being flexible rather than dogmatic, more humble and less brazen, you will be sensitive to other people’s perspectives and needs, making you a better sister, brother, father, mother, partner and friend,” Jarrett writes. “With eyes and mind wide open, it’s so much easier to enjoy the wonders of the world, to grow, to learn, and to listen.”

7. Wa 
Harmony
Wa is a single Japanese character that contains multiple meanings, but overall represents social harmony — a peaceful, interdependent existence. It’s a deeply held value in Japan and also one of the four principles in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

“Harmony is the aesthetic and core value that drives Japanese people, embedded deep down in our subconscious mind,” writes author and cultural communicator Azumi Uchitani. “Harmony with people, nature, season, and the life force energy.”

Incorporating wa in your own life is a matter of embracing humility and prioritizing accord with others over protecting your ego. 

8. Wabi-Sabi
Embrace imperfections
Similar to kintsugi, a centuries-old ceramics technique that involves repairing broken pottery using lacquer typically mixed with a gold or silver powder, wabi-sabi is all about celebrating imperfections. It’s an aesthetic and a philosophy that can be applied to personal progress, interior design, daily life, and any other aspect of our existence — and it’s recently been having a moment on social media. 

The meaning of wabi-sabi as it’s understood in the Western world comes down to three basic ideas, psychology professor Trevor Mazzucchelli explained for The Conversation: “Things are flawed, things change, and things are never fully finished.” 

To adopt a wabi-sabi worldview, consider that imperfections make us who we are, that everything is constantly in flux, and that there’s always room to grow. 

TED: What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness
Robert Waldinger | TEDxBeaconStreet • November 2015
So what have we learned? What are the lessons that come from the tens of thousands of pages of information that we've generated on these lives? Well, the lessons aren't about wealth or fame or working harder and harder. The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.

We've learned three big lessons about relationships. The first is that social connections are really good for us, and that loneliness kills. It turns out that people who are more socially connected to family, to friends, to community, are happier, they're physically healthier, and they live longer than people who are less well connected. And the experience of loneliness turns out to be toxic. People who are more isolated than they want to be from others find that they are less happy, their health declines earlier in midlife, their brain functioning declines sooner and they live shorter lives than people who are not lonely. And the sad fact is that at any given time, more than one in five Americans will report that they're lonely.

And we know that you can be lonely in a crowd and you can be lonely in a marriage, so the second big lesson that we learned is that it's not just the number of friends you have, and it's not whether or not you're in a committed relationship, but it's the quality of your close relationships that matters. It turns out that living in the midst of conflict is really bad for our health. High-conflict marriages, for example, without much affection, turn out to be very bad for our health, perhaps worse than getting divorced. And living in the midst of good, warm relationships is protective.

And the third big lesson that we learned about relationships and our health is that good relationships don't just protect our bodies, they protect our brains. It turns out that being in a securely attached relationship to another person in your 80s is protective, that the people who are in relationships where they really feel they can count on the other person in times of need, those people's memories stay sharper longer. And the people in relationships where they feel they really can't count on the other one, those are the people who experience earlier memory decline. And those good relationships, they don't have to be smooth all the time. Some of our octogenarian couples could bicker with each other day in and day out, but as long as they felt that they could really count on the other when the going got tough, those arguments didn't take a toll on their memories.

#Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.
Bertrand Russell

If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.
Marcus Aurelius

Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.
William Shakespeare

#Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.
Dale Carnegie

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear — not absence of fear. Except a creature be part coward it is not a compliment to say it is brave; it is merely a loose misapplication of the word.
Mark Twain

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.
Marie Curie

I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.
Rosa Parks

Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.
Babe Ruth

Expose yourself to your deepest fear. After that, fear has no power, and fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.
Jim Morrison

Don’t fear failure. Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts, it is glorious even to fail.
Bruce Lee

Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.
Judy Blume

#I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
Nelson Mandela

Love casts out fear; but conversely, fear casts out love. And not only love. Fear also casts out intelligence, casts out goodness, casts out all thought of beauty and truth
Aldous Huxley


What we need to do is say, "What’s the smallest, tiniest thing that I can master and what’s the scariest thing I can do in front of the smallest number of people that can teach me how to dance with the fear?" Once we get good at that, we just realize that it’s not fatal.
Seth Godin

Are you paralyzed with fear? That’s a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. Remember our rule of thumb: The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.
Steven Pressfield

#The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.
Stephen King

“The most difficult thing in life is to know yourself.”
—Thales

“Time ripens all things. No man is born wise.”
—Miguel de Cervantes, "Don Quixote"

“Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things.”
—Cicero, "De Oratore"

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
—Mark Twain

“Nature is often hidden; sometimes overcome; seldom extinguished.”
—Francis Bacon, "Of Nature in Men"

“Home wasn’t a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together.”
– SARAH DESSEN, WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE

“To love truth for truth's sake is the principal part of human perfection in this world, and the seed-plot of all other virtues.”
—John Locke

“Love shows itself more in adversity than in prosperity; as light does, which shines most where the place is darkest.”
—Leonardo da Vinci

“When things go wrong, don’t go with them.” – ELVIS PRESLEY

Be humble so that you don't make people compare themselves to you. That just makes people unhappy.

“The whole world opened to me when I learned to read.”
– MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE

You don't get what you don't ask for - Dawn Wells.

“An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered; an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered.”
—G. K. Chesterton

“When Americans lend a hand to one another, nothing is impossible. We’re not about what happened on 9/11. We’re about what happened on 9/12.” – JEFF PARNESS

“Glory ought to be the consequence, not the motive of our actions.”
—Pliny the Younger

“Boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination.”
—Confucius, "Analects"

Perhaps it is as much about teaching self awareness as morality. Is self awareness an instinct or perhaps even the aggregate of insitncts?

[50 Eye-Opening Questions To Ask Your Grandchildren - By Marie Holmes - 04/11/2024
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/great-questions-grandchildren_l_6616a4a8e4b02edf2008d53d
]

[I would not include this except that the original purpose of examining philosophy was to find what would "release" and develop the instincts that would lead to families. I did mention this to you. So when I found this article, I added it to my work area. Some of these questions I had actually already come up with, so it was easy to recognize when I saw it. Much of it also does come under the topic of more typical philosophy, but the intent was more. It was neat to find.

50 Eye-Opening Questions To Ask Your Grandchildren - By Marie Holmes - 04/11/2024

There’s something special about the connection between a grandparent and a grandchild. While this bond goes deeper than words, conversation is a great way to get to know your grandkid and help keep that connection strong.
[This is true of uncles, aunts, coaches, friend's parents, etc. as well. There are some things that apparently cannot be taught by parents.]

A juicy question — the kind that leads them to see something in a new light, or inspires them to tell a story — can get a conversation started, or get it rolling again if you hit a lull.

"The point of asking questions should be to get to know your grandchildren better," DeeDee Moore, a grandmother who blogs at More Than Grand, told HuffPost. 
[According to this analysis, it is about getting your grand children to develop communication skills, self awareness and problem solving.]

Asking kids to elaborate with follow-up questions and open-ended prompts like "What makes you say that?" are also a good way to keep kids talking. "If you ask what their favorite color is, ask why they like it or how that color makes them feel," Moore suggested.

Part of the joy of asking kids questions is the surprise that their answers may bring, leading your conversation to take an unexpected turn. "When I asked my four-year-old granddaughter if she had talked to any of her friends at school today, she initially said no," Moore recounted. "But then she explained, ‘I just meowed because I was a kitty.’ Instead of finding out more about her school day, we ended up having a conversation about how animals talk."

Here are some questions you can use to start a conversation with a grandkid or to keep one going.

What’s something you’re really good at? "A great follow up is to ask them to teach you how to do it," Moore added.
If you could invite anyone in the whole world to dinner, who would you invite?
If you could walk into any book or movie, which one would you choose?
If you could be any animal, which one would you be?
Would you rather be able to fly like a bird or swim like a fish?
If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?
Would you rather be able to tell the future or read other people’s minds?
What was the last thing that happened that made you laugh?
What is something kind that someone has done for you?
What is something about you that I don’t already know?
What do you think you’ll be doing ten years from now?
Where in the world would you most like to visit?
Would you rather travel back to the past or into the future?
What is something you want to learn how to do?
What is your favorite thing about yourself?
Would you rather travel underwater or in outer space?
If your toy could talk, what would it say?
What is your favorite time of the year?
What is something about you that is unique?
What kind of mom or dad do you think you would be?
What do you think your pet is thinking right now?
What would you do with a thousand dollars?
What would you like to be famous for?
What makes somebody a good friend?
Would you rather be tiny like an insect or as tall as a giraffe?
What do you think is the best smell on earth?
What was the last dream that you remember?
When you get bored in school, what do you start thinking about?
Would you rather be the star of a movie, or the director?
What is a job that you wouldn’t want to do?
Do you think it’s ever a good idea to tell a lie?
How do you show someone that you love them?
What was your favorite part of the day?
Who is your favorite person right now?
Would you want to live forever?
What would a perfect day look like for you?
Would you rather have a pet dragon or a pet unicorn?
If you could have any kind of store, what would you want to sell?
What is the silliest thing you’ve ever done?
What do you think is the most important rule for people to follow?
Would you rather dance or paint what you are feeling?
If you had to eat the same thing for every meal, what food would you choose?
What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever tasted?
How can you tell if somebody is smart?
What is something brave that you have done?
If you wrote a book, what would the title be?
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
What is something that used to scare you but doesn’t anymore?
How do you think the world will be different by the time you are a grown up?
What is something you’ve done that you would like to do again?
More important that the question that gets them talking is how well you listen once you get them started.

“He who is not contented with what he has would not be contented with what he would like to have.” — Socrates
Epicurus put it another way — “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not.”

“Happiness is not at the top of the mountain, but in how you climb.” — Confucius
Life is a process of becoming, not arriving.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” — Mahatma Gandhi
This is the holy trinity of alignment.

“Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory.” — Albert Schweitzer
It put this in because it makes me smile. Sometimes, it pays to forget and forgive the past.

“Whoever is happy will make others happy too. He who has courage and faith will never perish in misery!”
—Anne Frank

“Men can only be happy when they do not assume that the object of life is happiness.”
—George Orwell

“Where your talents and the needs of the world cross, there lies your vocation.” — Aristotle
There is always an intersection where these two points meet. My life changed when I found it.

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” — Socrates
Self-reflection is a beautiful thing.

“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love; it will not lead you astray.” — Rumi
Or as he later went on to say: “Your heart knows the way. Run in that direction.”

“He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe.” — Marcus Aurelius
We’re governed by the same rules.

“Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.” — Dalai Lama
Or as Liana Naima said: “Allow people to have their moods, and allow those moods to have nothing to do with you.”

“Try to accept the changing seasons of your heart, even if they seem like winter.” — Rumi
Everything is impermanent. Even winter has its beauty.

“Peace begins when expectation ends.” — Sri Chinmoy
“Expectation is the root of all heartache.” — William Shakespeare

“A man who suffers before it is necessary suffers more than is necessary.” — Seneca
The present moment isn’t worried about what’s happened before or what’s to come in the future. Reside there.

“You do not have to struggle to reach God, but you do have to struggle to tear away the self-created veil that hides Him from you.” — Paramahansa Yogananda
Strip back the layers of what Carl Jung called the persona to experience your true self. It’s the part that doesn’t wear a mask or pretend to be anything other than love.

“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” — Helen Keller
Every challenge creates an opportunity.

“Forever is composed of nows.” — Emily Dickinson
Eckhart Tolle put it another way — “Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have.”

“Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.” — Etty Hillesum
So, pause. Connect with your breath. Remember there is always space to relax.

“Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.” — Pema Chödrön
It’s one of the great ironies of life: Until we process what’s happened to us it will continue to show up in our lives.

“Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.” — Zora Neale Hurston
And once it’s out, it doesn’t like to return.

That’s the beginning of what people call a spiritual awakening.

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” — Martin Luther King

“Be who you needed when you were younger.” ~ Ayesha Siddiqi.

“A talent grows by being used.”
– MAY SARTON

“The music in my heart I bore, Long after it was heard no more.”
—William Wordsworth, "The Solitary Reaper"

“Nothing in this world is harder than speaking the truth, nothing easier than flattery.”
—Fyodor Dostoyevsky, "Crime and Punishment"

“The spirit of truth and the spirit of freedom—these are the pillars of society.”
—Henrik Ibsen, "The Pillars of Society"

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.”
—Albert Einstein

8. “My life has been full of terrible misfortunes, most of which never happened.” — Michel de Montaigne  (Stoic)
Most of our suffering is about the future. Things that might go wrong. Conversations that might happen. Disasters you’re imagining. None of it is real. But we spend our lives suffering because we fear the worst.
We create our own suffering. And then live inside them as if they’re real. Meanwhile, our lives in real time are usually okay. This doesn’t mean bad things don’t happen. They do. But when they do, we handle them.

9. “The more we live by our intellect, the less we understand the meaning of life.” — Leo Tolstoy
Intellectuals are great at analysing everything. The intellect wants to control things by understanding them. They build models, find patterns, creates frameworks. That’s useful when you’re fixing things. Less so when you’re trying to figure out what makes life worth living. You can’t think your way into meaning.
He found meaning not in more analysis, but in simpler, more direct experiences: physical work, genuine connection, something beyond his own head.
The intellect gives you tools. But if you only live there, you will get nowhere. Live your life. Feel things without immediately trying to explain them. Love without wondering why.

“Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.”
—Ovid

“Very little is needed to make a happy life.”
—Marcus Aurelius, "Meditations"

“Ideas do not reach perfection in a day, no matter how much study is put upon them.”
—Alexander Graham Bell

“Sow seeds, wherever you go.”
​– DONNA ASHWORTH

“Adventurer—he that goes out to meet whatever may come. Well, that is what we all do in the world one way or another.”
—H. Rider Haggard, "Allan Quatermain"

“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.”
—G. K. Chesterton

“Let it come, as it will, and don’t be afraid.”
– JANE KENYON

“Endure the hardships of your present state, live, and reserve yourselves for better fate.”
—Virgil, "Aeneid"

“Recommend virtue to your children, that alone—not wealth—can give happiness.”
—Ludwig van Beethoven

“I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy.”
—Marie Curie

“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love.” — Rumi

“If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” — Dalai Lama

“The fragrance stays in the hand that gives the rose.” — Chinese proverb [Gifting]

“We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” — Henri Nouwen

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” — Viktor Frankl

“Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.” — Oprah Winfrey

“What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.” — Timothy Ferriss

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” — Heraclitus

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” — Socrates

“Broken crayons still colour.” — Toni Collier [Broken people still live]

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

“Relax, nothing is under control.” — Adi Da

“The world around you is only beautiful when you are at peace with the world within you.” - Paul Coelho

“Courage conquers all things: it even gives strength to the body.”
—Ovid

1. “If everyone likes you, it probably means you aren’t saying much.” — Donna Brazile

2. “You can choose courage, or you can choose comfort, but you cannot choose both.” — Brené Brown

3. “The trouble is, you think you have time.” — Jack Kornfield

4. “What are you afraid of losing, when nothing in the world belongs to you.” — Marcus Aurelius
[Everything in life is temporary.]

5. “The desire to be loved is the last illusion. Give it up and you will be free.” — Margaret Atwood [peace and love are cultivated within. It doesn’t matter if someone loves me unconditionally because if I don’t love myself, I can’t feel it.]

6. “All sins are attempts to fill voids.” — Simone Weil

7. “What goes too long unchanged destroys itself. The forest is forever because it dies and dies and so lives.” — Ursula K. Le Guin

8. “The only person coming to save you is the version of yourself that’s tired of your current situation.” — Tiny Buddha

1. It costs nothing to be a good person.

2. It’s never too late to have a good day.

3. Progression over perfection. Perfection is a myth.

4. If it were easy, everyone would do it. A satisfying, happy life isn’t meant to be easy. The life we want is supposed to be difficult to create.

5. Consistency beats brilliance.

6. How you do one thing is how you do everything.

7. Stop taking this so seriously.

8. Never complain. Never explain.

1. “It is silly and pointless to try to get from another person what one can get for oneself.” — Epictetus
Your goals and actions need to align.

Without this alignment, you lack direction and have no clue how to reach your dream outcome.

Without purpose, you risk feeling lost.

You risk going nowhere.

2. “Adversity introduces a man to himself.” — Albert Einstein
They say diamonds are formed under pressure, and the same is true for us as human beings.

You truly discover who you are during times of extreme hardship and heartbreak.

3. “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” — Confucius
Life isn’t a race.

Everything worth achieving takes an inordinate amount of time to come to fruition.

What matters most is that you keep going, regardless of how long it takes.

4. “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” — Henry Ford
Getting started is often the most challenging part of anything worthwhile.

It’s the start where you will always feel the most resistance.

Get over that original resistance, though, and then anything is possible.

5. “The most important thing to do if you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging.” — Warren Buffett
If things aren’t going according to plan, pause, assess, reevaluate, develop a new strategy, and try again.

The worst thing you can do is exacerbate a bad situation.

6. “You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” — Marcus Aurelius
You can’t control other people or external circumstances, but you can always control your thoughts and actions.

Focus on what you can influence internally rather than what is outside your control.

7. “Do not judge me by my success; judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” — Nelson Mandela
Get knocked down seven times, get up eight.

Your true measure lies in how many setbacks you’ve overcome, not just in your final successes.

8. “It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” — Socrates
You are capable of much more than you realise, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

It would be a tragedy not to discover your full potential as a human being.

9. “The secret to getting ahead is simply to begin.” — Mark Twain
The most common way to fail is by never starting at all.

If you dare to take the first step in any endeavor, congratulations, you are already ahead of most people in this world.

Hermann Hesse’s life reads like a warning… and then a miracle.
He was born in 1877 in Calw, Germany, into a strict, religious family of missionaries and scholars. The plan for him was already written: study theology, become a minister, live a respectable life that made his parents proud.
At 13, he entered a Protestant seminary.
Within months, he felt trapped. The discipline was rigid. The thinking was narrow. The rules were louder than his own mind. At 15, he ran away.
His family forced him back.
And the pressure broke him.
Hesse attempted suicide. He was sent to a mental institution. When he came out, his parents finally accepted the truth: he wasn’t going to be a minister.
So he quit the path they chose for him and took the only one he could: his own.
He became a bookshop apprentice. He worked ordinary jobs. He read obsessively. He wrote in the shadows poems and stories that nobody wanted. For years, he lived with depression, isolation, and the constant fear that he was simply a failure who had ruined his life.
Then, in 1904, everything shifted.
He published Peter Camenzind, a novel about a young man searching for meaning outside the safe, approved world. It became a bestseller. Overnight, the boy who “couldn’t fit” became a literary name.
But success didn’t fix what was hurting inside him.
During World War I, Hesse living in Switzerland spoke openly against nationalism and war. People attacked him for it. Some called him a traitor. His personal life collapsed. He suffered another breakdown and went through psychoanalysis influenced by Carl Jung’s circle.
Instead of destroying him, those crises fed his greatest work.
In 1922, he wrote Siddhartha a spiritual journey that doesn’t offer easy answers, only the hard truth that wisdom has to be lived. One of its sharpest ideas is simple: knowledge can be taught, but wisdom can’t be handed over like a gift.
In 1927, he wrote Steppenwolf dark, strange, and painfully honest. A book about feeling split in two. About hating shallow society but not knowing where else to belong. About staring at the edge and still trying to find a reason to stay.
At the time, many critics didn’t know what to do with him. His books were too intense. Too inward. Too unconventional.
Then the 1960s arrived.
A generation of young people rejected conformity, chased new consciousness, and searched for Eastern philosophy and inner freedom. And they found Hesse waiting for them quietly, on the page.
Siddhartha and Steppenwolf became counterculture Bibles. Readers passed them hand to hand. Thinkers like Timothy Leary praised him. The man who once couldn’t survive a seminary became a guide for millions trying to escape the invisible cages of modern life.
In 1946, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature, honored for writing that grew “bolder” and deeper while still holding onto human dignity.
Hesse never acted like a guru. He kept insisting he was a seeker, not a teacher. One of his most quoted lines still stings because it’s true:
“Sometimes letting go is what makes us strong.”
He died in 1962 right as his books were exploding in America.
And that’s the strange arc of his story:
The teenager who tried to end his life became the writer who taught millions how to keep living.
The outcast became a lighthouse.
The boy who “failed” the expected path became proof that the expected path isn’t the point.
He didn’t write comfort.
He wrote the painful, lonely, necessary journey of becoming yourself.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt served as President of the United States for more than 12 years, helping the nation navigate through times of great difficulty and uncertainty. Roosevelt led Americans out of the Great Depression, enacted a sweeping series of reforms known as the New Deal, and ushered the nation through World War II. Through these trying times, FDR’s words often provided reassurance to the American people, who looked to their leader for regular guidance in an otherwise unpredictable world.

Several FDR quotes maintain a high degree of popularity today, such as his oft-repeated words, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Odds are we’ve also all heard him describe the attack on Pearl Harbor as "a date which will live in infamy."

But Roosevelt’s legacy extends far beyond those two popular quotations. The former President was a prodigious speaker who delivered hundreds — if not thousands — of speeches during his extensive political career. Each time FDR took the dais, he spoke with a level of intelligence and eloquence that made every speech notable and quoteworthy.

Let’s dive in a little deeper and take a look at some of Roosevelt’s words that may be less familiar. Here are 13 quotes from FDR that you’ve possibly never heard before.

The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.

The Nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.

Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.

Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.#

The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have too much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.

Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.

The structure of world peace cannot be the work of one man, or one party, or one nation … it must be a peace which rests on the cooperative effort of the whole world.#

Competition has been shown to be useful up to a certain point and no further, but cooperation, which is the thing we must strive for today, begins where competition leaves off.

The forests are the "lungs" of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.

Let us not be afraid to help each other — let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us.

Confidence … thrives on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection and on unselfish performance. Without them it cannot live.

We do not retreat. We are not content to stand still. As Americans, we go forward, in the service of our country.

If you treat people right they will treat you right — 90% of the time.

About the Author
Bennett is a staff writer at Optimism as well as a freelance comedy writer. He's based in New York City.

Routines and careful planning have their place in life, to be sure. But for those of us who tend to adhere a bit too closely to our lists and schedules, living our lives so rigidly can prevent us from enjoying the spice of life. It can be difficult to break free of our self-imposed guidelines, but incorporating more spontaneity into our lives can help us feel a whole new type of fulfillment.

These spur-of-the-moment decisions don’t have to be anything enormous. For example, we might try taking a different route home from work and eat at a new restaurant we find along the way. Even these small deviations from our norm can allow us to unlock exciting new possibilities.

Still, there’s a balance to be struck between spontaneity and discipline; being impulsive all the time is obviously irresponsible and can lead us into trouble. But there’s an interesting relationship between routine and surprise, as we often can’t have one without the other. If we don’t take care to have our finances in order, for instance, it may not be possible to splurge on that last-minute vacation with our friends.

For those who struggle to let go of the reins, here are 13 quotes about the virtues of spontaneity and surprise to inspire you to explore what lies beyond the boundaries of your strictures.

Don't plan it all. Let life surprise you a little.
Julia Alvarez

The fun stuff comes when someone is not so strict on sticking to the script. You’re allowed the spontaneity, and great moments can happen.
Jennifer Aniston

Why not seize the pleasure at once? How often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparation!
Jane Austen

Whatsoever stirs the stagnant currents, setting these flowing in wholesome directions, promotes brisk spirits and productive thinking. The less of routine, the more of life.
Amos Bronson Alcott

Something just flashes into your mind, so exciting, and you must out with it. If you stop to think it over you spoil it all.
Lucy Maud Montgomery

Chance is always powerful. Let your hook always be cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be fish.
Ovid

I tend to be really pragmatic, but ultimately tend to be attracted to people who pull me into more spontaneity. I've really learned that, through surrender, the best experiences of my life have happened.
Amy Adams

If you want to make every day an adventure, all you have to do is prioritize adventure. It has to become more important than routine.
Chris Guillebeau

In the miraculous spontaneity of the sun, there is discipline that utterly escapes you, and a knowledge beyond any that we know. And in the spontaneous playing of the bees from flower to flower, there is a discipline beyond any that you know … For true discipline, you see, is found only in spontaneity.
Jane Roberts

Creativity arises out of the tension between spontaneity and limitations, the latter (like the river banks) forcing the spontaneity into the various forms which are essential to the work of art.
Rollo May

Some of the most thrilling things in life are done on impulse.#
Syrie James

Being spontaneous is being able to respond with confidence; calmly trusting that, whatever the outcome, you will have a positive if challenging experience that will lead to greater self-awareness and success.
Sylvia Clare

I'm not very good at making specific plans. Just meet me under the sky somewhere, and be alive with me.
Victoria Erickson

About the Author
Brooke Robinson
Inspiring Quotes editor, bibliophile, cinephile, and curry enthusiast based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Some may say letter-writing is a dying art in the 21st century, yet nothing matches the power of someone's handwritten thoughts and confessions. After all, for most of history, writing letters was the only way expressions of love could be exchanged with a distant lover. Fortunately for us, many of these epistles have survived their authors and recipients, making their way to libraries and printed volumes.

Some of the greatest writers of all time have recorded their rawest, most honest feelings in personal correspondence with paramours. Their poetry can be found beyond rhyme, rhythm, and fiction, through the intimacy of their private sentiments. Here, we have compiled a selection of some of the most memorable lines found in letters by the likes of John Keats, Franz Kafka, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Lord Byron, Oscar Wilde, and others. Whether it is in joy or sorrow, these declarations of love may inspire you to reach out to that person in your life, or even to compose some words of your own.

You have, by your tenderness and worth, twisted yourself more artfully round my heart, than I supposed possible.
Letter from English writer and philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft to her American lover Gilbert Imlay, February 1794

Life seems emptier without you, the soulwarmth isn’t around...
Letter from Beat poet Allen Ginsberg to his long-time partner, Peter Orlovsky

All that my soul pines to express at this instant, is included in the one word, love …
Letter from Edgar Allan Poe to his friend and possible love interest, Annie Richmond, November 16, 1848

Although I may not be yours, I can never be anothers.
Letter from Frankenstein author Mary W. Shelley to her husband, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, July 1814

Tonight I love you on a spring evening. I love you with the window open. You are mine, and things are mine, and my love alters the things around me and the things around me alter my love.
Letter from French philosopher and writer Jean-Paul Sartre to his life partner, Simone de Beauvoir

Even when I am not thinking of you I receive your influence and a tenderer nature stealing upon me.
Letter from English poet John Keats to his fiancee, Fanny Brawne, July 8, 1819

It is a marvel that those red rose-leaf lips of yours should be made no less for the madness of music and song than for the madness of kissing.
Letter from Oscar Wilde to his lover, Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas, January 1893

This face of mine that wore a happy expression at our good-bye shed tears on the plane.
Letter from Brazilian novelist Clarice Lispector to her close friend, writer and journalistFernando Sabino, April 21, 1946

My heart beats through my entire body and is conscious only of you. I belong to you; there is really no other way of expressing it, and that is not strong enough.
Letter from Franz Kafka to his fiance Felice Bauer, November 1912

Think of me much, and warmly. Place me in your breast with those who you love most: and comfort me with your letters.
Letter from then-American Minister to France Thomas Jefferson to the object of his affection, Italian-English artist Maria Cosway, December 24, 1786

I almost wish we were butterflies and liv'd but three summer days—three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain.
Letter from poet John Keats to his fiancee, Fanny Brawne, July 3, 1819

If all that I have said & done, & am still but too ready to say & do, have not sufficiently proved what my real feelings are & must be ever towards you, my love, I have no other proof to offer.
Letter from English poet Lord Byron to his lover, Lady Caroline Lamb, August 1812

My heart overflows with a longing to tell you so many things — Oh — there are moments when I find that speech is quite inadequate.
Letter from Ludwig van Beethoven to his "immortal beloved," (the identity of the woman the composer fell in love with was never discovered)

Oh, yes! I should indeed dream of you for hours and hours;(...). You would be present, you would be with me in the air that I breathe; and I should cease to see you only when the tears rolled out of my eyes, and this naked, undomestic room became again visible.
Letter from Samuel Taylor Coleridge to Sarah Fricker, November 26, 1798

About the Author
Ana Stevenson

Despite what Disney movies and other ideas of fairy-tale romance have tried to impart to us, all relationships go through rough patches. Whether it’s a tiff over whose turn it was to take out the trash or a more complex struggle regarding misaligned values or differing conflict styles, there will always be times when we don’t see eye to eye with our partners.

No one is tailor-made for anyone — we have to take the time and make the effort to learn to love our significant others in the ways they want to be loved and support them in the ways they need to be supported. And unfortunately, people don’t come with instruction manuals, so this process can often be bumpy and uncomfortable. But if we’re committed to growing with our partners long-term, it’s always worth it in the end.

Here are 16 quotes to show us how we can effectively navigate through those tight spots, and to remind us of the incomparable rewards that lie on the other side.

Conflict is intrinsic to all relationships. The presence of bickering or disagreements doesn’t mean the relationship isn’t good, or that it isn’t worth it, often it’s an alarm. Your relationship needs attention. Sometimes the best fight you can have is the fight for each other.
Esther Perel

Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.
Thomas S. Monsoon

Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a commitment. It is a choice to show mercy, not to hold the offense up against the offender. Forgiveness is an expression of love.
Gary Chapman

Assumptions are the termites of relationships.#
Steve Sisgold

What can make a marriage work is surprisingly simple … In their day-to-day lives, [happily married couples] have hit upon a dynamic that keeps their negative thoughts and feelings about each other (which all couples have) from overwhelming their positive ones. #
John M. Gottman and Nan Silver

Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone. It has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.
Ursula K. Le Guin

The more reliable and consistent we are in our follow-through on commitments and our relationship repair work, the deeper trust grows.
Gina Senarighi

No conflict can be solved so long as all parties are convinced they are right. Solution is possible only when at least one party begins to consider how he might be wrong.
Yusuf al-Falah

Taking responsibility — even for a small part of the problem in communication — presents the opportunity for great repair. It’s highly effective.
John Gottman, Julie Gottman, Doug Abrams, and Rachel Carlton Abrams

No one can dance with a partner and not touch each other’s raw spots. We must know what these raw spots are and be able to speak about them in a way that pulls our partner closer to us.
Sue Johnson

Usually, if you address things that are bothering you from the get-go and receive a positive response, your whole demeanor will change. Worries and fears surface more when you are not communicating your concerns and are letting things build up.
Amir Levine

Most people think of love as a feeling, but love is not so much a feeling as a way of being present.
David Richo

Over time, with training and practice, we can change our responses. We can shift from being reactive individuals to being proactive teammates who, in cooperation with our partner, intentionally shape the transaction between us … In your close relationships, urgency is your enemy, and breath is your friend.
Terrence Real

The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.
Peter Drucker

No one changes unless they want to. Not if you beg them. Not if you shame them. Not if you use reason, emotion, or tough love. There’s only one thing that makes someone change: their own realization that they need to do it. And there’s only one time it will happen: when they decide they’re ready.
Lori Deschene

They don’t need to know your side of the story, and you don’t need the last word. Seek healing and you’ll find peace in not proving your point.
Morgan Richard Olivier

About the Author
Brooke Robinson
Inspiring Quotes editor, bibliophile, cinephile, and curry enthusiast based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Ask a few of these questions — or heck, all of them — during your next get-together, whether it’s over FaceTime or face to face.

1. What was your first impression of me when we met?

2. When did you realize we were going to be good friends?

3. What’s an unpopular opinion that you have?

4. When’s a time you laughed so hard you cried?

5. What, if anything, do you miss about being a kid?

6. What were you like in middle school?

7. What other job or career do you think you’d be really good at?

8. What’s an album you could listen to from beginning to end?

9. What did you look like when you were younger? Show me a baby picture!

10. If you could rename yourself, what name would you choose?

11. When do you feel most in your element?

12. What’s the best birthday you ever had?

13. Do you have any recurring dreams — good or bad?

14. Which person in your life knows you the best?

15. What good quality of yours do you wish more people noticed?

16. What would you do with an extra hour in the day?

17. If you had $10,000 to donate to a cause or charity, which would it be?

18. What do you appreciate most about our friendship?

19. What’s one thing I could do to be a better friend to you?

20. What’s the most expensive thing you own? Was it worth the money?

21. What does your ideal Friday night look like?

22. When’s the last time you cried and why?

23. What’s a common misconception people have about you?

24. If the pandemic ended tomorrow, what’s the first thing you’d do?

25. What’s a recent win you’ve had that I can celebrate with you?

26. What keeps you up at night these days?

27. What are two changes you could make that would improve your life? Why haven’t you done them yet?

28. What cheers you up when you’re having a bad day?

29. What was your best sexual experience? And your worst?

30. If you had to pick a motto for your life, what would yours be?

31. What’s the last book you read? Would you recommend it?

32. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital? For what?

33. What was your first heartbreak?

34. What’s the scariest thing you’ve been through?

35. (If they have kids) What’s your secret hope for your child’s future? And what’s your secret fear?

36. Which actor would play you if they were making a movie about your life?

37. Have you ever lied for a friend or asked a friend to lie for you? What were the circumstances?

38. Where would you want to retire and why?

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
George Santayana, philosopher

Life is divided into three terms: that which was, which is, and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit by the present, and from the present, to live better in the future.
William Wordsworth

I have great respect for the past. If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going.
Maya Angelou

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Learn from it — tomorrow is a new day.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

We have to do with the past only as we can make it useful to the present and the future.
Frederick Douglass

I don't know whether you can look at your past and find, woven like the hidden symbols on a treasure map, the path that will point to your final destination.
Jodi Picoult

There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they're necessary to reach the places we've chosen to go.
Richard Bach, author

Right actions for the future are the best apologies for wrong ones in the past.
Tryon Edwards, theologian

History is a strange teacher. It never repeats itself exactly, but you ignore its general lessons at your peril.
Madeleine Albright

When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.
Alexis de Tocqueville, historian

About the Author
Nicole is a writer, thrift store lover, and group-chat meme spammer based in Ontario, Canada.

Stay Motivated With These 13 Quotes on Tenacity

As the saying goes, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Aside from being a fantastic use of chiastic structure (a term referring to a phrase that flips the first half of a sentence on its head for the second half), this maxim is a perfect example of tenacity: that willingness to continue on even in the face of hardship.

Call it persistence, call it determination, call it stubbornness — tenacity is largely about propulsion. It’s when we’re so driven to accomplish a goal or see a project through that we’re willing to go to any lengths to get there. It’s often defined as "strength with a purpose" — there is a momentum that pulls us through to the other side of challenges, and there is often a game plan or a strategy to supplement that can-do spirit.

Tenacity is also largely believed to be a skill versus a character trait, meaning that it can be learned and developed over time. It’s a strength often seen in great leaders and those who have achieved great success. Below, we’ve rounded up 13 quotes about the importance of tenacity, so we may manifest more of it in our lives.

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
“Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.”
Thomas Edison

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Calvin Coolidge

Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity.
Louis Pasteur, chemist

Patience and tenacity are worth more than twice their weight of cleverness.
Thomas Huxley, biologist

It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.
Albert Einstein


You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.
Maya Angelou

Your life's work is to find your life's work — and then to exercise the discipline, tenacity, and hard work it takes to pursue it.
Oprah Winfrey

Champions keep playing until they get it right.
Billie Jean King

The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do.
Amelia Earhart

Achievement requires more than a vision — it takes courage, resolve, and tenacity. All you have got to do is plant that seed in your mind, care for it, work steadily toward your goal, and it will become a reality.
Earl Nightingale, radio personality

Hard work doesn't always lead to success. Luck and timeing amtter too.

Life isn't fair. It never will be.

Your comfort zone is the biggest enemy of your growth.

Happiness comes and goes.

Authenticity is more important than spectacle.

The history of the world is full of men who rose to leadership, by sheer force of self-confidence, bravery, and tenacity.
Mahatma Gandhi

Real courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.
Harper Lee

I'm not tough. I'm tenacious.
Padma Lakshmi, TV host and author

“Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.” —George Washington

“It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.”
—Seneca the Younger, "Moral Letters to Lucius"

“Good actions give strength to ourselves, and inspire good actions in others.”#
– SAMUEL SMILES

“Music begins where the possibilities of language end.”
—Jean Sibelius

“All our dreams can come true—if we have the courage to pursue them.”
—Walt Disney

Hippocrates said, “That which is used — develops. That which is not used wastes away.” 

“I don’t think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature.”
—John D. Rockefeller

“God grants liberty only to those who love it, and are always ready to guard and defend it.”
—Daniel Webster

“It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow.”
—Robert H. Goddard

“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”
—Vince Lombardi

“Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.”
—Bruce Lee

“The important thing is not what one is born with, but what use one makes of that equipment.” — Alfred Adler

One of his passing comments was, “Smart people learn from everything and everyone, average people from their experiences, stupid people already have all the answers.”

According to Arnold Schwarzenegger, there are 6 rules in life:
1. Trust yourself
2. Break some rules
3. Don’t be afraid to fail
4. Ignore the naysayers
5. Work like hell
6. Give something back

10 Quotes for Fighting Imposter Syndrome

The phenomenon of imposter syndrome was first described by psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes, whose 1978 study looked at high-achieving people who consistently believed themselves to be less bright or talented than the world thought they were. Since then, numerous researchers have attempted to tease out the reasons for the increasing prevalence of self-doubt in the workplace and beyond.

Feelings of fraud and performance anxiety have become so common that many experts now question whether the solution really lies in the minds of those experiencing imposter syndrome, or if we might be better served as a society by looking at the work environments where people report suffering from these challenging emotions.

As the debate over the underlying causes of imposter syndrome carries on, those who find themselves experiencing it can take heart in the fact that they’re not alone. Everyone from Lady Gaga to Michelle Obama has reported feeling anxious about their qualifications from time to time. It’s perfectly normal, and some studies have even shown that it can spur us to be more cooperative at work, supporting others even as we continue to build our own skills.

In the name of encouragement, we’ve compiled these insightful quotes on imposter syndrome from 10 successful people you might think could never doubt themselves.

The greatest obstacle for me has been the voice in my head that I call my obnoxious roommate. I wish someone would invent a tape recorder that we could attach to our brains to record everything we tell ourselves. We would realize how important it is to stop this negative self-talk. It means pushing back against our obnoxious roommate with a dose of wisdom.
Arianna Huffington

I still have a little imposter syndrome… It doesn’t go away, that feeling that you shouldn’t take me that seriously. What do I know? I share that with you because we all have doubts in our abilities, about our power and what that power is.
Michelle Obama

I still sometimes feel like a loser kid in high school and I just have to pick myself up and tell myself that I’m a superstar every morning so that I can get through this day and be for my fans what they need for me to be.
Lady Gaga

I believe what I have to say is important, and I believe the people coming to hear me are important, and so the occasion of itself alone has an importance, which forces me to stare down my nerves.
Maya Angelou

Wipe the slate clean. And rewrite it. No fairy tales. Be your own narrator. And go for a happy ending. One foot in front of the other. You will make it.
Shonda Rhimes

When you know you're ENOUGH! When you stop focusing on all things that you're not. When you stop fussing over perceived flaws. When you remove all imposed and unbelievable expectations on yourself. When you start celebrating yourself more.
Malebo Sephodi, writer and scholar

Trust yourself — you know more than you think you do.
Benjamin Spock, pediatrician

Never, ever, ever, write off anything you’ve achieved as merely being lucky. You are not lucky: You are hard-working and capable. Don’t ever question it.
Charlene Walters, business mentor

New situations may stoke old fears; future sensations of inadequacy might reawaken long-forgotten insecurities. But the more we are aware of our anxieties, the more we communicate about them, and the smarter we are about how they operate, the easier they’ll be to shrug off the next time they pop up.
Amy Cuddy, social psychologist

#You don't have to be an expert. No one is expecting you to be an expert. All you need to do is show up and be you.
Ruth Soukup, motivational author

About the Author
April Dávila is a lover of words. Her debut novel "142 Ostriches" was released in 2020.

14 Quotes About Bouncing Back From Hardship

Resiliency is a skill that resides within each of us, though it often requires hardship in order to fully activate. It’s the ability to withstand adversity — to recover emotionally when life deals its blows. The old adage "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" comes to mind; resilience largely depends on our attitude and mental stamina when confronted with challenging times.

The good news is that resilience is a skill that can be developed over time — in fact, that has been scientifically proven to be the case. Studies at the Yale School of Medicine found that the brain is a muscle that can be trained to be more resilient over time. The difference between tending to buckle under pressure and being able to bounce back is related to community, mindfulness, and exercise, among other factors.

According to the research, people who are resilient tend to have vast social networks to fall back on, engage in regular physical activity (exercise has been known to decrease stress), and practice keeping their minds trained on the present moment.

It can be strengthening to remember that when we experience setbacks and challenges, our ability to bounce back can act as an inspiration to other folks who might be going through tough times. Below, we’ve rounded up 14 quotes that speak to the benefits of resilience, and the importance of finding our way back up after getting knocked down.

Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.
Confucius

Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.
Nelson Mandela

I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.
Maya Angelou

Someone said adversity builds character, but someone else said adversity reveals character. I'm pleasantly surprised with my resilience. I persevere, and not just blindly. I take the best, get rid of the rest, and move on, realizing that you can make a choice to take the good.
Brooke Shields

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.
Samuel Beckett

Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it’s less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you’ve lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that’s good.
Elizabeth Edwards, attorney and activist

Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.
Angela Lee Duckworth, author

Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.
Helen Keller

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.
Winston Churchill

If your heart is broken, make art with the pieces.
Shane Koyczan, poet

The human capacity for burden is like bamboo — far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first glance.
Jodi Picoult

Turn your wounds into wisdom.
Oprah Winfrey

When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up. Let your reason get you back up.
Les Brown, politician and motivational speaker

Grief and resilience live together.
Michelle Obama

About the Author
Joyce Chen is a writer, editor, and community builder based in Seattle, Washington.

12 Quotes To Send to Your Oldest Friends

The enduring bonds of long friendships often start out as simple connections. Whether they’re forged in childhood, at school, at work, or through mutual connections or hobbies, those connections evolve into something deeper over time, fortified by shared memories, laughter, tears, and countless conversations.

These long-lasting friendships can feel like priceless treasures, but they also require effort. Maintaining contact, making time for one another, and celebrating milestones together are essential — as is allowing space when other aspects of our lives inevitably demand our attention.

Although life’s challenges can test the strength of these bonds, true friends weather the storms together. In the end, long friendships endure because they give us roots, keep us grounded, and, of course, infuse our lives with joy, support, and a sense of belonging. They remind us that human connections are invaluable, and with care, they can last a lifetime.

Old friends are the great blessing of one's latter years — half a word conveys one's meaning.
Horace Walpole

When we’re together the years fall away. Isn’t that what matters? To have someone who can remember with you? To have someone who remembers how far you’ve come?
Judy Blume

#True friendship resists time, distance, and silence.
Isabel Allende

The companions of our childhood always possess a certain power over our minds, which hardly any later friend can obtain.
Mary Shelley

A good friend is a connection to life — a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world. #
Lois Wyse

She thought of how precious it was to be able to know another person over many years. There was an incomparable richness in it.
Alice Walker

We have been sad together, / We have wept, with bitter tears / O’er the grass-grown graves, where slumber’d / The hopes of early years. / … / We have been sad together — / Oh! what shall part us now?
Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton

"We’ll be friends forever, won’t we, Pooh?" asked Piglet. "Even longer," Pooh answered.
A.A. Milne

We could fight and wrangle and name-call, but it didn’t change anything underneath. She was still my oldest friend. Is.
Margaret Atwood

Why wasn’t friendship as good as a relationship? Why wasn’t it even better? It was two people who remained together, day after day, bound … only by the shared agreement to keep going, the mutual dedication to a union that could never be codified.
Hanya Yanagihara

The best kind of laughter is laughter born of a shared memory.
Mindy Kaling

Are not all lifelong friendships born at the moment when at last you meet another human being who has some inkling … of that something which you were born desiring, and which, beneath the flux of other desires and in all the momentary silences between the louder passions … from childhood to old age, you are looking for, watching for, listening for?
C.S. Lewis

About the Author
Nicole is a writer, thrift store lover, and group-chat meme spammer based in Ontario, Canada.

Not everyone has the sharp tongue and quick wit necessary to pull off a clever zinger, but those who do often leave everyone within earshot feeling both shocked and delighted. The perfect zinger takes people by surprise and relies on a combination of wordplay, humor, and sometimes biting satire. Some of the funniest zingers are self-deprecating in nature, as most people admire the ability to poke fun at oneself.

You don’t have to be a comedian to pull off these snappy retorts — some of history’s most memorable barbs have been coined by novelists, actors, and even politicians. Great minds such as Winston Churchill and Mae West have become almost mythical figures of sorts, renowned throughout history for their witty wisecracks and raunchy rejoinders. In many cases, these off-the-cuff remarks have long stood the test of time, remaining as piercing today as when they were first uttered all those decades ago.

To brighten your day and inspire your own sense of wit, here are 12 of the best zingers from some of the smartest individuals to ever walk the planet.

The difference between reality and fiction? Fiction has to make sense.
Tom Clancy

I’ve always liked older men. They’re just more attractive to me. Of course, at my age there aren’t that many left.
Betty White

I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.
Oscar Wilde

I reckon some of my best leading men have been dogs and horses.
Elizabeth Taylor

Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astonish the rest.
Mark Twain

I don’t need you to remind me of my age, I have a bladder to do that for me.
Stephen Fry

I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.
Winston Churchill

Never doubt the courage of the French. They were the ones who discovered that snails are edible.
Doug Larson

The United States was founded by the brightest people in the country — and we haven’t seen them since.– Gore Vidal

I wish I had a twin, so I could know what I’d look like without plastic surgery.
Joan Rivers

His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork.
Mae West

I’ve been called worse things by better people.
Pierre Trudeau

About the Author
Bennett is a staff writer at Optimism as well as a freelance comedy writer. He's based in New York City.

Life-Affirming Quotes About Human Connection

There are more than 8 billion humans on Earth, but as we all know, it takes just one genuine connection with another person to reaffirm our faith in humanity. That’s because human connections are what tether us to others and help us form the bonds we celebrate as community, family, and kin.

Sometimes our strongest connections are the ones we share with our parents, our children, our siblings, or our relatives. These are the people who often know us best, having watched us evolve and grow over the years. But blood relations aren’t a prerequisite for deep connections; we can also seek them out among friends, lovers, coworkers, and even strangers.

So what constitutes a strong bond? Good signs include feeling seen, heard, capable, appreciated, and loved unconditionally. We can recognize the positive effects of these deep connections when we feel secure in our relationships and safe to be as wild, messy, or uncertain as we need to be.

Because for many of us, what draws us to others is not just who they are as individuals, but also how they make us feel. And therein lies the importance of building genuine, lasting relationships with people who really "get" us on a foundational level — they help make us better people, and vice versa. May the 13 quotes below serve as a reminder of those beautiful, magical, life-affirming moments of mutual recognition and connection.

Pay attention. It's all about paying attention. Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager.
Susan Sontag

We are each other’s / harvest: / we are each other’s / business: / we are each other’s / magnitude and bond.
Gwendolyn Brooks

I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.
Brené Brown

The best relationships aren’t built on partners mostly telling each other what’s wrong. They’re built on partners mostly telling each other what’s right.
Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman

People leave traces of themselves where they feel most comfortable, most worthwhile.
Haruki Murakami

Ye cannot live for yourselves; a thousand fibres connect you with your fellow-men, and along those fibres, as along sympathetic threads, run your actions as causes, and return to you as effects.
Henry Melvill

There's a marked difference between acquaintances and friends. Most people really don't become friends. They become deep and serious acquaintances. But in a friendship you get to know the spirit of another person; and your values coincide.
Maya Angelou

I believe the greatest gift I can conceive of having from anyone is to be seen, heard, understood and touched by them. The greatest gift I can give is to see, hear, understand and touch another person. When this is done, I feel contact has been made.
Virginia Satir

Know the ways of the ones who take care of you, so that you may take care of them.
Robin Wall Kimmerer

#A man's friendships are one of the best measures of his worth.
Charles Darwin

Anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you.
Misty Copeland

Align yourself with the right people, forge the right relationships and you’ll set yourself up for the long run.
Daymond John

One friend with whom you have a lot in common is better than three with whom you struggle to find things to talk about.
Mindy Kaling

About the Author
Joyce Chen is a writer, editor, and community builder based in Seattle, Washington.

10 Quotes From TED Talks You Shouldn’t Miss

If you have a few minutes to spare, you can connect with innovative speakers and learn something new about life — that’s the core premise of TED Talks. These short educational videos introduce viewers to new ideas and ways of thinking through curated presentations from experts and thought leaders. Thousands of TED Talks are freely available online, and have been viewed more than 1 billion times collectively.

This format of quickly transferring knowledge from one inspired individual to the masses evolved out of a 1984 conference centered on technology, entertainment, and design — the inaugural TED event. The nonprofit TED Foundation now offers global and local events, fellowships, awards, programming for educators, mobile apps, a radio show, and more.

But the most famous TED offering remains its free online videos, which garner an average of 17 views every second. The presentations on everything from gardening to physics to self-love have been translated and transcribed into more than 100 languages, and continue to inspire new listeners daily. Here are 10 quotes pulled from some of the most powerful TED Talks through the years.

I'm just so grateful, because to feel this vulnerable means I'm alive.
Brené Brown

Brené Brown is a research professor who explores courage, shame, empathy, and other powerful human traits and experiences. In her talk, "The Power of Vulnerability," she discusses how being vulnerable and authentic is a necessary part of connection, love, and happiness.

Gardening is the most therapeutic and defiant act you can do, especially in the inner city. Plus, you get strawberries.
Ron Finley

"Gangsta Gardener" Ron Finley is an urban farmer who inspired a local fresh food movement in a California food desert. In his talk, "A Guerilla Gardener in South Central LA," he discusses his love for gardening and how it serves as a solution to food insecurity and social inequity.

I’ve learned about the poetry and the wisdom and the grace that can be found in the words of people all around us when we simply take the time to listen.
Dave Isay

Dave Isay is a radio producer and the founder of "StoryCorps," an initiative to interview and preserve the stories of everyday people. In a talk at TED2015, Isay spoke of the rich value of each human life and voice.

My contention is that creativity, now, is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.
Sir Ken Robinson

Sir Ken Robinson was an author and educator who gave TED’s most-viewed talk to date, "Do Schools Kill Creativity?" In this presentation, he upholds creativity as an essential trait  that schools must do a better job cultivating and supporting.

There's zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas.#
Susan Cain

Susan Cain is the author of the best-selling book "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking." In her TED Talk, she extols the undervalued gifts of quiet and introspective people, and explains how introversion is different from shyness.

Sometimes the true nature of reality beckons from just beyond the horizon … maybe we will always be asking questions and never be able to fully answer them.
Brian Greene

Brian Greene is a physicist and mathematician who explores the mysteries of space-time, multiverses, and other existential topics. In his talk — "Is Our Universe the Only Universe?" — he tackles dark energy and theoretical extra dimensions of space, while acknowledging the importance of curiosity and humility in the pursuit of cosmic understanding.

All you need to do is to take 10 minutes out a day to step back, to familiarize yourself with the present moment so that you get to experience a greater sense of focus, calm, and clarity in your life.
Andy Puddicombe

Andy Puddicombe is a former Buddhist monk, a meditation teacher, and the cofounder of the online meditation company Headspace. In his TED Talk, he discusses how mindfulness sessions — even very short ones — can have a significant positive effect on our minds and our hectic modern lives.

Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.#
Robert Waldinger

Psychologist Robert Waldinger is director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, a 75-year research study. In his talk, "What Makes a Good Life? Lessons From the Longest Study on Happiness," he shares striking findings on the pivotal importance of social connections to our well-being.

It's OK to not be dominating, [it’s] OK to have feelings and emotions, [it's] OK to promote equality, [it's] OK to have women who are just friends, [it's] OK to be whole … my liberation as a man is tied to your liberation as a woman.
Tony Porter

Educator and activist Tony Porter cofounded the nonprofit A Call to Men, which works to prevent violence against women and create healthier models of manhood. In his presentation, he discusses the possibility of freeing boys and men from harmful gender norms, which he calls the "man box," for the benefit of people of all genders.

[Whatever] happens to other beings is happening to us… that leads to a new orientation in life where we live equally for ourselves and for others, and we are joyful and happy … Compassion makes you happy.
Robert Thurman

Buddhist scholar and monk Robert Thurman often speaks and writes about aligning our personal, inner wellness with a larger societal wellness. In his TED Talk on expanding one’s circle of compassion, he provides instructions on how to access empathy and love for other beings, as well as how to act productively on those feelings.

About the Author
Julia Travers is a writer, artist and teacher.

11 Funny Quotes About Parenting

Parenting is no joke. There are sleepless nights, dirty diapers, piles of never-ending laundry, and what feels like constant crying — and that’s just the first few weeks.

Raising small people is a long game that is without a doubt one of the most difficult things a person can do. It’s also, of course, one of the most rewarding. To make it through in one piece, we often need to simply embrace the inherent chaos and absurdity involved in raising kids. Here are 11 quotes that reflect the realistic side of parenting with a healthy dose of humor.

Parenting without a sense of humor is like being an accountant who sucks at math.
Amber Dusick, author and artist

A two-year-old is kind of like having a blender, but you don’t have a top for it.
Jerry Seinfeld

If you’re wondering, "How much stuff do I need to bring if I’m out with a baby for 40 minutes?" the answer is "only slightly less than someone traveling the Oregon Trail."
Raquel D’Apice, author and comedian

Sometimes going to bed feels like the highlight of my day. Ironically, to my children, bedtime is a punishment that violates their basic rights as human beings.
Jim Gaffigan

Why don't kids understand that their nap is not for them but for us?
Alyson Hannigan, actress

The shortest unit of time measurable to science is the interval between a kid seeing a pop-up book and the kid breaking the pop-up book.
Ken Jennings, game show host

Having one child makes you a parent; having two makes you a referee.
David Frost, British TV host and comedian

When your children are teenagers, it's important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you.
Nora Ephron

Sleep at this point is just a concept, something I'm looking forward to investigating in the future.
Amy Poehler

With the kids off at camp, my wife and I finally have some precious time to check Facebook in separate rooms.
Conan O’Brien

When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they’re finished, I climb out.
Erma Bombeck, writer and humorist

12 Quotes on Finding Unity in Hard Times

In the TV drama The West Wing, Leo McGarry (John Spencer) tells a story to a struggling Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford): A man falls in a hole and calls out to multiple people up above for help. The passersby briefly offer some unhelpful solutions and move along.

Then the man’s friend walks by, McGarry says, "and the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, ‘Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.’ The friend says, ‘Yeah, but I've been down here before, and I know the way out.’" It’s a touching moment, and it drives home the fact that community is crucial in tough times.

When we’re going through something difficult — whether it’s something personal, such as divorce or the loss of a loved one, or collective, such as a natural disaster — our first instinct might be to shut down or withdraw. In fact, a 2021 study showed that stress can cause us to minimize our social interactions.

But finding community in those moments can actually do us a world of good: Additional research suggests that social support makes us more resilient to stress and trauma. In other words, being part of a supportive community can be life-changing, both for those giving the help and those receiving it.

If you’re feeling lonely or you’re hoping to rally some like-minded people to support you through your struggles, we hope these quotes help you muster the strength to reach out.

Maybe it isn’t that we’re supposed to find the pieces and put them back together. Maybe we’re the pieces … Maybe what we’re supposed to do is come together. That’s how we stop the breaking.
David Levithan and Rachel Cohn

There are few things more powerful than people united. What they unite over is not what matters … The most important aspect is remembering our existing connection, and, through that, allowing ourselves to feel at peace.
Vironika Tugaleva

We learn to live, we learn to give each other / What we need to survive together alive.
Paul McCartney

Individual commitment to a group effort is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work. The success of the individual is completely subjected to the satisfaction that he receives in being part of the successful whole.
Vince Lombardi

We cannot be separated in interest or divided in purpose. We stand together until the end.
Woodrow Wilson

If there is a load you have to bear / That you can't carry / I'm right up the road / I'll share your load / If you just call me.
Bill Withers

The commitments we make to each other … do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us.
Barack Obama

We are each other's / Harvest: / We are each other's / Business / We are each other's / Magnitude and bond.
Gwendolyn Brooks

Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.
bell hooks

People who are hurting … [need] patient, loving witnesses. People to sit quietly and hold space for us. People to stand in helpful vigil to our pain.
Glennon Doyle

We are not always aware of the help we may give by accepting aid, that in this way we may establish a foothold for contact.
Erving Goffman

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.
Helen Keller

About the Author
Paola Bennet is a writer based in Brooklyn, NY. She writes a fortnightly newsletter that treasures the mundane, called Small Histories. Find her on Instagram @paolafbennet.

9 Quotes About Why Fitting in Is Overrated

Most of us will experience times in our lives when we feel like we don’t fit in. Feeling out of place — whether it's in school, in social situations, or within our own families — may make us feel inadequate, disheartened, isolated, or downright awkward. Acceptance from others can make certain parts of life easier — but trying too hard to conform can prevent us from being true to ourselves.

The desire to fit in is completely normal. But not fitting in can sometimes serve as a catalyst for self-reflection, self-discovery, and the opportunity to forge connections with those who see and appreciate our authentic selves. Deep down, we all understand that our true potential shines when we embrace who we really are, without putting all our effort into molding ourselves to fit the expectations of others. Let these quotes on not fitting in help us have courage to unapologetically be who we truly are.

If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.
Maya Angelou

I came to terms with not fitting in a long time ago. I never really fitted in. I don't want to fit in. And now people are buying into that.
Alexander McQueen

What makes you different or weird, that's your strength.
Meryl Streep

It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.
André Gide

The reward for conformity was that everyone liked you except yourself.
Rita Mae Brown

Your self-worth is determined by you. You don’t have to depend on someone telling you who you are.
Beyoncé

Normal is not something to aspire to, it is something to get away from.
Jodi Foster

In a world full of trends I want to remain a classic.
Iman

You’re born an original, don’t die a copy!
John Mason

About the Author
Nicole is a writer, thrift store lover, and group-chat meme spammer based in Ontario, Canada.

10 Quotes To Get You Through a Bad Day

You didn’t get credit for something you worked hard on. Some disappointing news came your way. Someone snapped at you for no reason. Whatever the obstacle might be, some days just feel inherently harder to get through than others. It’s good to give ourselves space to process these challenges, but we shouldn’t allow them to swallow up our whole day — or worse, our outlook going forward.

Research shows that at work, our inner life is tied directly to our progress, and vice versa. This means if we can change our attitude, we’re more likely to be able to make tangible changes or progress in our circumstances.

Bumps in the road are a normal part of day-to-day life, so the coping mechanisms we use to deal with them should be just as present, whether it’s a solo pep talk, a walk around the block, or something else that helps us recenter. When we can take a bad day in stride, we gain more insight into what really matters to us and how we can move forward.

If you’re having a bad day, these quotes from travelers, scientists, and writers might just give you the spark you need to turn things around.

Trust that your best tomorrow will be even better than today’s: that is healing. Keep moving.
Maggie Smith

You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.
Maya Angelou

Today is where your book begins / The rest is still unwritten.
Natasha Bedingfield

Be curious. However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.
Stephen Hawking

There is always a way and always hope in the next sunrise, and in the next second, and in the next minute.
Ziggy Marley

The future is not fixed, it's fluid … The world is more malleable than you think and it's waiting for you to hammer it into shape.
Bono

No single, individual moment is in and of itself unendurable.
David Foster Wallace

I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.
Louisa May Alcott

I'll soon be turning, round the corner now / Outside the dawn is breaking / … / The show must go on.
Brian May

It can’t last forever. Others have thought such things, in bad times before this, and they were always right, they did get out one way or another, and it didn’t last forever.
Margaret Atwood

About the Author
Paola Bennet is a writer based in Brooklyn, NY. She writes a fortnightly newsletter that treasures the mundane, called Small Histories. Find her on Instagram @paolafbennet.

Every so often, a person comes along with the power to help change our way of thinking for the better. In 2010, University of Houston research professor Brené Brown gave a TED Talk that aimed to reframe the way we think about vulnerability, shame, and courage. The video launched her to fame and continues to be one of the most-viewed TED Talks of all time.

Since then, Brown has gone on to write several No. 1 New York Times bestselling books and host her own popular podcasts, Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead. Like her initial TED Talk, her teachings are primarily focused on embracing vulnerability. This, she believes, is the pathway to forging authentic connections and living a present life.

Brown also stresses the importance of cultivating self-compassion; acknowledging our imperfections without judgment fosters a kinder relationship with ourselves and, in turn, with others. Her teachings encourage us to step out of our comfort zones, take risks, and ultimately learn from our failures — to, in her words, "dare greatly."

This selection of quotes encompasses the core tenets of Brown’s work. Together, they make up a small compendium of life advice, reminding us of the strength and freedom there is to be found in vulnerability and self-love.

Want to be happy? Stop trying to be perfect.#

True belonging doesn’t require us to change who we are. True belonging requires us to be who we are.

Stop scouring people's faces for evidence that you're not enough. You will always find it because you've made that your goal … Our call to courage is to protect our wild heart against constant evaluation, especially our own. No one belongs here more than you.

Just as healing physical pain requires describing it, talking about it, and sometimes getting professional help, we need to do the same thing with emotional pain.

We can't practice compassion with other people if we can't treat ourselves kindly.

Shame hates to have words wrapped around it. If we talk about it, it loses its grip on us.

We can choose courage or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time.

Until we can receive with an open heart, we are never really giving with an open heart. When we attach judgment to receiving help, we knowingly or unknowingly attach judgment to giving help.

The willingness to show up changes us. It makes us a little braver each time.

You can’t numb those hard feelings without numbing the other affects, our emotions. You cannot selectively numb. So when we numb those, we numb joy, we numb gratitude, we numb happiness.#

I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness — it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.

The problem is that when we don’t care at all what people think and we’re immune to hurt, we’re also ineffective at connecting. Staying vulnerable is a risk we have to take if we want to experience connection.

Hurt is hurt, and every time we honor our own struggle and the struggles of others by responding with empathy and compassion, the healing that results affects all of us.

When we work from a place … that says, "I'm enough," then we stop screaming and start listening, we're kinder and gentler to the people around us, and we're kinder and gentler to ourselves.

The most effective way to cultivate joy in our lives is to practice gratitude. The key word here is "practice" … So often we think that joy makes us grateful, when in reality it’s gratitude that brings joy.

Love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow, a connection that can only be cultivated between two people when it exists within each one of them — we can only love others as much as we love ourselves.

In order for connection to happen, we have to allow ourselves to be seen, really seen.

About the Author
Nicole is a writer, thrift store lover, and group-chat meme spammer based in Ontario, Canada.

Aldo Leopold was an environmentalist best known for writing A Sand County Almanac, a formative collection of essays that reshaped the way we think about conservation and ecology. While many of his predecessors viewed conservation through a utilitarian lens, Leopold advocated for a concept he called the "land ethic." This proposed moral code suggested that humans aren’t conquerors of the land, but rather equal members of the Earth along with animals, plants, water, and soil.

After developing a keen interest in nature at a young age Leopold went on to join the U.S. Forest Service as an adult. In the early 1920s, he played an instrumental role in establishing the Gila Wilderness area in New Mexico, the world’s first federally protected wilderness area.

Leopold also spent much of his life hunting and learning many lessons about how to best manage and restore wildlife populations. He used those lessons to write the 1933 work Game Management, and in the same year, he became the first chair of the Department of Game Management at the University of Wisconsin (a position the university created for him). Two years later Leopold founded the Wilderness Society, a nonprofit land conservation organization, as he continued to gain clout throughout the environmental world.

Leopold wrote many essays that encouraged his fellow humans to approach their place in the world with humility and curiosity. Here are 12 quotes from Leopold himself about conservation, and the ways in which all of us should care for our surroundings.

Harmony with land is like harmony with a friend; you cannot cherish his right hand and chop off his left. That is to say, you cannot love game and hate predators; you cannot conserve the waters and waste the ranges … The land is one organism.

A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.

That the situation is hopeless should not prevent us from doing our best.#

We shall never achieve harmony with land, any more than we shall achieve justice or liberty for people. In these higher aspirations the important thing is not to achieve, but to strive.

Ability to see the cultural value of wilderness boils down … to a question of intellectual humility.

That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics.

There are degrees and kinds of solitude … I know of no solitude so secure as one guarded by a spring flood; nor do the geese, who have seen more kinds and degrees of aloneness than I have.

Our bigger-and-better society is now like a hypochondriac, so obsessed with its own economic health as to have lost the capacity to remain healthy.

We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.

Bread and beauty grow best together. Their harmonious integration can make farming not only a business but an art; the land not only a food-factory but an instrument for self-expression, on which each can play music to his own choosing.

Cease being intimidated by the argument that a right action is impossible because it does not yield maximum profits, or that a wrong action is to be condoned because it pays.

The last word of ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant, "What good is it?" If the land mechanism as a whole is good, then every part is good, whether we understand it or not.

About the Author
Bennett is a staff writer at Optimism as well as a freelance comedy writer. He's based in New York City.

Bidding farewell to the familiar and embracing change is always difficult to some degree, especially later in life once we’ve settled further into our habits and routines. But our golden years often leave us no choice but to adapt, even if we’d rather stay the course. Maybe we have to come to terms with retiring after 50 years, or cope with losing a loved one we’ve known since childhood — either way, when such events happen, the best thing we can do is face them head-on.

Knowing that change is inevitable, we’re left with two choices. We can fear it, deny it, and run from it, or we can open our minds to it and grow. If we choose the latter, we may find ourselves surprised at just how much that mindset can enrich our lives. After all, age is just a number, and whether we’re 8 or 80, we can always learn new skills.

And of course, change doesn’t necessarily have to be the result of a traumatic event. It can also mean picking up that hobby we’ve always thought about trying or selling our home and living in an RV like we’ve always dreamed about. It boils down to being willing to take that first step and walk forward into the unknown with an optimistic outlook.

Here are 12 quotes about making big changes later in life that may inspire you to forget about your age and seize those unfamiliar opportunities, no matter how imposing they may seem.

As soon as you feel too old to do a thing, do it.
Margaret Deland

You can’t go back and make a new start, but you can start right now and make a brand new ending.
James R. Sherman

It is never too late or too soon. It is when it is supposed to be.
Mitch Albom

Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.
Betty Friedan

You’re only as young as the last time you changed your mind.
Timothy Leary

You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.
Stephen King

It’s never too late to start. It’s always too late to wait.#
Jeff Olson

Iron rusts from disuse; stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigour of the mind.
Leonardo da Vinci

If you can’t fly, run; if you can’t run, walk; if you can’t walk, crawl; but by all means keep moving.
Martin Luther King Jr.

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
Les Brown

There’s no such thing as aging, but maturing and knowledge. It’s beautiful.
Celine Dion

About the Author
Bennett is a staff writer at Optimism as well as a freelance comedy writer. He's based in New York City.

1. Master the art of adaptability. Change conduct with time and need. Always have a plan B.
2. Understand fear and love. You can only be feared or loved. If they like you, they choose if to do what you need. If they fear you, they will do what you want because there will be consequences.
3. *The fox and the lion. One must be a fox to recognize traps and a lion to fight wolves.
Intelligence, cunning and the ability to spot danger - stregnth, courage and the power to overcome challenges. 
Spot opportunities and threats. Be decisive. You cannot be one sided.
4. Power of perception. They see what you appear to be. you know what you are. People judge appearance... Manage your image.#
5. Strategic action vs force. Don't use force when you can achieve your goals by strategy and positioning. Sidestep problems instead of confronting stregnth.#
6. Importance of timing. Being right isn't enough. Act at the right time.#
7. Manage your circle, those around you. Judge people by their circle.#
8. The art of decison making. Be innovative. Recognize the danger of status quo when change is needed.

We may be missing a fundemental modernpolitical problem here.
Machiavelli, a great political strategist explained how to win at politics and the Republicans are following his playbook.
He said that lies, immorality, and shamelessness gave a "prince" great politcal advantage. Whoever lies the most and best wins. To compete with that, no matter how good a prince wants to be, they have to lower themselves to the other prince's level.  The problem is that in the case of the Democrats, the prince is the Constitution, an inherently moral document. Lies don't work very well for Democrats. Also, research has shown that liberals are less likely to believe lies.

6. Spread the truth. 
Maybe I'm wrong, but this is where I think the election was lost. Democrats cannot message themselves out of a wet paper bag, while the Right has developed a media machine that goes far beyond Fox, NewsMax or even the Heritage Foundation and CATO Institute. The master of politicking, Machiavelli, said that in politics, whoever (the prince) was willing to go the morally lowest would win. The best liar, and we know who that is, has a huge advantage. Dems are lousy liars at best and since their "prince' is the Constitution, an inherently moral document.
It's worse, the messages the Dems did choose were terrible and the only one I saw was "send us money". 
I believe that the solution was and still is messaging. This was discussed on lib-talk.com ... for all the good it did. What is needed is short, pithy sayings that can be pasted into the comments sections that (1) reveal the maga lie and (2) tell the truth of the matter.  
The best message shows the right wing lie and also states the truth. For example: "it's not about right vs left, it's about top vs bottom, wealthy vs working class".
I see that the lib-talk site was taken down, so I emailed asking about it and was told it was written for before the election and so was not relevant now, but an update was being considered.
The point of it was still true. For all of Right Wing Media organization, your maga in the comments section is ignorant and horrible at saying anything more than right wing talking points. Dems should be able to totally dominate the social media field using brief statements that reveal both the maga lie and the truth. 
We are all about "maga folks didn't realize they were voting against their own interests". Why did they do that? Hyper organized and focused Right Wing Media. Maybe that wasn't everything, but it was more than enough to win the election. Dems need to get in the game on social media and comments sections to refute the maga lies with simple truths. IT'S EVEN FREE TO DO.

We may be missing a fundemental political problem here.
Machiavelli, a great political strategist explained how to win at politics and the Republicans are following his playbook.
He said that lies, immorality, and shamelessness gave a "prince" great politcal advantage. Whoever lies the most and best wins. To compete with that, no matter how good a prince wants to be, they have to lower themselves to the other prince's level.  The problem is that in the case of the Democrats, the prince is the Constitution, an inherently moral document. Lies don't work very well for Democrats. Also, research has shown that they are less likely to believe lies.
There is an easy way to remove that Republican advantage.
Then as now, media is perhaps the most important thing. The Republicans have weaponized media. It's not just Fox News or NewsMax. Perhaps more importantly are Koch brother's well funded propaganda institutions that made this possible: The Heritage Foundation, Federalist Society, CATO Institute, Hillsdale College and the rest, that create the messages.
So what can the Democrats do? They can message. The most effective messages are pithy sayings. Short messages that carry important grains of truth. The best message shows the right wing lie and also states the truth. For example: "it's not about right vs left, it's about top vs bottom, wealthy vs working class". There are hundreds of these messages, though mostly only a few are really needed. Right wing messaging is simple which is part of what makes it effective. Republicans mostly post little sound bites on social media as that are Republican talking points. They are usually pretty obvious lies. All the Democrats need to do, is respond with short, meaningful messages to neutralize the lies and tell the truth. All it takes is a computer, an internet connection and a bit of time. Don't get original - just copy and paste.
***

#Orbiting Earth in the spaceship, I saw how beautiful our planet is. People, let us preserve and increase this beauty, not destroy it.
Yuri Gagarin, first human to go to space

The Earth was small, light blue, and so touchingly alone. Our home that must be defended like a holy relic. The Earth was absolutely round. I believe I never knew what the word "round" meant until I saw Earth from space.
Aleksei Leonov, Russian cosmonaut and first person to conduct a spacewalk

I realized up there that our planet is not infinite. It’s fragile. That may not be obvious to a lot of folks, and it’s tough that people are fighting each other here on Earth instead of trying to get together and live on this planet. We look pretty vulnerable in the darkness of space.
Alan Shepard, first American to go to space

It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn’t feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.
Neil Armstrong, first person to walk on the moon

From the distance of the moon, Earth was four times the size of a full moon seen from Earth. It was a brilliant jewel in the black velvet sky. Yet it was still at a great distance, considering the challenges of the voyage home.
Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 astronaut and second person to walk on the moon

Oddly enough, the overriding sensation I got looking at the Earth was: My God, that little thing is so fragile out there.
Mike Collins, Apollo 11 astronaut

A Chinese tale tells of some men sent to harm a young girl who, upon seeing her beauty, become her protectors rather than her violators. That's how I felt seeing the Earth for the first time. I could not help but love and cherish her.
Taylor Wang, Chinese American scientist and first person of Chinese origin to go to space

I thought at one point, if you could be up in heaven, this is how you would see the planet. And then I dwelled on that and said, no, it’s more beautiful than that. This is what heaven must look like. I think of our planet as a paradise. We are very lucky to be here.
Mike Massimino, NASA astronaut

Every single part of the Earth reacts with every other part. It’s one thing. Every little animal is important in that ecosystem. [Seeing the Earth] makes you realize that, and makes you want to be a little more proactive in keeping it that way. If I could get every Earthling to do one circle of the Earth, I think things would run a little differently.
Karen Nyberg, NASA astronaut

As we got farther and farther away [the Earth] diminished in size. Finally it shrank to the size of a marble, the most beautiful marble you can imagine. That beautiful, warm, living object looked so fragile, so delicate, that if you touched it with a finger it would crumble and fall apart. Seeing this has to change a man.
James B. Irwin, NASA astronaut

#After an orange cloud — formed as a result of a dust storm over the Sahara and caught up by air currents — reached the Philippines and settled there with rain, I understood that we are all sailing in the same boat.
Vladimir Kovalyov, Russian cosmonaut

Suddenly, from behind the rim of the moon, in long, slow-motion moments of immense majesty, there emerges a sparkling blue and white jewel, a light, delicate sky-blue sphere laced with slowly swirling veils of white, rising gradually like a small pearl in a thick sea of black mystery. It takes more than a moment to fully realize this is Earth … home.
Edgar Mitchell, NASA astronaut

#We really have the most beautiful planet in our solar system. None other can sustain life like we know it. None other has blue water and white clouds covering colorful landmasses filled with thriving, beautiful, living things like human beings.
Sunita Williams, NASA astronaut

#For those who have seen the Earth from space, and for the hundreds and perhaps thousands more who will, the experience most certainly changes your perspective. The things that we share in our world are far more valuable than those which divide us.
Donald Williams, NASA astronaut

I had that cognitive shift, that moment of, "Oh my god, we’re all connected. Oh my god, the planet is so beautiful. Oh my god, what can I do to make it better when I get home?" And in coming home, the things that bothered you? They don’t bother you.
Leland D. Melvin, NASA astronaut

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio.
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 42 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short – enjoy it..
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.
9. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
10. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
11. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
12. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
13. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it...
14. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
15. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.
16. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
21. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
22. The most important sex organ is the brain.
27. What other people think of you is none of your business.
28. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. Believe in miracles.
32. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
33. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
34. Your children get only one childhood.
35. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
36. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere. (I love this one)
39. The best is yet to come...

7. "We don’t perceive things the way they are, we perceive things the way we are"

Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.
Vincent van Gogh

I'm starting to think that almost all important knowledge is summed up by the Sotics.
Quotes from the Stoic Seneca.
30 Quotes from the Stoic Seneca.
Great List of Quotes from the Stoic Seneca.
Great Quotes from the Stoic Seneca.

“A healthy degree of Stoicism is one thing; swallowing your emotions is another.” –Jon Gluck

Look at Aristotle's comments on friendship to describe how to treat others.
Humans have two things to contend with, nature and other humans.

To be alive is reason enough to live.
Love is all that is needed for purpose. Purpose is reason enough to strive.
Beauty inspires and is worth working for.
Dreams show something to hope for.
Aspirations are something to work for.

Rules for happiness:

Be nice to yourself.

If you don’t feel understood by your friends, you will feel alone. If you don’t feel you understand yourself, you will feel lonely. So solitude is a space you create to take the time to get to know yourself.


--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv6W0Nv5ev0

It is all about how you make a person feel.
Relationships are key to living and investments are how to build relationships.
Pay attention to others.
Take ourselves less seriously.
Create an individual experience.

From weakness comes strength and from strength comes weakness. This especially applies in the case of diseases.

The three methods we may learn wisdom are:
First by Reflection, which is nobilist;
Second, by imitation, which is eassiest;
Third, by experience, which is the bitterest.
Confucius.

A small act is worth a million thoughts. Ai Weiwei


The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions.
Necessity is the mistress and guide of nature.
As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.
Just as iron rusts unless it is used, and water putrifies or, in cold, turns to ice, so our intellect spoils unless it is kept in use.
Leonardo De Vinci

Someone is sitting in the shade today because long ago someone planted a tree. Warren Buffet Investment #

What skill would you like to master? # 

The secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. Socrates ??

The Man's Guide to Women.
Marrying the wrong person can ruin your life.

When we sow a seed, we plant the future. #

You gotta enjoy the little things.

"Whatever is in any way beautiful has its source of beauty in itself, and is complete in itself; praise forms no part of it."
- Marcus Aurelius
"Don’t be overheard complaining…Not even to yourself." — Marcus Aurelius.??

“A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues.”
—Cicero

They sicken of the calm, who knew the storm. Dorthy Parker

Success is sometimes the outcome of a whole string of failures.
Vincent van Gogh

Don't plan it all. Let life surprise you a little.
Julia Alvarez


Every noble work is at first impossible.
Thomas Carlyle


I do not think it worth while to wait for enjoyment until there is some real opportunity for it.
Jane Austen

However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light.
Stanley Kubrick

“Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.”
– RACHEL CARSON

“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.”
—Thomas Campbell, "Hallowed Ground"

“I attribute my success to this—I never gave or took any excuse.”
—Florence Nightingale
*

The only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action.
Alexander Graham Bell - As long as one can act, no failure remains such, if we keep working to turn it into a success.

That which does not kill us makes us stronger.
Friedrich Nietzsche
*
But he that dares not grasp the thorn / Should never crave the rose.
Anne Brontë

Normality is a paved road: It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow.
Vincent van Gogh

"Everyone is problematic up close."
As it turns out, she is problematic but so am I. However, I believe that’s why two people come together — to work on their "stuff" and ultimately grow.

"Better a pearl with a flaw than a pebble without. Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

If God exists he isn’t just churches and mathematics. He’s the forest, He’s the desert. He’s the ice caps, that are dying. He’s the ghetto and the Museum of Fine Arts.

I would rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.
Robert Harling - Steel Magnolias - About taking Risk #


"My good woman," Picasso smiled, "It took me thirty years to draw that masterpiece in thirty seconds."

There is a paradox that many times, your greatest creativity is not when you are working, but when you are just letting your mind wander.

“Let us praise even the slightest improvement. That inspires the other person to keep on improving.”
—Dale Carnegie

Sometimes, things get done faster if you don't rush. Practice means you don't need to rush. 

About mistakes, it's funny. You've got to make your own; and not only that, if you try to keep people from making theirs, they get mad."
"So Big" by Edna Ferber

Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.
"The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway

What we fear we often rage against.
"The Shipping News" by E. Annie Proulx

Biology gives you a brain. Life turns it into a mind.
"Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Who is the brave man — he who feels no fear? If so, then bravery is but a polite term for a mind devoid of rationality and imagination.
"March" by Geraldine Brooks

Sometimes a useful delusion is better than a useless truth.
"The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead
sometimes our beliefs don’t square with our reality, but that positive "delusion" can lead us in the right direction, whether in the search of justice, peace, or happiness.

This is not our world with trees in it. It's a world of trees, where humans have just arrived.
"The Overstory" by Richard Powers
Richard Powers’ "The Overstory" is filled with the existential dread of climate change, especially how warming temperatures and human activity threaten Earth’s most distinctive feature: its trees. This quote speaks to our tendency to put humanity at the center of the planet’s story, even though that narrative isn’t true. In reality, we all have a responsibility to respect the natural world we live in.

Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel. Socrates

Do one thing every day that scares you. Elenor Roosevelt.

Be Happy. Take care of your teeth. Always let your consciene be your guide.

Ask a child- who did you help today?

A great man is hard on himself. A small man is hard on others. Confucius

Talent is a pursued interest. Anything you’re willing to practice, you can do.
The secret to doing anything is believing that you can do it. Anything that you believe you can do strong enough, you can do. Anything. As long as you believe.

As human beings, we suffer from an innate tendency to jump to conclusions; to judge people too quickly, and to pronounce them failures or heroes without due consideration of the actual facts and ideals of the period.

We live in an age of unprecedented — and sometimes terrifying — technological advance where the speed of advance so often outstrips the necessary ethical considerations.

All beginnings are difficult.

He who asks a question might be a fool for five minutes; he who doesn’t ask a question remains a fool forever.

No man really knows about other human beings. The best he can do is to suppose that they are like himself.

Do what you have to do — you won’t get into any trouble that way.
Hal Edison

I still work. Of course it’s not a paid job, it’s volunteer … and that fills my life, because it’s giving me something that I can find pleasure in doing that I know is of value to others. Margaret Madeline - Centenigarian

Remember, plenty of laughter, but no shouting.
Yvonne Old

The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts. Marcus Aurelius

Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choode our response. Victor Frankl

“If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favourable.”
—Seneca the Younger

“Wherever you look there are inspirations, books, literature, paintings, landscapes, everything. Just living is an inspiration.” – GAVIN ROSSDALE

“Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy!”
—Anne Frank, "The Diary of a Young Girl

What you own, owns you. This is especially true of pets.

“It’s the sides of the mountain that sustain life, not the top.” – ROBERT M. PIRSIG #

“A genuinely happy person is one who has rendered others happy.” – DAISAKU IKEDA

“’Tis never too late to be wise.” – DANIEL DEFOE

If you feel pain, you are alive. If you feel other's pain, you are human - Leo Tolstoy

“Every morning, joy comes to me. Because I always let it in!” – DÁVID POGRAN

Consider your origins: you were not made to live as brutes, but to follow virtue and knowledge.”
—Dante Alighieri, "Divine Comedy"

“Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.”
—Confucius, "Analects"

“The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.”
—Confucius, "Analects"

“A friend with an understanding heart is worth no less than a brother.”
—Homer, "The Odyssey"

“There’s no single answer that will solve all of our future problems. There’s no magic bullet. Instead there are thousands of answers — at least. You can be one of them if you choose to be.”
– OCTAVIA E. BUTLER

“I always swing at the ball with all my might. I hit or miss big.”
– BABE RUTH

"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence."#
—Vince Lombardi

“Worry is interest paid on trouble before it falls due.”#
—William Ralph Inged

“Don’t allow anybody to make you feel that you are nobody. Always feel that you count, always feel that you have worth, and always feel that your life has ultimate significance.”
– MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
***


"It’s better to be disliked for who you are than to be loved for who you’re not." — André Gide
"Having a creative gift is like someone just handed you a horse. You have to learn how to ride it. Because either you learn how to ride this thing or it’s going to finish you." — Jerry Seinfeld
Vices go away when you feed your virtues.
"Nothing so overwhelms the rational being as the irrational and, at the same time, nothing so attracts him as the reasonable." — Epictetus.
"It’s not what you know that gets you into trouble, it’s what you think you know." — Mark Twain.
"Knowing where to find information and how to use it. That is the secret of success" — Albert Einstein.
"We don’t see the world as it is, we see it as we are." — Anaïs Nin
"Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm." — Winston Churchill.

Though used synonymously, "happiness" and "joy" bear a striking difference. While happiness is a positive feeling resulting from external circumstances, joy is an internal feeling of peaceful elation.

As spiritual teacher and author Eckhart Tolle describes it, "Pleasure is always derived from something outside you, whereas joy arises from within." So while happiness is a positive, pleasurable feeling that comes from something actively happening to us, joy is that serene internal sensation we may describe as being "happy for no reason."

Joy is often accompanied by gratitude, a profound awareness that, while there are plenty of things beyond our control, there’s something good and right happening at our center. To be joyful (literally full of joy) is to embrace life in spite of — or maybe even because of — the inevitable pain and sorrow that accompanies it.

May these quotes remind us of those joyful moments in life that aren’t loud and splashy or even visible to others.

There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.
Kahlil Gibran

Joy is what happens when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things are.
Marianne Williamson

If you carry joy in your heart, you can heal any moment.
Carlos Santana

Things won are done, joy’s soul lies in the doing.
William Shakespeare

Everyone has the capacity for joy. Joy is available to all of us.
Ross Gay

We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.
Joseph Campbell

This joy that I have — the world didn’t give and the world can’t take it away.
Billy Porter

At some point in our lives, we will all be broken and bruised — but we are not alone. We find joy together. We persevere together.
Dr. Jill Biden

like the rainbow / after the rain / joy will reveal itself / after sorrow
Rupi Kaur

No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find.
C.S. Lewis

Cling to joy: audacious and unbridled joy, that looks for light in everything, even in your waiting.
Morgan Harper Nichols

Joy is contagious: When people smile at you, you tend to smile back. And that can create a virtuous, joyful circle.
Ingrid Fetell Lee

The ghostly winter silence had given way to the great spring murmur of awakening life. This murmur arose from all the land, fraught with the joy of living.
Jack London

Taking the worry of the world on my shoulders is not right. My New Year’s resolution is to stay humble and be joyous.
Queen Latifah

We simply cannot know joy without embracing vulnerability — and the way to do that is to focus on gratitude, not fear.
Brené Brown

The joy of creating is the truest joy.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas

About the Author
Kristina is a coffee-fueled writer living happily ever after with her family in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia.

Of all the traits that are considered part of a moral character, few are more highly regarded than honesty — being truthful with others, and also with ourselves. As the old proverb goes, "Honesty is the best policy."

First written down by the English politician Edwin Sandys in 1599, the saying was later repeated by many famous figures, including eminent American thinkers and politicians such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington. (The latter used the proverb in his farewell address of 1796, saying, "I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is the best policy.") And then there was Mark Twain, who wryly stated that "honesty is the best policy — when there is money in it."

Here are some more quotes from famous names who have held truth-telling in the highest regard, from William Shakespeare to Kristen Stewart.

No legacy is so rich as honesty.
William Shakespeare

Let honesty be as the breath of thy soul.
Benjamin Franklin

Honesty is one part of eloquence. We persuade others by being in earnest ourselves.
William Hazlitt

He who dares not offend cannot be honest.
Thomas Paine

To believe all men honest would be folly. To believe none so, is something worse.
John Quincy Adams

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.
Thomas Jefferson

Still I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain (what I consider the most enviable of all titles) the character of an honest man.
George Washington

Every man who expresses an honest thought is a soldier in the army of intellectual liberty.
Robert G. Ingersoll

Let the watchwords of all our people be the old familiar watchwords of honesty, decency, fair-dealing, and commonsense.
Theodore Roosevelt

Someone once asked me what I regarded as the three most important requirements for happiness. My answer was: "A feeling that you have been honest with yourself and those around you; a feeling that you have done the best you could both in your personal life and in your work; and the ability to love others."
Eleanor Roosevelt

Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise.
Sigmund Freud

Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion, against injustice and lying and greed.
William Faulkner

Early on in my career I had to decide between honest arrogance and hypocritical humility. I chose honest arrogance and have seen no occasion to change.
Frank Lloyd Wright

I'd rather get bad news from an honest man than lies from a flatterer.
Ursula K. Le Guin

To express oneself honestly, not lying to oneself… now that, my friend, is very hard to do.
Bruce Lee

Being honest may not get you a lot of friends but it’ll always get you the right ones.
John Lennon

I wish we could stop the little lies. I don't mean that one has to be brutally frank. I don't believe that we should be brutal about anything, however, it is wonderfully liberating to be honest.
Maya Angelou

Almost any difficulty will move in the face of honesty. When I am honest I never feel stupid. And when I am honest I am automatically humble.
Hugh Prather

Honesty is a very expensive gift. Don’t expect it from cheap people.
Warren Buffett

Funny women are honest women. I guess that’s also true for men, but no one ever asks me if my male characters are presenting a negative image of masculinity.
Elizabeth Meriwether

It's impossible to always get across what I'm trying to say, but, if I just stay honest, then I'm not going to look back on any of these interviews and wonder what I was trying to do or be.
Kristen Stewart

About the Author
Tony Dunnell is an English writer of non-fiction and fiction living on the edge of the Amazon jungle.

Failure is the mother of success. Missteps, while not ideal, are important teaching tools.
All beginnings are difficult.

Embrace the good with the bad.

"Rome wasn’t built in a day." In other words, don’t give up or get discouraged if something is taking a long time to accomplish. The hard work will pay off.

Enduring deepening pain is how man ascends. No pain, no gain.
"
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." They both encourage being content with what we have, rather than chasing more and risk losing what we already possess.

#Masters open the doors, you enter by yourself. Once we have been given skills and taught morals, it’s up to us to go out and do, see, and experience things for ourselves.

"Patience is the best remedy for every trouble." —Plautus

“All human wisdom is contained in these two words, Wait and Hope.”
—Alexandre Dumas, "The Count of Monte Cristo."

Never be cruel to your cat. Once you do that, there will be a defensive wall up. It may forgive you even and come back to be petted, but it will never trust you again and will always be watching to see if you are going to hurt it again. It will always be ready to jump away. People are like that too.

Relationships are built, not found. Early attraction can be fleeting.

Respect others.


Learn by understanding, not memorizing.
Only demand from others what you would demand from yourself. ...Sort of.
Stoic ideas - 
  Embrace discomfort. Success lies on the other side.
  Break things into small tasks.
  Visualize what sucess is. Think of what you think success will be.
  Proportize what is important and in your goal.
  Focus on one thing at a time.
  Time is precious. Use it for important things.
  Be thankful. It brings happiness and peace.
  Control what you can. Ignore what you can't.
  Life is about change. Expect it and deal with it.
  A man's worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions.
  
Self knowledge, Self improvement, harmopny.  
 
Be nice to yourself.


Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.
Howard Thurman
 
Daily social interactions are the single best predictor of happiness.
Tom Rath

The social joys of making a meal with friends are known to all who have done so.
Billy Baker


The best times we’ve had on Earth are usually with those we love.
Van Harden


I have begun to wonder if the secret of living well is not in having all the answers but in pursuing unanswerable questions in good company.
Rachel Naomi Remen

when everything, absolutely everything, is ready, we shall never begin.
Ivan Turgenev

How hurtful it can be to deny one’s true self and live a life of lies just to appease others.
June Ahern

Things do not grow better; they remain as they are. It is we who grow better, by the changes we make in ourselves.
Swami Vivekananda

Rumi said: "as you start to walk on the way, the way appears." Clarity doesn't come before action. It comes from action.

### GROUP
"A nation, as a society, forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society."
—Thomas Jefferson

"Great deeds are usually wrought at great risks."
—Herodotus, "Histories"

Do not despise the bottom rungs in the ascent to greatness … If you wish to reach the highest, begin at the lowest.
Publilius Syrus

"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves."
—Carl Jung

Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.
Carl Jung

The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Do not try to fix whatever comes in your life. Fix yourself in such a way that whatever comes, you will be fine.
Sadhguru

The quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives.

Listen. Just listen. You don’t have to agree. Just see if you can understand that there’s another person who has a completely different experience of the same reality.

Love enjoys knowing everything about you; desire needs mystery.

The seeds of intimacy are time and repetition. We choose each other again and again, and so create a community of two.

Young people searching for their "real self" must learn that the real self is not something one finds as much as it is something one makes; and it is one’s daily actions that shape the inner personality far more permanently than any amount of introspection or intellection.
Sydney J. Harris

Don’t compromise yourself. You’re all you’ve got.


No matter what, people are going to like you or not like you. So be authentic, and let them like you or not for who you actually are.
Kobe Bryant

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.
Steve Jobs

If you’re always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be.
Maya Angelou

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.
Gandalf, "The Fellowship of the Ring"



He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom.

Do not spoil the wonder with haste!
Legolas, "The Return of the King"

I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.
Faramir, "The Two Towers"


Chance favors only the prepared mind.
Louis Pasteur

All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.
Martin Buber 

If you need something from somebody, always give that person a way to hand it to you.
Sue Monk Kidd

Only the curious have something to find. 
Sean Watkins

Trust your gut. Forgive yourself. Be Grateful.
Cheryl Strayed


Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.
Miyamoto Musashi 

The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave and even better to come back.
Wendy Wunder

Happinss is a simple, frugal heart. Nicos Kazantzakis

Beware; for I am fearless and that makes me powerful. Mary Shelly

Having a strong purpose in life gives us a reason to continue on through adversity and inspires us to find a way past any obstacles that may present themselves.

Every successful revolutionary movement eventually splits. One wing, the pragmatists, begins to compromise on revolutionary ideals as it confronts the realities of governing. The other, the purists, clings to those ideals and inevitably accuses the pragmatists of having betrayed the cause by moderating.

When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.
The queen’s Christmas Broadcast, 2008

“Plato is my friend—Aristotle is my friend—but my greatest friend is truth.”
—Isaac Newton

“Observe due measure, for right timing is in all things the most important factor.”
—Hesiod, "Works and Days"

“In youth we learn; in old age we understand.”
—Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, "Aphorisms"


The human mind always makes progress, but it is progress in spirals. The path through life is not a straight line, and neither is the road to change. Human nature to make progress in increments, as our beliefs are challenged, reconstructed, and transformed over time.
Madame de Staël

I'm sort of like Costco. I'm big, I'm not fancy, and I dare you to not like me.
Cameron Tucker (Eric Stonestreet) in "Modern Family"

Calvin: They say the world is a stage. But obviously the play is unrehearsed and everybody is ad-libbing his lines.
Hobbes: Maybe that’s why it’s hard to tell if we’re living in a tragedy or a farce.
Calvin: We need more special effects and dance numbers.
Calvin and Hobbes, from "Calvin & Hobbes," on the tragicomedy of life

There’s none so blind … as those who will not listen.
Neil Gaiman

Those who never retract their opinions love themselves more than they love truth.
Joseph Joubert

I commend your stubbornness / Without it, we’d never got this far.
Weezer

Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal.
Friedrich Nietzsche

A year from now, you will wish you had started today.
Unknown #


When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love.
Marcus Aurelius#

“Doing is being.” – RAY BRADBURY

Work doesn't work without play. Shondra Rhimes.

Few men during their lifetime come anywhere near exhausting the resources dwelling within them. There are deep wells of strength that are never used.
Richard E. Byrd

It is worth remembering that the time of greatest gain in terms of wisdom and inner strength is often that of greatest difficulty.
Dalai Lama

We don't even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward.
Isabel Allende

The kind of beauty I want most is the hard-to-get kind that comes from within — strength, courage, dignity.
Ruby Dee

* Virginia Wolf *
If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people.
"The Moment and Other Essays
Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.
"A Room of One’s Own


Gambling is sold as an innocent amusement for anyone, but it's profits come from the small number who are addicted..
Connecticut found that 2% of people who are problem gamblers placed half the bets in the state.

CONFIDENCE

* Psychologists *

The essence of creativity is figuring out how to use what you already know in order to go beyond what you already think.
Jerome Bruner

People are just as wonderful as sunsets if I can let them be… When I look at a sunset, I don’t find myself saying, "Soften the orange a bit on the right-hand corner." I don’t try to control a sunset. I watch with awe as it unfolds.
Carl Rogers

* Literature *


Literature
"A Room of One’s Own" by Virginia Woolf, 1929

The Man of energy, of Faith, of Warmpth, steps in and does somehting. Vincent Van Gogh.

The things that make me different are the things that make me me.
Piglet’s song, You’re the One and Only One, "Welcome to Pooh Corner"

Don't underestimate the value of doing nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering.
Pooh, "Pooh's Little Instruction Book"

A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference.
Eeyore, "Winnie-the-Pooh"


You have no choices about how you lose, but you do have a choice about how you come back and prepare to win again.
Pat Riley, basketball coach

If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes.

I’ve observed that if individuals who prevail in a high competitive environment have any one thing in common besides success, it is failure — and their ability to overcome it.
Bill Walsh, college and NFL football coach

The only way to prove you are a good sport is to lose.
Ernie Banks, MLB player

Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement.
Matt Biondi, Olympic swimmer#

Never give up, never give in, and when the upper hand is ours, may we have the ability to handle the win with the dignity that we absorbed the loss.
Doug Williams, NFL quarterback and college football coach

Never quit. It is the easiest cop-out in the world. Set a goal and don’t quit until you attain it. When you do attain it, set another goal, and don’t quit until you reach it. Never quit.
Bear Bryant, college football player and coach

I've done it before. It won't be the last time. You're going to go years where you just don't win. That's OK, as long as you keep trying to improve.
Tiger Woods, golfer

We didn’t lose the game; we just ran out of time.
Vince Lombardi, NFL coach and executive

If you have a chance and don’t make the most of it, you are wasting your time on this earth. It is not what you do in baseball or sports, but how hard you try. Win or lose, I try my best.
Roberto Clemente, MLB player

“Delay always breeds danger; and to protract a great design is often to ruin it.”
—Miguel de Cervantes, "Don Quixote" [This can contradict other advice. Each instance is different.]

“Time is still the best critic, and patience the best teacher.”
—Frederic Chopin

“I love my rejection slips. They show me I try.”
– SYLVIA PLATH

“One thing alone not even God can do, to make undone whatever has been done.”
—Aristotle, "The Nicomachean Ethics" [says who? - this is advanced philosophy. Don't use.]

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
—Oscar Wilde, "Lady Windermere's Fan"

“Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks.”
— Simonides of Ceos

“What greater or better gift can we offer the republic than to teach and instruct our youth?”
—Cicero, "On Divination"

“Hope is an action-filled process.”
– JENNY TAITZ

“Practice justice in word and deed, and do not get in the habit of acting thoughtlessly about anything.”
— Pythagoras

“Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.”
– CHARLES DICKENS, OUR MUTUAL FRIEND

“You need a core inside you — a core that directs everything you do.”
– BARBARA JORDAN

“I was obliged to be industrious. Whoever is equally industrious will succeed equally well.”
—Johann Sebastian Bach

The amount of good things in your life depends on your ability to notice them. #

“A great wind is blowing, and that gives you either imagination or a headache.”
—Catherine the Great

“The point is not to pay back kindness but to pass it on.”
– JULIA ALVAREZ

“It is the perfection of God's works that they are all done with the greatest simplicity.”
—Isaac Newton

“Our only gift to the future is giving everything we have to the present — our lives, lived.”
​– MARIA POPOVA

Rain will fall whether you like it or not.
Traffic will exist whether you like it or not.
People will act how they want whether you worry or not.
Focus on what you can change. Let go of what you can't.

William Bowers credo:Filoli
Fight For a Just Cause.
Love your fellow man.
Live a good life.

“Man will only become better when you make him see what he is like.”
—Anton Chekhov

Calvin ansd Hobbs... 

Appreciation is the shortest path to gaining happiness.
inquiry... is an interesting question. In my work I consider curiosity to be an essential driver required for survival. (It's an active principle.)

Honor...

Never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born.
Albert Einstein

“The basic laws of the universe are simple, but because our senses are limited, we can't grasp them. There is a pattern in creation.”
—Albert Einstein

“The world is upheld by the veracity of good men: they make the earth wholesome.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.”
—Abraham Lincoln #

“It is the great triumph of genius to make the common appear novel.”
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.”
—Seneca the Younger

ZHU XI - 4 books - education and morals. Based on Confucian thought. 
Inner development with outer understanding. 
Said studying the world and improving your character were the same thing.
Great, but became too rigid eventually. 
Zhu Xi played a pivotal role in shaping the intellectual foundations of later imperial China.

During the Song dynasty, Zhu Xi's teachings were considered to be unorthodox. Rather than focusing on the I Ching like other Neo-Confucians, he chose to emphasize the Four Books: the Great Learning, the Doctrine of the Mean, the Analects of Confucius, and the Mencius as the core curriculum for aspiring scholar officials. For all these classics he wrote extensive commentaries that were not widely recognized in his time; however, they later became accepted as the standard commentaries. The Four Books served as the basis of civil service examinations up until 1905,[15] and education in the classics often began with Zhu Xi's commentaries as the cornerstone for understanding them.[16]

The sources of Zhu Xi's new approach to the Confucian curriculum have been found in several works of the Cheng brothers. Zhu Xi "codified the Cheng brothers' teachings and reworked them into his own philosophical program," moving "from philology to philosophy."[17]

Zhu Xi maintained that all things are brought into being by the union of two universal aspects of reality: qi (氣, sometimes translated as vital – or physical, material – force); and li (理, sometimes translated as rational principle or law). The source and sum of li is the taiji, meaning the Supreme Ultimate. The source of qi is not so clearly stated by Zhu Xi, leading some authorities to maintain that he was a metaphysical monist and others to maintain that he was a metaphysical dualist.

Meditation
Zhu Xi practiced a form of daily meditation called jingzuo similar to, but not the same as, Buddhist dhyana or chan ding (禪定; Wade–Giles chʻan-ting). His meditation did not require the cessation of all thinking as in some forms of Buddhism; rather, it was characterised by quiet introspection that helped to balance various aspects of one's personality and allowed for focused thought and concentration.[citation needed]

His form of meditation was by nature Confucian in the sense that it was concerned with morality. His meditation attempted to reason and feel in harmony with the universe. He believed that this type of meditation brought humanity closer together and more into harmony.[23]

The future will not be what you planned.

You are not your circumstances. You are your possibilities. If you know that, you can do anything.
Oprah Winfrey

We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
Joseph Campbell

Look in the mirror rather than at your neighbor.
Frank Sonnenberg

Instead of looking at the past, I put myself ahead 20 years and try to look at what I need to do now in order to get there then.
Diana Ross

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
Arthur Ashe

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
Thomas Edison

A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.
Bruce Lee

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.
Henry David Thoreau

I know how it looks. But just start. Nothing is insurmountable.
Lin-Manuel Miranda

It is better to fall short of a high mark than to reach a low one.
Henry Clay Payne

Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.
Ursula K. Le Guin

Love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The greatest thing you’ll ever learn / Is just to love and be loved in return.
eden ahbez

To be deeply loved by someone gives you strength, but to love someone deeply gives you courage.
Esther Huertas

Love one another and you will be happy. It’s as simple and as difficult as that.
Michael Leunig

Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses. Love is content with the present, it hopes for the future, and it does not brood over the past.
Ann Landers

Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.
Barbara Johnson

To be fully seen by somebody, then, and to be loved anyhow — this is a human offering that can border on the miraculous.
Elizabeth Gilbert

Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.
James Baldwin

They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world. Someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.
Tom Bodett

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.
Mignon McLaughlin

In marriage, each partner is to be an encourager rather than a critic, a forgiver rather than a collector of hurts.
Gary Oliver and H. Norman Wright

Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly.
Rose Franken

Marriage is a choice you make every day. You don’t do it because it’s easy. You do it because you believe in it. You believe in the other person. And ladies and gentlemen, that’s why it’s so important to … be with somebody who wants you to win as much as you want them to win.
Michelle Obama

Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away.
Louis de Bernières

Marriage is not a ritual or an end. It is a long, intricate, intimate dance together and nothing matters more than your own sense of balance and your choice of partner.
Amy Bloom

Marriage is not just a spiritual communion, it is also remembering to take out the trash.
Joyce Brothers

To keep your marriage brimming / With love in the loving cup, / Whenever you’re wrong, admit it; / Whenever you’re right, shut up.
Ogden Nash

ROMANTIC
I didn’t fall in love with you. I walked into love with you, with my eyes wide open, choosing to take every step along the way. I do believe in fate and destiny, but I also believe we are only fated to do the things that we’d choose anyway. And I’d choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I’d find you and I’d choose you.
Kiersten White

You have bewitched me body and soul, and … I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.
Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) in "Pride and Prejudice"

For the two of us, home isn't a place. It’s a person. And we’re finally home.
Stephanie Perkins

I am nothing special; of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.
Nicholas Sparks

Romance is the glamor which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze.
Elinor Glyn

That quiet mutual gaze of a trusting husband and wife is like the first moment of rest or refuge from a great weariness or a great danger.
George Eliot

I wanna make you smile whenever you're sad / Carry you around when your arthritis is bad / All I wanna do is grow old with you / I'll get your medicine when your tummy aches / Build you a fire if the furnace breaks / Oh it could be so nice, growing old with you.
Adam Sandler

I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.
Paulo Coelho

There are moments, when you’re getting to know someone, when you realize something deep and buried in you is deep and buried in them, too. It feels like meeting a stranger you’ve known your whole life.
Elliot Wake

You have made a place in my heart where I thought there was no room for anything else. You have made flowers grow where I cultivated dust and stones.
Robert Jordan

I think I’d miss you even if we’d never met.
Nick Mercer (Dermot Mulroney) in "The Wedding Date"

Love starts as a feeling, / But to continue is a choice; / And I find myself choosing you / More and more every day.
Justin Wetch

Because of you I can feel myself slowly but surely becoming the me I have always dreamed of being.
Tyler Knott Gregson

I didn’t fall in love, I rose in it.
Toni Morrison

Nobody is right for anyone. Actually, what makes somebody right is commitment. Then when you’re committed to each other and you have true dialogue, [you] allow the other to impact upon you and they allow you to impact on them … It’s like two stones rubbing together until suddenly they fit.
Philippa Perry

Love is the quality of attention we pay to things.
J.D. McClatchy

[Love is] not just about who you find, it’s also about who you’re going to be. Love is not a state of enthusiasm. It’s a verb. It implies action, demonstration, ritual, practices, communication, expression.
Esther Perel

The story of human intimacy is one of constantly allowing ourselves to see those we love most deeply in a new, more fractured light. Look hard. Risk that.
Cheryl Strayed

Do not mistake desire for love. Desire leaves home in a frantic search for one gratification after another. Love is at home with itself.
Vernon Howard

The best frame of mind to be in — for anything you want — is an ability to walk away from it, were it not to come right … The capacity to say, "I could be alone," is strangely one of the most important guarantees of one day being with somebody else in a happy way.
Alain de Botton

Expecting someone to fill in a hole that’s within you? That’s expecting too much of any one person. That’s not your friend’s job or your partner’s job. That’s your job.
Ayisha Malik

The love of a partnership can be an incredibly important and transforming experience, but only one of many important and transforming experiences.
Sarah Hepola

True, solid love [can] withstand difficulty. It can withstand you being human and being flawed and being unhappy or having a problem with your partner. I wish I had known that love doesn’t disappear when you aren’t quiet and perfect.
Roxane Gay

Love is not possession. Love is letting your loved ones follow their own paths, even if those paths lead them away from you.
Cloris Kylie

The lack of love in my life was not a reality but a poverty of imagination and a carelessly narrow use of an essential word.
Krista Tippett

If you tell me, "I care about my partner," then my second question is, "How do you show it?" The fact that you feel it isn’t enough.
Esther Perel

The people we love are a constellation. In loving them, it is our privilege to see and bring out all the different worlds and colours and depths within them, just as they have the potential to do the same for us.
Natasha Lunn

Love is not the answer / But the line that marks the start.
Laura Marling

"The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves," writer Victor Hugo declared, joining the ranks of generations of great thinkers who have espoused the virtues of this all-important emotion. Yet what, exactly, is love?

Trying to define love is no easy task, as it can take many forms, and everyone experiences it differently. Plato said, "‘Love’ is the name for our pursuit of wholeness, for our desire to be complete." The ancient Greeks even had different words to describe the many expressions of love, including storge, the love or natural affection for family; ludus, the flirtatious, playful love of youth; philia, the platonic love between friends; philautia, the love of self; eros, a sensual and passionate love of romance; pragma, a mature, enduring love; and agape, an unconditional, divine love.

Artists, philosophers, and psychologists from time immemorial have found different ways to describe the experience of love. In writing about her love for actor Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn said, "Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get — only with what you are expecting to give — which is everything." But no matter what we call it, love — in all its many forms of expression — is a fundamental human emotion that connects us all and reminds us that we are not alone. These quotes offer heartfelt, and humorous, definitions of that wonderful, maddening, comforting four-letter word: love.

Love, what is it but space and time rendered perceptible by the heart.
Marcel Proust

Love is the expansion of two natures in such fashion that each includes the other, each is enriched by the other.
Felix Adler, philosopher

Love is all there is, it makes the world go ‘round / Love and only love, it can’t be denied
Bob Dylan

Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh.
W.H. Auden, poet

Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.
Ursula K. Le Guin, author

We miss so much out of life if we don’t love. The more we love the richer life is — even if it is only some little furry or feathery pet.
Lucy Maud Montgomery, author

In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities.
János Arany, poet

Love is the force that transforms and improves the Soul of the World.
Paulo Coelho

Love is a great beautifier.
Louisa May Alcott

Love does not rule, it cultivates.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, poet

Your first love has no beginning or end. Your first love is not your first love, and it is not your last. It is just love. It is one with everything.
Thích Nhất Hạnh

I was in love, and love makes all men frantic.
Euripides, Greek playwright

Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won’t adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is to sign on as its accomplice.
Tim Robbins

Love is the substance of all life. Everything is connected in love, absolutely everything.
Julia Cameron, author

A person in love is humble. A person who loves has, so to speak, forfeited a part of his narcissism.
Sigmund Freud

Love unlocks doors and opens windows that weren’t even there before.
Mignon McLaughlin, journalist and author

True love is radical because it requires us to see ourselves in all people. Otherwise, it isn’t love. Love is revolutionary because it has us treat ALL people as we would ourselves — not because we are charitable, but because we are one.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

For Love is ever the beginning of Knowledge, as fire is of light.
Thomas Carlyle, author

Love is basic for the very survival of mankind. I’m convinced that love is the only absolute ultimately; love is the highest good.
Martin Luther King Jr.

Love is the answer / And you know that, for sure
John Lennon

About the Author
Kristina is a coffee-fueled writer living happily ever after with her family in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia.

Questions to Ask When You’re Dating
There’s a lot of ground to cover when you’re dating or talking to someone new. These questions can help you get to know a new potential partner super well.

What’s your favorite part of the day and why?

What's one thing from your childhood that has shaped who you are today?

What do you prioritize the most outside of work?

What’s your relationship like with your family?

When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

How did you decide to do what you wanted to do for a living?

Do you see yourself on this path forever or would you ever want to do anything else?

What are some of your dreams?

Romantically speaking, what’s drawn you to people in the past?

How do you handle it when relationships don’t work out?

What’s the worst date you’ve ever been on, and why?

In your opinion, what makes a date really good?

What’s something you’ve learned from a rough breakup?

Who was your first real crush?

What’s your definition of a good relationship?

Who’s your oldest friend, and what do you love about them?

What’s a skill you wish you had?

What do you love the most about the way your life is right now?

Is there anything about your life that you’re hoping to change in the next few months or years?

What's a simple pleasure that always makes you smile, no matter how your day is going?

Questions to Ask When You’re in a Relationship
Going official can mean many things: deciding on a label, becoming exclusive, or just deleting your dating apps. In any case, your relationship’s probably heading in a deeper direction, and now that you have a bit more security in your connection, you might feel like you have the opportunity to ask deeper questions and learn even more about your person.

What does your dream vacation look like?

Do you think we have the same shared vision for the future?

What’s your favorite date we’ve ever been on together?

What’s your favorite thing that we do together on the reg?

Is there anything you’ve always wanted to try in the bedroom but haven’t?

Have you learned anything new about yourself since we started dating?

How do you think we handle disagreements, and what can we improve on in our communication?

What was your first impression of me, and what do you think about me now?

In what ways do you think we’re most compatible?

Was there anything that surprised you about me as we started getting more serious?

What’s something I do that always turns you on?

Are there any patterns that have popped up in your past relationships, and do you see that happening with us?

What’s something you’re really proud of?

If you didn’t have to worry about work and finances, how would you spend your time?

What was the toughest decision you’ve had to make in the past few years?

What was your first heartbreak like?

What’s your love language—and are there any love languages that don’t matter to you at all?

What boundaries do you have with your family and friends?

What's one fear you’ve overcome since we've been together, and how did our relationship help you through it?

Questions to Ask When You’re Moving In Together
Moving in together is a big step, and chances are, you know each other pretty well by now. But it’s important to keep that momentum going. “There’s a certain complacency that comes with being in a relationship long-term,” says licensed marriage and family therapist Beverley Andre, LMFT, who warns about becoming less “intentional” at putting effort into getting to know your SO.

“You know a version of your partner from whatever timeframe, but if you hold onto that, it doesn’t give them space to grow, to learn, or at times regress,” she adds. Here are some questions that can help you stay up-to-date with your partner as you take things to the next level—and figure out how to decorate your new place.

Are there any boundaries we should set with each other when it comes to our space?

Would we ever want to co-parent a pet?

What are your expectations about sharing responsibilities at home?

(If you have opposite schedules:) How should we plan to make sure we’re spending enough quality time together?

How do we want to split the cost of things like bills and groceries?

How often should we agree to clean and maintain our home?

Are there any new items we want to splurge on together, like a nice couch or a new TV?

What are some things you really want to do together, both short and long-term?

Why are you excited to move in together?

Are there any tasks (for example, grocery shopping) that you think could be fun to do together?

What are some fears you have about taking this next step?

How often will you need time to yourself?

How strongly do you feel about purchasing or keeping decor, artwork, or pieces of furniture that you love?

How do you feel about hosting events, parties, or friends and family members as overnight guests?

Which of your friends and family members are close enough to us that they may come to our home on very short notice or even unannounced?

Are we going to set aside regular time for date nights?

Are there any chores or tasks that you find calming—or that you dread?

How do you define “home”?

What can we do to make our new place feel like home for you?

How will we know that our relationship is working?

Questions to Ask When You’re Getting Married
Congratulations! At this point, you’re likely used to asking questions as they arise and hopefully used to learning new things about your person. But because there’s always more to learn, here are a few ways to initiate thoughtful conversations about what your marriage might really look like, why you’re getting married, and how you’ll navigate difficult moments moving forward.

Before we met, what were your views on marriage?

How do we ensure that we maintain our individual identities even as we grow closer?

What about our relationship made you want to change your views on marriage, if they’ve changed?

What’s one habit or routine we’ve established as a couple that you want to carry on into our marriage?

Is there anything about our life that you want to change when we’re married?

Do we see ourselves investing in a home or land at any point?

How old do you want to be when you retire?

How much involvement and input from our families will we feel comfortable bringing into our relationship?

How are we going to keep our relationship strong or fresh?

What are you most excited about when it comes to our future?

What are some of your favorite memories we’ve made?

When was the moment you knew we’d get married—or you knew that you wanted to get married?

How do you see kids fitting into our lives?

Is there anything you learned from your parents, older relatives, or other role models about family?

What do I do that makes you feel most safe and loved?

Are there any topics that you still feel nervous bringing up with me?

Is there a recurring fight we have that might continue to pop up throughout our marriage—and is there a way we can handle it better than we have in the past?

How will our sex life change once we’re married, and how will we communicate if one of us is unsatisfied?

How are we going to spend important holidays?

In what ways do you think we can better support each other during stressful times (like wedding planning!)?

Questions to Ask When You’re Married
By the time you’ve tied the knot—or hit your first, second, or tenth anniversary—it can feel like you’ve already discussed absolutely everything. At least, you probably feel like you know how to discuss everything. But established relationships can bring on new conflicts. Maybe you’re ready to talk about having kids, or buying a house; maybe you’re just going through some unprecedented relationship issues.

When it comes to addressing new, challenging subjects, Miles advises asking permission first. “If you’re coming up to your partner and they’re hangry or they had a really bad day and you just start diving into something, it’s probably not going to go well—and then, that creates this false narrative that no sensitive conversation will go well, and you see people avoiding it altogether,” she says. “And if they say that now is not a good time [to talk], you don’t just avoid the conversation altogether. You can ask, ‘Okay, when would be a good time?’”

But that’s not to say you only have to ask the hardest of hard questions. Here are a few topics to check in on as you navigate married life.

How has our relationship changed since we first met?

How do we think we’ve individually evolved as people since we first met?

What’s your favorite memory of our early dating days?

What are some new traditions you'd like to start in our married life?

Are we still aligned in what we see as our vision for the future?

Are there any new passions or interests you want to explore in this stage of your life?

How have I changed since we first met?

What’s your favorite part about being married to each other?

How have your dreams changed since we first met?

Is there anything I did this week that pushed you away?

Is there anything I’ve done lately that’s made you feel loved?

Do I have any financial habits that bother you?

How do you see our relationship changing in the next five, 10, or even 20 years?

What do you think would be my strengths or weaknesses as a parent?

When it comes to parenting, how do you feel about discipline?

What are the most important values you want to instill in a child?

Is there anything that I can do to communicate better when we have a conflict?

What is the hardest thing we’ve gone through together?

How do you think our conflicts have strengthened our relationship?

When we go through difficult times as a couple, what feelings or memories remind you that we can get through them?

Questions to Ask on Every Anniversary
If you don’t want to make regular relationship check-ins a part of your routine, consider committing to checking in with each other each year on your anniversary. You can go over the past year together, think about what worked, what you could’ve done better, and how you’ll agree to improve in the year ahead.

What was your favorite thing we did together this year?

What's one thing you've learned about yourself and one thing you've learned about me this year?

Are there any good habits you think we’ve incorporated into our routine?

Are there any bad habits you want us to move away from?

Do you think we accomplished the goals we set for ourselves this year?

What are some goals we should work toward for the next year?

Was there a fight or an argument we had that we learned something from?

Is there any tension that we’ve left unresolved, or anything you want to address that we haven’t?

How do you want to see our relationship evolve in the next year?

Do we still have the same vision for our future?

What’s one big, exciting thing we can budget for and plan to look forward to this year?

Philosopher Simone Weil said, “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” Every time you pay attention to something, anything, you’re giving it a different meaning. Making sense of it from a different lens. Trees become extraordinary when you give them five uninterrupted minutes of your life.

The same goes for conversations.

Or any experience.
Almost everything we see, feel, touch, fear or smell stops being boring if you are interested. The attention you bring to anything can change your relationship with it. Munger thought it could change your life. Not the discipline to force yourself through things.

The intelligence to recognise where your real attention wants to go. And then the courage to follow it there. Even if it doesn’t immediately make sense as a career, or if people look at you like you are weird. Following genuine fascinations is how careers are made. People go past the ordinary. They stay with problems longer. That’s why Einstein said, “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”

He made connections people missed because he turned his fascinations over and over in his head longer. For years, while everyone else moved on. Interest, then become obsession, which can unlock “specific knowledge.”

Follow your “fascinations” like Feynman. Let your interest be as deep as possible, and your reactions to the thing that interests you be as far as possible friendly rather than hostile.

Boredom is choice, not a condition.

“Obsessions are the only things that matter.”― Patricia Highsmith

The soul that sees beauty may sometimes walk alone.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Loneliness is proof that your innate search for connection is intact.
Martha Beck

The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.
Michel de Montaigne

Every single human being who is alive has felt this kind of pain, hopelessness, and loneliness at one time or another. We are all connected through this shared pain and struggle. We feel alone, and in this we are connected.
Leo Babauta

The loneliness you feel is actually an opportunity to reconnect with others and yourself.
Maxime Lagacé

Ordinary men hate solitude. But the Master makes use of it, embracing his aloneness, realizing he is one with the whole universe.
Laozi

We can all fight against loneliness by engaging in random acts of kindness.
Gail Honeyman

A season of loneliness and isolation is when the caterpillar gets its wings. Remember that next time you feel alone.
Mandy Hale

Although I am a typical loner in my daily life, my awareness of belonging to the invisible community of those who strive for truth, beauty, and justice has prevented me from feelings of isolation.
Albert Einstein

All great and precious things are lonely.
John Steinbeck

Romanticize the actions that you take for yourself. Acknowledge your desires and turn them into something better than your imagination. It’s all about making an effort for yourself.
Renuka Gavrani

There’s nothing abnormal about loneliness.
Terry Howard

The man who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The man who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been before.
Francis Phillip Wernig

I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being!
Hafiz

Humans evolved as a social species. From an evolutionary perspective, we are better off acting and moving together, whether to hunt, to keep the peace, to teach, or to protect ourselves from threats. Our social groups have always benefited from coordination and collective action, which is easier to achieve with the presence of a strong leader.

Great leaders have emerged throughout history, from Mahatma Gandhi to George Washington, Queen Elizabeth I, Winston Churchill, and Nelson Mandela. Regardless of when they lived, they often shared similar characteristics: resilience, confidence, and the ability to clearly communicate their vision. These traits made them effective leaders, able to inspire their followers and create something stronger than the sum of its parts.

Now, perhaps more than ever, strong leadership is increasingly about integrity, accountability, and empathy. It’s also about empowering those who look to you, so that one day they too will be ready to lead. As the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, "To lead people, walk behind them."

The following quotes come from respected leaders in various fields, including civil rights activists, media moguls, politicians, and entrepreneurs.

A leader … is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.
Nelson Mandela

If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.
Dolly Parton

The very essence of leadership is that you have a vision. It’s got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet.
Reverend Theodore Hesburgh

A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader. A great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.
Eleanor Roosevelt

The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.
Dwight D. Eisenhower

A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be.
Rosalynn Carter

Ultimately a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.
Martin Luther King Jr.

Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without strategy.
Norman Schwarzkopf

Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate to and connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives.
Oprah Winfrey

The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.
Jim Rohn

The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.
Ronald Reagan

Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.
Colin Powell

Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.
Jack Welch

Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It’s very easy to say yes.
Tony Blair

To be a good leader you have to be a great listener … No one has a monopoly on good ideas or good advice.
Richard Branson

The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have.
Sheryl Sandberg

The secret of leadership is simple: Do what you believe in. Paint a picture of the future. Go there. People will follow.
Seth Godin

Let the generations know that women in uniform also guaranteed their freedom.
Mary Edwards Walker, Civil War surgeon who was the first female surgeon in the U.S. Army and the only woman to ever receive the Medal of Honor

J.R.R. Tolkien, who fought at the Battle of the Somme during World War I

Liberty and freedom and democracy are so very precious that you do not fight to win them once — and then stop. Liberty and freedom and democracy are prizes awarded only to those peoples who fight to win them, and then keep fighting eternally to hold them.
Alvin York, sergeant and Medal of Honor recipient who was one of the most decorated U.S. Army soldiers of World War I

The soldier is the army. No army is better than its soldiers. The soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one's country.
George S. Patton, who fought in World War I and later became a general in the U.S. Army during World War II

People are very quick to ridicule others for showing fear. But we rarely know the secret springboards behind human action. The man who shows great fear today may be tomorrow's hero. Who are we to judge?
Audie Murphy, first lieutenant who became one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II

When I went to war in World War II, we had two fears. One was we would be killed. The other was that we might have to kill somebody.
Kurt Vonnegut, infantry intelligence scout who fought in the Battle of the Bulge and survived the firebombing of Dresden

Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.
John F. Kennedy, in his now-famous 1961 inaugural address

It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.
Norman Schwarzkopf, battalion commander in the Vietnam War and later commander of United States Central Command during the Gulf War

It doesn’t matter how tough things get, you’re tougher. Don’t give up on yourself. Let the others do that.
Bruce P. Crandall, U.S. Army colonel who received the Medal of Honor for his actions as a Bell Huey helicopter pilot during the Battle of Ia Drang in the Vietnam War

Whatever gains are secured, it is loss the veteran remembers most keenly. Only a fool or a fraud sentimentalizes the merciless reality of war.
John McCain, U.S. Navy captain during the Vietnam War and recipient of numerous military decorations

Throughout my life I've met plenty of superheroes, but the strongest and most effective among them were simply human and knew they weren't perfect. They were the men and women who, like my father, believed in their duty to country and sacrificed for others without hesitation.
Ann E. Dunwoody, Gulf War veteran who became the first female four-star general in U.S. military history

I earned the title "Marine," no one gave it to me. I’ll be proud of that as long as I’m alive.
Rob Riggle, actor and comedian who served in Liberia, Kosovo, Albania, and Afghanistan and attained the rank of lieutenant colonel

I didn’t go out to win the Medal of Honor. The only reason I got it is because I feared failing my brothers and my guys more than I feared death or dismemberment. So I did what I did to protect them.
Ty Carter, U.S. Army staff sergeant and Medal of Honor recipient for his actions during the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan

Every culture has its share of idioms and proverbs, messages that help to illuminate truths about their beliefs, customs, and ways of being. Technically speaking, a proverb is a short and pithy saying that gets at an elemental piece of advice ("Don’t cry over spilled milk"), whereas an idiom is a turn of phrase that uses a figure of speech to make a specific point ("They rubbed me the wrong way").

Japanese culture is rife with wisdom imparted in both forms; in fact, in Japan, proverbs are known as kotowaza, a term that was used in ancient Japan to refer to words conveyed by deities through oracles. Proverbs hold a particularly significant place within Japanese culture — they are thought to be wisdom passed down from the ancestors.

It’s worth noting that although there are many English phrases that can be used as rough translations for Japanese idioms and proverbs, there is often no direct equivalent, given that these aphorisms are so contextually and culturally dependent. For instance, the Japanese proverb "Nen ni wa nen o ireyo" has been translated into "Look before you leap," but a more literal translation of the phrase is "Put care into care," which is a considerably different sentiment than the English translation.

All the same, part of the joy of learning proverbs and idioms from other cultures is getting to understand language and seeing life lessons in a new light. Here are 10 wise Japanese sayings that offer up some small but important everyday reminders.

A man who chases two rabbits doesn’t deserve one.

The closest equivalent proverb in English is "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." In other words, it is best to focus on just one thing at a time, rather than have your attention scattered in multiple directions.

A mouth causes trouble.

There are many Japanese proverbs and idioms that extol the wonders of silence and stillness, and this is one of them. Roughly translated, the idiom refers to the idea that "silence is golden," or that sometimes talking too much can be a liability in certain situations.

To lose means to win.

This particular saying reveals a lot about Japanese cultural attitudes: The idea here is that sometimes the best way to gain the upper hand in a situation is to simply walk away. Some situations, in other words, just aren’t worth getting tangled up in.

You get what you deserve.

This straightforward proverb is not dissimilar from the English version, "You reap what you sow." In other words, you get out of life what you’re willing to put into it — so be sure to live life with kindness, openness, and generosity.

A frog in the well knows not the ocean.

This Japanese proverb is believed to have originated from a Chinese fable about a frog who spent his entire life in a well and who was then visited by a sea turtle from the ocean. The takeaway here is that we all have a limited view of the world, and that there is always, inevitably, more than we’re able to see or experience.

Love and a cough cannot be hidden.

Just as it is difficult to stifle a cough if you are sick, the saying goes, it is nearly impossible to hide your feelings when you love someone.

The nail that sticks out is struck.

Perhaps one of the most well-known Japanese proverbs, this saying flies in the face of Western logic, which prizes individualism. The quote instead encourages people to not stick out, to assimilate to their surroundings, and to think instead about how to be of best use to the collective good.

Not seeing is a flower.

Loosely translated into an English equivalent, this saying could also be construed as "Reality is never as good as your imagination." The point is that oftentimes, what we can conjure up in our minds is better than what we actually face in the real world.

Fall seven times, get up eight.

This Japanese proverb has been so commonly used and translated that it has essentially become a part of the English lexicon, the equivalent of "if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again." The saying leans into the importance of perseverance, of bouncing back after setbacks, no matter how many arise on the path toward success.

Dumplings over flowers.

This seemingly culturally specific saying is actually quite universal, extolling the virtues of a practical gift or object over one of beauty. The saying is so popular, in fact, that it's also the name of a Japanese drama based on a manga comic; fittingly, the story line follows a protagonist who doesn’t care for wealth or style, embracing the pragmatic parts of life instead.

About the Author
Joyce Chen is a writer, editor, and community builder based in Seattle, Washington.

Science, philosophy, and government all underwent upheavals during the Enlightenment era in Europe, which lasted from the late 1600s to the early 1800s. It was known at the time as a new "Age of Reason'' that centered rational thought above all else.

The Enlightenment was sparked by seminal works such as Isaac Newton’s Principia Mathematica, which introduced his laws of motion and gravity, and English philosopher John Locke’s essays on humans’ inherent right to freedom, which inspired Thomas Jefferson and other American revolutionaries in their pursuit of independence.

The great thinkers of the time took different stances on many topics, but largely upheld the importance of liberty, self-determination, and free thought over adherence to tradition. From this vantage point, they reimagined the individual's place in society and the universe. These shifts in perspective led more people to question established authority and power structures as well as the unity of church and state, and they were key drivers of the political transformation in France, America, and other regions.

From the widespread adoption of the scientific method to the U.S. Revolutionary War, the Enlightenment saw significant cultural changes and major advancements in human knowledge and understanding. Through the 12 quotes below, we learn what key Enlightenment thinkers had to say about freedom, truth, happiness, and other intangible and essential elements of life.

I think, therefore I am.
René Descartes
French mathematician and philosopher René Descartes was known for his rationalist system of thought.

John Locke was an English philosopher who argued that freedom is an ingrained human right.

French philosopher Denis Diderot was the driving force behind the Encyclopédie, an ambitious encyclopedia published in France.

Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing wonder and awe — the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.
Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher who believed in a supreme, uncompromising principle of morality.

There never was a good war or a bad peace.
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was a scientist, political philosopher, polymath, and U.S. Founding Father.

Of all the things that are beyond my power, I value nothing more highly than to be allowed the honor of entering into bonds of friendship with people who sincerely love truth.
Baruch Spinoza
Baruch Spinoza was a Dutch philosopher known for his biblical criticism and writings on ethical relativism.

Surely something resides in this heart that is not perishable, and life is more than a dream.
Mary Wollstonecraft
Mary Wollstonecraft was an English philosopher and women’s rights activist who famously wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.

Great things are achieved only when we take great risks.
Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II led his country during multiple wars, promoted religious tolerance, and established a German code of law while participating in the great philosophical debates of the day.

If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.
Isaac Newton
English scientist and philosopher Isaac Newton contributed significantly to humankind’s understanding of gravity, motion, and other laws of nature.

Genius is nothing else than a great aptitude for patience.
Georges-Louis Leclerc
Georges-Louis Leclerc was a French scientist and author who published extensive volumes of natural history.

A wise man's kingdom is his own breast.
David Hume
David Hume was a Scottish philosopher who, like other empiricists, believed all human knowledge was derived from direct experience.

The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time; the hand of force may destroy, but cannot disjoin them.
Thomas Jefferson,
Founding Father and third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson was also the principal author of the Declaration of Independence.

Mary Oliver received many accolades during her career, including the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1984 and the National Book Award in 1992. But her poetry went far beyond awards. Her poems were — and remain — loved by her loyal readers, who helped make her one of the bestselling poets in the United States.

The relative simplicity of Oliver’s poetry makes it accessible. It is neither highbrow nor pretentious, and so appeals to a wide audience. That’s not to say, however, that her poetry lacks depth or insight — far from it. Like one of her major literary influences, William Blake, Oliver explores big existential questions using simple language that nonetheless provides a depth of meaning.

The characters in Oliver’s poems, meanwhile, are rarely human. Instead, nature takes center stage, whether it be moss, geese, dogs, waves, or grasshoppers. Oliver was very much at one with nature, and was famous for her daily walks in the woods or along the coast or riverbank. Much of her poetry focuses on the intersection between the human world and the natural world; the poet Maxine Kumin said that Oliver’s poems stood on "the line between earth and sky, the thin membrane that separates human from what we loosely call animal." By paying attention to nature, Oliver was able to combine profound introspection with moments of sheer joy, while at the same time commenting on the human condition.

When Oliver passed away in 2019 at the age of 83, tributes poured in from across the globe, including from famous fans such as Maria Shriver, John Waters, and Hillary Clinton. Oliver left us with an amazing body of work, which, along with her infrequent interviews, has given us a treasure trove of quotes to remember her by.

The song you heard singing in the leaf when you were a child is singing still.

Animals praise a good day, a good hunt. They praise rain if they’re thirsty. That’s prayer. They don’t live an unconscious life, they simply have no language to talk about these things. But they are grateful for the good things that come along.

Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.

I said once, and I think this is true, the world did not have to be beautiful to work. But it is. What does that mean?

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

In this universe we are given two gifts: the ability to love, and the ability to ask questions. Which are, at the same time, the fires that warm us and the fires that scorch us.

Poetry is one of the ancient arts, and it begins as did all the fine arts, within the original wilderness of the earth.

You must not ever stop being whimsical. And you must not, ever, give anyone else the responsibility for your life.

People need to remember that there is always a family of things, especially when they haven’t got a good one of the usual kind.

If I have any lasting worth, it will be because I have tried to make people remember what the Earth is meant to look like.

The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time.#

If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it.

You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.

One thing I do know is that poetry, to be understood, must be clear. It mustn't be fancy. I have the feeling that a lot of poets writing now are, they sort of tap dance through it. I always feel that whatever isn't necessary shouldn't be in a poem.

The only record I broke in school was truancy.

Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this, too, was a gift.

What would the world be like without music or rivers or the green and tender grass? What would this world be like without dogs?

If God exists he isn’t just churches and mathematics. He’s the forest, He’s the desert. He’s the ice caps, that are dying. He’s the ghetto and the Museum of Fine Arts.

When it’s over, I want to say all my life I was a bride married to amazement.

Listen. Are you breathing just a little and calling it a life?#

About the Author
Tony is an English writer of non-fiction and fiction living on the edge of the Amazon jungle.

Life often tests us with moments that feel insurmountable. These challenges can come in many forms: personal setbacks, health problems, professional hurdles, or unexpected crises. What defines us in these moments is not the challenge itself, but our response to it — whether or not we give up when the going gets tough.

It’s these moments that require us to summon our inner strength. Endurance is like a quiet force that keeps us pushing forward when every fiber of our being wants to stop — much like a marathon runner pushing through impossible exhaustion for those last few miles. This endurance goes hand in hand with resilience, the art of weathering storms and emerging even stronger than before.

Reminding ourselves that setbacks are temporary and failure is just a detour on the larger path of our life is easier said than done, but giving up is not the answer. Endurance and resilience make for an indomitable spirit, one that will empower us to persevere, adapt, and never, ever give up.

Discipline is the bridge to what you desire. 

Sure I am of this, that you have only to endure to conquer.
Winston Churchill

The best way out is always through.
Robert Frost

No matter how much falls on us, we keep plowing ahead. That's the only way to keep the roads clear.
Greg Kincaid

When you’ve exhausted all possibilities, remember this: You haven’t!
Robert Schuller

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
Thomas Edison

Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat.
Ralph Ellison

I will either find a way, or make one.
Hannibal Barca

A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.
Christopher Reeve

I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.
Maya Angelou

Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it's less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you've lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that's good.
Elizabeth Edwards

The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won’t. It’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.
Barack Obama

The human capacity for burden is like bamboo — far more flexible than you'd ever believe at first glance
Jodi Picoult

The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.
Ernest Hemingway

Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.
Marie Curie

When you get into a tight place, and everything goes against you till it seems as if you couldn't hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that's just the place and time that the tide'll turn.
Harriet Beecher Stowe

About the Author
Nicole is a writer, thrift store lover, and group-chat meme spammer based in Ontario, Canada.

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” #PabloPicasso

“The mystery of human existence lies in not just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.” #FyodorDostoyevsky

“I can stand any pain as long as it has meaning.” #HarukiMurakami

“A wise man was asked, “What is the meaning of life?” He replied, “Life itself has no meaning. Life is an opportunity to create meaning.” Unknown

“Life is our most beautiful work of art. Paint it with joy, purpose, and passion. The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost.” #EleanorRoosevelt

"People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances without own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive." #JosephCampbell (The Power of Myth)

“The Meaning Of Life Is To Give It Meaning.” #ViktorFrankl

“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” #FriedrichNietzsche

"Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life. It is a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer." #JosephCampbell

“The only way to deal with this life meaningfully is find one’s passion and pursue it.” #SorenKierkegaard

To be the best version of yourself.

No reason, just find enjoyment.

A test for afterlife.

For the human experience. We are the universe experiencing itself.

To do good.


It has no inherent meaning or purpose. Which is great, because it means you get to give it one. I chose to make my children's lives better than mine and to try and help people. What matters to you? And how would you like to leave your mark on the universe?

No reason at all. We're simply expressions of some greater force not yet understood.

***

To reproduce and further humanity. We are but a drop in a great river that is humanity. Our purpose is to live and make that continue to grow. The way we do that is by living and continuing to grow. To be part of the never ending story.

Doing what you love is easier said than done. The things we love doing the most — spending time outdoors, traveling, falling down rabbit holes about obscure obsessions — are often not the kinds of things that help us pay the bills. But as any commencement speaker or  successful startup founder will tell you, pursuing your passions is one way to ensure you make the most of your life.

Passion is ultimately what keeps us going through hardships and helps imbue our day-to-day life with meaning and clarity. Without it, we can feel lost or frustrated; with it, anything is possible. Passion is the driving force behind success and happiness, and it pushes us to reach our fullest potential. Perhaps your passion is meeting new people, perfecting an age-old recipe, discovering emerging filmmakers, or teaching yourself how to code. Regardless of what you’re passionate about, there are always ways to pursue it, even if not in a professional capacity. In fact, turning a hobby into a hustle can sometimes dim the excitement we have for doing something just because we enjoy doing it.

If we can find other creative ways of integrating passion into our lives, though, everything else will fall into place. These 13 quotes serve as reminders of why it’s important to not only identify our passions but also actively pursue them. Everyone needs a North Star, after all.  If you haven’t yet identified your passion, try taking notice of what makes you feel alive and go from there.

You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you're not passionate enough from the start, you'll never stick it out.
Steve Jobs

What really matters to you? The fact that you’re alive means you’ve been given a reprieve to think deeply about that question. How will you use what matters in service to yourself, your community, and the world?
Oprah Winfrey

There is no passion to be found playing small — in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.
Nelson Mandela

What is passion? It is surely the becoming of a person. Are we not, for most of our lives, marking time? Most of our being is at rest, unlived. In passion, the body and the spirit seek expression outside of self. Passion is all that is other from self.
John Boorman

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.
Maya Angelou

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.
Walt Disney

If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.
T.D. Jakes

If you don’t love what you do, you won’t do it with much conviction or passion.
Mia Hamm

Without passion man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth its spark.
Henri-Frédéric Amiel

I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.
Albert Einstein

Publius Vergilius Maro, better known as Virgil, was an ancient Roman poet and a true heavyweight when it comes to quotability. His three major poems — the "Eclogues," the "Georgics," and the epic "Aeneid" — gave us many popular phrases, including "time flies," "love conquers all," and "fortune favors the bold." His most famous poem, the "Aeneid," tells the tale of Aeneas, a Trojan who escaped the fall of Troy before — to cut a very long story short — making his way to Italy to ultimately become the ancestor of the Romans. Aeneas speaks the line, "Endure, and keep yourselves for days of happiness," in an effort to encourage his men after a series of encounters with monsters, whirlpools, and storms. Like so many of Virgil’s lines, it’s a beautiful and timeless sentiment, a call to hold out hope and persist in the face of challenges.

The process of self-reflection can help us discover why we feel, think, and act the way we do. By better understanding who we are and what we want, we can identify our values, develop a clear sense of purpose, and make the necessary changes to fulfill that purpose, leading to a greater sense of well-being.

Developing the ability to be self-reflective requires uninterrupted and sustained contemplation. Through meditative, mindful, and creative activities, we can learn to quiet our mind and turn our focus inward. Regular periods of introspection can guide us in strengthening our sense of identity and help us feel more in control of our lives. These insightful quotes demonstrate the importance of self-reflection in leading a happier, more enriching life.

It is always our own self that we find at the end of the journey. The sooner we face that self, the better.
Ella Maillart, travel writer


If these years have taught me anything it is this: you can never run away. Not ever. The only way out is in.
Junot Díaz, writer

Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.
Margaret Wheatley, writer

In the middle of the night, things well up from the past that are not always cause for rejoicing — the unsolved, the painful encounters, the mistakes, the reasons for shame or woe. But all, good or bad, give me food for thought, food to grow on.
May Sarton, poet and novelist

Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside dreams; who looks inside awakes.
Carl Jung, psychoanalyst

Self-reflection is a much kinder teacher than regret is.
Andrena Sawyer, business consultant

I had the urge to examine my life in another culture and move beyond what I knew.
Frances Mayes, writer

We cannot change what we are unaware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change.
Sheryl Sandberg, technology executive and writer

Education begins the gentleman, but reading, good company, and reflection must finish him.
John Locke, philosopher

Your treasure — your perfection — is within you already. But to claim it, you must leave the busy commotion of the mind and abandon the desires of the ego and enter into the silence of the heart.
Elizabeth Gilbert

Sadness can arise unexpectedly and linger longer than we might like. Sometimes it’s tied directly to an event or loss, and other times it seems to well up from deep inside, unbidden and unwelcome. We may have trouble sleeping or sleep too much. We may have no appetite or wind up emotionally eating. We can lose interest in activities that we usually enjoy.

The first step in processing sadness is to acknowledge that we’re feeling it, and that’s OK. Experts suggest doing little things to care for yourself, like taking a short walk or listening to music you love. Human connection can do wonders to lift our spirits, so don’t be afraid to reach out to people. If you find yourself overwhelmed by sadness and struggling with depression, don’t wait. We urge you to contact a professional or call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

The most important thing to remember about experiencing sadness is that you are not alone. Sadness is so common, in fact, that it is one of the seven universal emotions that everyone, in every culture, experiences — along with surprise, enjoyment, fear, disgust, contempt, and anger. Of course, its ubiquity doesn’t make it any less unpleasant. Collected here are 11 of our favorite quotes on sadness to remind you that we all feel down sometimes. This too shall pass.

You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.
Jonathan Safran Foer

We’re taught to be ashamed of confusion, anger, fear, and sadness, and to me, they’re of equal value to happiness, excitement, and inspiration.
Alanis Morrisette

The word "happy" would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.
Carl Jung

Tears are words that need to be written.
Paulo Coelho

When you’re happy you enjoy the music, but when you’re sad you understand the lyrics.
Frank Ocean

Experiencing sadness and anger can make you feel more creative, and by being creative you can get beyond your pain or negativity.
Yoko Ono

Your sadness is a gift. Don’t reject it. Don’t rush it. Live it fully and use it as fuel to change and grow.
Maxime Lagacé

Some days are just bad days, that’s all. You have to experience sadness to know happiness, and I remind myself that not every day is going to be a good day, that’s just the way it is!
Dita Von Teese

The good life is not one immune to sadness but one in which suffering contributes to our development.
Alain de Botton

Boredom, anger, sadness, or fear are not "yours," not personal. They are conditions of the human mind. They come and go. Nothing that comes and goes is you.
Eckhart Tolle

What brings us to tears, will lead us to grace. Our pain is never wasted.
Bob Goff

Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look there.
Marcus Aurelius

Although men are accused for not knowing their own weakness, yet perhaps as few know their own strength. It is, in men as in soils, where sometimes there is a vein of gold which the owner knows not of.
Jonathan Swift

By fighting the difficulties in which one finds oneself, an inner strength develops from within our heart, which improves in life’s fight.
Vincent Van Gogh

Go within every day and find the inner strength so that the world will not blow your candle out.
Katherine Dunham

The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.
Ernest Hemingway

I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within. It is there all the time.
Anna Freud


As you seek the inner strength that helps you not only to endure but to overcome, do not look for what you can get, but for what you have been given, and for what you can give.
Peter J. Gomes


At times to think of one’s outer helplessness is good, but to think always of one’s inner strength is infinitely better.
Sri Chinmoy

From separation and loss, I have learned a lot. I have become strong and resilient, as is the case of almost every human being exposed to life and to the world. We don't even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward.
Isabel Allende

Trying to impose the past on the present will never wipe out the threat of being hurt. That happens only when you find the security of your own being, which is love. Motivated by the truth inside you, you can face any threat because your inner strength is invulnerable to fear.
Deepak Chopra


You build inner strength through embracing the totality of your experience, both the delightful parts and the difficult parts.
Pema Chödrön

The only way to affect outcomes and thrive in our lives, is to find the eye in the hurricane, and act from that place of inner strength.
Arianna Huffington

If you're willing to put yourself and your dreams on the line, at the very least you'll discover an inner strength you may not have known existed.
Kurt Warner

The strength you've insisted on assigning to others is actually within yourself.
Lisa Alther

You really have to look inside yourself and find your own inner strength, and say, "I’m proud of what I am and who I am, and I'm just going to be myself."
Mariah Carey

Staying motivated at work can be difficult. The distractions are many, and even when the passion is there, work can feel exhausting when there isn’t enough time or resources to get everything done. But what if the key to staying motivated isn’t to just grin and get through it, but to dig deeper and remember the reason why you’re doing that work in the first place?

The five-day, 40-hour workweek hasn’t actually been the standard for that long: During the Great Depression in the early 1930s, President Herbert Hoover called for a reduction in labor to avoid mass layoffs nationwide. Then, in 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act, formally establishing the five-day, 40-hour workweek as we know it. The problem is that even though technology has become more advanced in the decades since, employees continue to work the same, if not longer, hours, with boredom or burnout being the inevitable byproducts.

But distraction and depletion don’t have to be the norm. Every person has loads to contribute to the greater good, even if individual tasks can seem small. And sometimes, remembering the bigger picture can pull us out of work-related ruts.




Whenever I feel bad, I use that feeling to motivate me to work harder. I only allow myself one day to feel sorry for myself. When I’m not feeling my best, I ask myself, "What are you gonna do about it?" I use the negativity to fuel the transformation into a better me.
Beyoncé Knowles


Success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.
Michelle Obama

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.
Robert Louis Stevenson

Whatever you do, do it with all your might. Work at it, early and late, in season and out of season, not leaving a stone unturned, and never deferring for a single hour that which can be done just as well now.
Margaret Fuller

Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.
Martin Luther King Jr.

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.
Unknown (often attributed to Mark Twain or Agatha Christie)

It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials.
Bruce Lee

Dreams are lovely but they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral, pretty. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change.
Shonda Rhimes

Do not whine … do not complain. Work harder. Spend more time alone.
Joan Didion

You’re going to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.
George Lorimer

When someone tells me "no," it doesn’t mean I can’t do it, it simply means I can’t do it with them.
Karen E. Quinones Miller

Never allow a person to say no who doesn’t have the power to say yes.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.
Yoda

Lucille Ball was a trailblazer in every sense of the word. The red-headed actress is perhaps best known for her role as klutzy, accident-prone Lucy Ricardo from the 1950s hit series I Love Lucy, but the New York native’s long list of accomplishments extends well beyond her talents on screen.

The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.

In life, all good things come hard, but wisdom is the hardest to come by.

One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.

I think knowing what you cannot do is more important than knowing what you can.

Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.

I don’t know how to tell a joke. I never tell jokes. I can tell stories that happened to me… anecdotes. But never a joke.

It’s a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy.

I cured myself of shyness when it finally occurred to me that people didn’t think about me half as much as I gave them credit for. The truth was, nobody gave a damn… When I stopped being prisoner to what I worried was others’ opinions of me, I became more confident and free.

A man who correctly guesses a woman’s age may be smart, but he’s not very bright.

Luck? I don’t know anything about luck. I’ve never banked on it and I’m afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: hard work — and realizing what is an opportunity and what isn’t.

I’d rather regret the things I have done than the things that I haven’t.

Use a makeup table with everything close at hand and don’t rush; otherwise you’ll look like a patchwork quilt.

Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead.

Things said in embarrassment and anger are seldom the truth.

You won't be happy, whatever you do, unless you're comfortable with your own conscience.

Children internalize their parents' unhappiness. Fortunately, they absorb our contentment just as readily.

Life takes guts.

If they’ve tried to make you feel you’re different from them, you are. That’s a good way to be.
Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks)

Make it simple, but significant.
Don Draper (Jon Hamm)

Dissatisfaction is a symptom of ambition. It’s the coal that fuels the fire.
Trudy Campbell (Alison Brie) #

People will show you who they are, but we ignore it because we want them to be who we want them to be.
Don Draper (Jon Hamm)

We're flawed because we want so much more. We're ruined because we get these things and wish for what we had.
Don Draper (Jon Hamm) #

She was born in 1898 in a barn. She died on the 37th floor of a skyscraper. She's an astronaut.
Bert Cooper (Robert Morse)

At some point, we’ve all parked in the wrong garage.
Roger Sterling (John Slattery)

For a lot of people, love isn’t just a slogan.
Rachel Menken (Maggie Siff) #

Young men love risk because they can’t imagine the consequences.
Bert Cooper (Robert Morse) #

One never knows how loyalty is born.

You're painting a masterpiece, make sure to hide the brushstrokes.
Betty Draper (January Jones)

You think you’re going to begin your life over and do it right, but what if you never get past the beginning again?
Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser)

Because I want love. And I’d rather die hoping that happens than make some arrangement. And you should too.

Just think about it deeply, then forget it, and an idea will jump up in your face.

You know what happiness is? Happiness is the smell of a new car. It's freedom from fear. It's a billboard on the side of the road that screams reassurance that whatever you are doing is okay. You are okay.
Don Draper (Jon Hamm)

You’re never gonna get that corner office until you start treating Don as an equal. And no one will tell you this, but you can’t be a man. Don’t even try. Be a woman. Powerful business when done correctly.
Bobbie Barrett (Melinda McGraw)

If you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation.
Don Draper (Jon Hamm)  #

That’s life. One minute you’re on top of the world, the next minute some secretary’s running you over with a lawn mower.
Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks) #

You’re going to have a lot of first kisses. You’re going to want it to be special, so you’ll remember. It’s where you go from being a stranger to knowing someone.

You want some respect? Go out and get it for yourself.
Don Draper (Jon Hamm)

I know what I’m supposed to want, but it just never feels right or as important as anything in that office.
Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss)

Change is neither good nor bad. It simply is.

Starting a new chapter in life can be scary and exhilarating all at once. It represents a departure from the familiar and a leap into the unknown. The uncertainty is very real, but it can also create a chance for personal growth and transformation. Retirement is a new chapter that may have us saying, "Now what?" But if we look at it the right way, it’s another chance for adventure and self-discovery.

The beauty of retirement lies in the blank canvas it offers. It's an opportunity to redefine ourselves, embrace new experiences and perspectives, chase dreams, and pursue passions. It’s the perfect time to reassess our values and aspirations, while at the same time allowing space for rest in a time of transition.

Though embarking on a new journey may be daunting, it’s also full of hope. Read these quotes and remember  to embrace the fear, revel in the beauty, and seize the opportunity — to "nourish beginnings," as poet Muriel Rukeyser wrote.

There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.
C.S. Lewis

Celebrate endings — for they precede new beginnings.
Jonathan Lockwood Huie

To rid yourself of old patterns, focus all your energy not on struggling with the old, but on building the new.
Dan Millman

The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.
Arthur C. Clarke

Change can be scary, but you know what’s scarier? Allowing fear to stop you from growing, evolving, and progressing.
Mandy Hale

Retirement is a blank sheet of paper. It is a chance to redesign your life into something new and different.
Patrick Foley

There will come a time when you believe everything is finished; that will be the beginning.
Louis L’Amour

There is a whole new kind of life ahead, full of experiences just waiting to happen. Some call it "retirement." I call it bliss.
Betty Sullivan

Retirement gives you the time literally to recreate yourself through a sport, game, or hobby that you always wanted to try or that you haven’t done in years.
Steven D. Price

Nourish beginnings, let us nourish beginnings. / Not all things are blest, but the / seeds of all things are blest. / The blessing is in the seed.
Muriel Rukeyser

Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.
Fred Rogers

I see retirement as just another of these reinventions, another chance to do new things and be a new version of myself.
Walt Mossberg

Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it.
André Gide, French author

You can’t depend on your judgment when your imagination is out of focus.
Mark Twain

If you’re alive, you’re a creative person.
Elizabeth Gilbert, writer

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.
Will Durant, historian and philosopher

You often meet your fate on the road you take to avoid it.
Goldie Hawn, actress

I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.
Albert Einstein

Accept — then act. Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it. Make it your friend and ally, not your enemy. This will miraculously transform your whole life.
Eckhart Tolle, spiritual teacher

What people in the world think of you is really none of your business.
Martha Graham, dancer/choreographer

If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not making decisions.
Catherine Cook, entrepreneur

Quotes That Epitomize Every Myers-Briggs Type
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a personality test designed to help people understand how they and others perceive and judge the world. It is one of the most widely used and studied psychological tools today. Once a person completes the test, they are categorized as one of 16 types, each named with four letters, such as "ESTJ" or "INFP." Millions of people have taken the survey to find out which "type" best describes themselves.

Carl Gustav Jung, a 20th-century Swiss psychiatrist, came up with the theory of personality types in the 1920s. Isabel Briggs Myers, a student of political science, and her mother, Katharine Cook Briggs, sought to make Jung’s complex theories more accessible and useful to the public.

In the 1940s, they developed the first Myers-Briggs personality inventories, and began to test and refine them, publishing the first version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in 1962. Today, this assessment has been used as a self-reflection tool and interpersonal guide across many realms, from work and relationships to creative pursuits and more.

Drawing on Jung's work, the Myers-Briggs system proposes that the way in which people’s different worldviews guide their behavior can be systematically identified and described. The approach uses four categories:

"Favorite world," or how one focuses their attention (introversion [I] or extroversion [E])
"Information," or how one takes in and/or interprets information (sensing [S] or intuition [N])
"Decisions," or how one makes decisions (thinking [T] or feeling [F])
"Structure," or how one deals with the outside world and external input (judging [J] or perceiving [P])
Many people use psychological tests to gain a new perspective on how they and others perceive and respond to the world. This kind of self-knowledge can help us appreciate our strengths and also identify areas for possible experimentation and growth. And learning how others approach life can help us better understand their preferences and behaviors so we can forge deeper connections.

The Myers-Briggs Foundation shares several resources that explain how to take the assessment. It also states that all types are equal, pointing out that "there is no best type." Below are 16 quotes that epitomize every Myers-Briggs type.

ISTJ
Diligence is the mother of good fortune, and idleness — its opposite — never brought a man to the goal of any of his best wishes.
Miguel de Cervantes   #

According to the Myers-Briggs Foundation, ISTJs tend to be logical, responsible, and steady-working. They value order, tradition, loyalty, and realism.

ISFJ
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.   #
Aesop

An ISFJ, at times known as "the protector," is considerate, detail-oriented, reliable, and empathetic. They value balance and harmony in their relationships and environment.

INFJ
Know thyself.
Ancient Greek saying

INFJs are clear about their own values, organized, and passionate. They are insightful about human motivations and decisive in how to serve the common good.

INTJ
No one can lead you. You are born to be aware of yourself, to know the master in yourself.
Benjamin Creme

INTJs are said to be ambitious free-thinkers with high standards for themselves and other people. They are independent by nature and excel in seeing the big picture and executing their visions.

ISTP
A problem thoroughly understood is always fairly simple.
Charles Kettering

ISTPs are flexible and logical. They are interested in how things work, and patterns of cause and effect. They are motivated to solve problems efficiently, and value practical resolutions.

ISFP
Peace is every step: The path of mindfulness in everyday life.
Thích Nhất Hạnh

ISFPs are sensitive, free-spirited, and tuned into the present moment. They work best with organic parameters, are loyal and kind, and prefer to avoid conflicts.

INFP
The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle.
Steve Jobs

A person with an INFP personality type is idealistic, curious, and motivated to help themselves and others live fulfilling, meaningful lives. They are fiercely loyal to their values and loved ones, and desire external experiences that align with their beliefs.

INTP
Lots of people don’t like coping with logic when it dictates hard decisions. That’s a problem with people, not logic.
Cory Doctorow

An INTP is a thinker; they value logic and focused analysis, and tend to have a quiet temperament. They are abstract and skeptical philosophers and problem-solvers.

ESTP
A man who waits to believe in action before acting is anything you like, but he’s not a man of action. It is as if a tennis player, before returning a ball, stopped to think about his views of the physical and mental advantages of tennis. You must act as you breathe.
Georges Clemenceau

ESTPs are pragmatic, high-energy, and action-oriented. They shy away from theory, learn by doing, and often excel at persuasion. They enjoy comfort, style, and connecting with others in the here and now.

ESFP
Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird.
Anthony Robbins

ESFPs are spontaneous, exuberant, and loving. They enjoy group projects, meeting and connecting with people, and trying new things. They tend to rely on common sense, inspire others to action, and excel at having fun.

ENFP
For many things we can find substitutes, but there is not now, nor will there ever be, a substitute for creative thought.
Crawford Greenewalt

A person who is an ENFP is imaginative, enthusiastic, and warm, and generally has an open mind and positive outlook. They like to give and receive affirmation. They are flexible, creative thinkers, and natural innovators.

ENTP
My mind rebels at stagnation … I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

ENTPs are quick-witted, resourceful, and outspoken. They enjoy conceptual analysis and debates, are able to come up with novel approaches and solutions to dilemmas, and are easily bored by repetitive experiences.

ESTJ
I set another goal … a reasonable, manageable goal that I could realistically achieve if I worked hard enough. I approached everything step by step.
Michael Jordan

ESTJs are frank, organized, and efficient in planning and directing projects. They value logic, expediency, realism, and productivity.

ESFJ
Love thy neighbor.
Jesus of Nazareth

An ESFJ type is often drawn to caregiving roles; they like to work with others and to help people meet their needs. They are warm, peace-building, and loyal, and they desire to be appreciated.

ENFJ
I have a dream this afternoon that the brotherhood of man will become a reality in this day. And with this faith, I will go out and carve a tunnel of hope through the mountain of despair. With this faith, I will go out with you and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows.
Martin Luther King Jr.

ENFJs are giving, inspiring, dedicated leaders. They are sociable, loyal, and sensitive to others’ needs. They can see the potential for good in everyone.

ENTJ
I learned how important it is to lead and be decisive, and to, in a way, empower other people to do their best.
Anna Wintour

A person with an ENTJ personality type has a commanding presence and easily leads. They are confident planners and problem-solvers.

In our busy and stressful modern world, it can be easy to forget to slow down and acknowledge the bounties that many of us already possess, such as shelter, food, and love. In our efforts to achieve and progress, we may, at times, succumb to pessimism, and lose sight of these simpler and more essential gifts.

Practicing grateful thinking helps us turn our attention away from negativity and towards what is working in our lives, and how far we have come on our journey. This approach can lighten and brighten our outlook, releasing the pressure of constant worry and effort.

While setting goals is natural, gratitude balances this urge with the inherent message that we have and are enough. Gratitude allows us to rest and feel contentment and joy in the present.

We can develop our capacity for appreciation by starting a gratitude journal or simply taking a few minutes each day to reflect on all the good in our life. We may feel grateful for a sunny afternoon, steady employment, a loved one’s help, or a game of fetch with our dog. Focusing on these gifts can have a powerful and even transformative effect on our lives. Here are 11 quotes on the importance of giving thanks.

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.
Cicero

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
Melody Beattie

Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer.
Maya Angelou

Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.
Eckhart Tolle

Nine-tenths of wisdom is appreciation. Go find somebody's hand and squeeze it, while there's time.
Dale Dauten

Your bounty is beyond my speaking. But though my mouth be dumb, my heart shall thank you.
Nicholas Rowe

Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.
Karl Barth

O Lord that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness!
William Shakespeare

When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.
Willie Nelson

I know for sure that appreciating whatever shows up for you in life changes your personal vibration. You radiate and generate more goodness for yourself when you're aware of all you have and not focusing on your have-nots.
Oprah Winfrey

I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.
Henry David Thoreau

About the Author
Joyce Chen is a writer, editor, and community builder based in Seattle, Washington.

As humans, we love to classify things; it’s our way of understanding the world in manageable pieces. When it comes to people, we really love to categorize individuals into personality types so that we can better understand how they tick and how to interact with them.

Hence, the Enneagram personality model, which was introduced to the modern world by philosopher and teacher George Gurdjieff in 1915. (Its roots date back even earlier, though the exact origins are disputed.)

The term "Enneagram" stems from the Greek words ennéa, meaning "nine," and grámma, meaning "written" or "drawn." The model is based around a collection of nine different but interconnected personality types. The Enneagram theory discerns between a "healthy" and "unhealthy" version of each type, with a wide spectrum in between offering a path to self-improvement.

In modern times, the Enneagram is often used in business, leadership, and spiritual settings to help people gain a better understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses. Generally speaking, though, it is not widely accepted as an actual scientific "diagnosis." Rather, it’s a self-help tool that can be used as a jumping-off point for exploration, inspiring us to think more deeply about ourselves and our relationships with others.

Though many different names are attributed to each of the nine personality types, for purposes of consistency, we will use the names given to each type by The Enneagram Institute: The Reformer, The Helper, The Achiever, The Individualist, The Investigator, The Loyalist, The Enthusiast, The Challenger, and The Peacemaker. Below, we’ve compiled some meaningful quotes that touch upon key traits for each type.

TYPE ONE: THE REFORMER
The most dangerous way we sabotage ourselves is by waiting for the perfect moment to begin. Nothing works perfectly the first time, or the first 50 times. Everything has a learning curve. The beginning is just that — a beginning. Surrender your desire to do it flawlessly on the first try. It's not possible. Learn to learn. Learn to fail. Learn to learn from failing. And begin today. Begin now. Stop waiting.
Vironika Tugaleva

Enneagram Type 1 is perhaps also known as "the Perfectionist." Those who fall into this Enneagram type tend to have lofty goals and strict moral codes that help guide their decision-making and ambitions. They also often have a deep sense of moral obligation to be the best person they can be in order to serve others — For instance, examples of well-known Enneagram Type 1s include Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Michelle Obama.

An issue many Type 1s face is being their own worst critic and constantly trying to be seen as the responsible or reliable one of a group, even as they have roiling emotions and passions they’re trying to tamp down. One important thing for Type 1s to remember, then, is that not everything has to be perfect all the time, and it’s OK to allow room for mistakes and setbacks.

TYPE TWO: THE HELPER
Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty.
Albert Einstein

When it comes to Enneagram Type 2s, life begins and ends with love: love for family, for friends, and for strangers. Compassion and generosity are at the root of a Type 2’s decision-making, and help guide the relationships they build throughout their lives. A Type 2 thrives when serving others, with the tiny caveat that they oftentimes want others to acknowledge their selflessness, too.

Enneagram Type 2 individuals are warm in part because they care a lot about people, and in part because they crave the feeling of being needed; their sense of self is very much tied to others’ gratitude and approval. Famous individuals who are Enneagram Type 2s include Stevie Wonder, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Desmond Tutu.

TYPE THREE: THE ACHIEVER
Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.
Seth Godin

There is no task too large for the Enneagram Type 3. Individuals who identify most strongly with this type tend to be goal-oriented, charismatic, driven, and accomplished from an early age. They often have magnetic personalities and lean heavily on others’ perceptions of them as role models to dictate who they want to be. As a result, however, they can get lost in a blur of constant doing instead of just being.

Enneagram Type 3s are sometimes characterized as workaholics or overachievers who want to impress their peers, even at the expense of their own health and well-being. Examples of famous Type 3s include Truman Capote, Will Smith, and Ryan Seacrest, all of whom were/are known for their busy social calendars and many achievements.

TYPE FOUR: THE INDIVIDUALIST
Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.
Rainer Maria Rilke

Those who identify with Enneagram Type 4, otherwise known as "the Romantic," are creative spirits to the bone. They are highly sensitive, self-aware, and emotionally honest, sometimes to a fault — a problem some Enneagram Type 4 individuals have is wallowing in self pity or constantly feeling like an outsider looking in.

But it should be noted that Enneagram Type 4s' individuality is also their biggest asset: They love being surrounded by beautiful things, and very much prize creation over consumption. Case in point: Famous Enneagram Type 4s include Stevie Nicks, Miles Davis, Virginia Wolfe, and Frida Kahlo. Type 4s are also particularly well-equipped to handle grief, which makes sense, given how much creativity can arise from sadness.

TYPE FIVE: THE INVESTIGATOR
Do stuff. Be clenched, curious. Not waiting for inspiration’s shove or society’s kiss on your forehead. Pay attention. It’s all about paying attention. Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager.
Susan Sontag

Of the nine Enneagram types, those who are Type 5 are perhaps most driven by the pursuit of knowledge. Individuals who most strongly identify with this type aren’t satisfied with the status quo, and always want to know why something is the way it is, digging deep into the scaffolding of society to find answers for their many questions.

Type 5s are innovative and have the potential to be true visionaries — famous individuals include Albert Einstein, Jane Goodall, Mark Zuckerberg, and Georgia O’Keeffe. The proclivity for eccentricity runs so rampant among Type 5s, in fact, that they often reject easy answers to their queries, preferring to be challenged intellectually with more complex solutions. As a result, they are insatiably curious, and spend much of their life gathering knowledge.

TYPE SIX: THE LOYALIST
Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.
Oprah Winfrey

Enneagram Type 6 individuals are all about planning ahead, especially when it comes to social situations. Alert, perceptive, and responsible, Type 6s want to do the most to avoid being caught off-guard, and this includes surrounding themselves with loyal, loving friends and family.

Safety and security are huge motivators for those who are a Type 6, and this manifests itself in a certain kind of "hunkering down" when it comes to ideas, lifestyle choices, and beliefs. Well-known Type 6s include Spike Lee, Marilyn Monroe, Jennifer Aniston, and Mike Tyson. Type 6’s relationships very much revolve around trust and guidance, but once earned, that individual will be a loyal friend for life.

TYPE SEVEN: THE ENTHUSIAST
The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.
Eleanor Roosevelt

There is so much to love about life when you’re an Enneagram Type 7. Ruled by optimism, ideas, and spontaneity, Type 7s are very carpe diem about the brief time we all have on this earth, and they want to maximize their experiences in every sense of the word.

Type 7s are impulsive and enthusiastic, and their excitement for life is infectious. They feel most alive when they’re in pursuit of a new idea or spearheading a new project, but as a result, they often need constant mental stimulation, and the less endearing reality is that their pursuit of novelty may be an exhausting, never-ending one. Famous Type 7s include Joe Biden, Britney Spears, Robin Williams, and Amelia Earhart.

TYPE EIGHT: THE CHALLENGER
With confidence, you have won before you have started.
Marcus Garvey

If Enneagram Type 8 individuals were a horoscope sign, they would undoubtedly be Leos: confident, assertive, and fierce. Those who identify most with Type 8 are natural leaders, and are unafraid to speak their mind in defense of their beliefs. They are protective of those closest to them as well, and prize independence and endurance.

With their natural leadership skills, Enneagram Type 8s are able to influence others easily, and often choose careers as politicians, lawyers, public speakers, and other forms of changemakers. Kamala Harris, Toni Morrison, Ernest Hemingway, and Clint Eastwood are all Type 8s. One of Type 8’s weaknesses, however, is never wanting to show weakness or vulnerability, which can ultimately lead to feelings of frustration and being misunderstood.

TYPE NINE: THE PEACEMAKER
Don’t hope that events will turn out the way you want, welcome events in whichever way they happen: this is the path to peace.
Epictetus

Of all the nine Enneagram types, Type 9 individuals are perhaps the most spiritual. Driven by peace — both within themselves and with those around them — Type 9s are averse to conflict and therefore have a more go-with-the-flow attitude. This is not to say, however, that Type 9s are pushovers. They can also be very stubborn, and will push back if provoked, though oftentimes in a passive-aggressive manner.

Individuals who identify with this type make great mediators, but often have to work to prioritize their own boundaries and beliefs over stronger personality types. Famous Type 9s include Carl Jung, Audrey Hepburn, and Gloria Steinem.

What is the meaning of life? What is my fundamental purpose? Why do I exist? If you’ve ever found yourself pondering such questions, you’ve been dabbling in existentialist philosophy. The concept, however, is not easy to define. It can take diverse and sometimes contrasting directions — and many of the major names in existentialism, including Albert Camus and Martin Heidegger, didn’t even accept the label.

Existentialism has its roots in the 19th century, with the philosophers Søren Kierkegaard in Denmark and Friedrich Nietzsche in Germany, as well as the Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky. These great thinkers were critical of rationalism and its adherence to pure reason, and instead focused on the question of meaning. One of the earliest statements of existentialist thought comes from a journal entry written by Kierkegaard in 1835: "What I really need is to get clear about what I must do, not what I must know… the crucial thing is to find a truth which is truth for me, to find the idea for which I am willing to live and die."

Existentialism flourished in Europe from around 1930 to the mid-20th century, championed by the likes of Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Simone de Beauvoir, a trio whose frequent meetings in Parisian cafés have become the stuff of literary legend. And while many of the leading existentialists of the 20th century disagreed about its tenets, there are certain shared elements that form the foundation of existentialism today.

We determine our own lives
Existentialism argues that we are defined by our existence as humans, and are responsible for finding meaning in our own individual lives. In existentialism, no omnipotent being or force determines a person’s life; rather, it’s up to each individual to set the course through our actions and decisions. We can see how this idea has been passed down through decades of existential thought in this quote, which first appeared in Dostoevsky’s ​​philosophical novel The Brothers Karamazov in 1880 and, in 1945, was used as an epigraph by Simone de Beauvoir: "Each of us is responsible for everything and to every human being." Or, as Sartre put it: "There is no traced-out path to lead man to his salvation; he must constantly invent his own path. But, to invent it, he is free, responsible, without excuse, and every hope lies within him."

Existential dread
The flip side of all this individual freedom and responsibility is that it can easily give rise to existential dread, also known as existential angst, anxiety, or anguish — or, in a modern psychological sense, an existential crisis. This arises from the search for meaning in life and confusion around our personal purpose. "Man is condemned to be free," wrote Sartre, "because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does." This freedom can give rise to the dreaded questions of whether life actually has meaning at all, and, if not, why do we go on living? In his 1942 essay The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus posed the disconcerting notion that "judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy."

The absurd
Another central tenet of existentialism is absurdity — specifically, the absurdity of searching for answers in an answerless world. Take one of the most famous opening sentences in literature: "As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect." The line is fantastic and surreal, but beneath the strangeness of Franz Kafka’s famous short story, "The Metamorphosis," lies an exploration of alienation and existential anxiety. For Kafka, the human condition is beyond tragic or depressed: It is absurd. Camus, meanwhile, argued that absurdity arises when an individual’s search for order clashes with the world’s inherent lack of order. This is not necessarily a bad thing if we have the courage to accept it, Camus suggested: "Accepting the absurdity of everything around us is one step, a necessary experience: it should not become a dead end. It arouses a revolt that can become fruitful."

What about God?
Existentialism can be atheistic, theological, or agnostic. Kierkegaard was intensely religious, despite at times struggling with what that meant, and Paul Tillich was a devout Christian existentialist philosopher. Nietzsche, on the other hand, famously proclaimed that "God is dead," while Sartre and De Beauvoir were radical humanist atheists. For the existentialists, the freedom of choice to believe or not to believe was more important than faith itself. Sartre saw belief in God as a non-issue: "Existentialism isn’t so atheistic that it wears itself out showing that God doesn’t exist. Rather, it declares that even if God did exist, that would change nothing."

What is the meaning of life?
Existentialism cannot tell us the meaning of life. But if, as they say, we have been thrown into an absurd world, then the existentialists ask us to consider why, by exploring the meaning, purpose, and value of human existence. The philosophy also challenges us to strive for authenticity — to be true to ourselves. The concept of authenticity can vary from one existential philosopher to the next but, generally speaking, inauthenticity involves a form of social conformism and "bad faith," whereas authenticity requires the individual to own up to their own existence, to accept it and take responsibility for it. This can lead to angst and alienation, but these are accepted as an integral part of authentic living.

As for the conclusions of the existentialist philosophers? Well, they are rarely set in stone, like existentialism itself. In Sartre’s Nausea, the main theme is that "existence precedes essence" — that humans do not possess any inherent identity or value, but rather create it themselves as individuals. In Camus’ The Stranger, we see the nakedness of man faced with the absurd. And in Either/Or, Kierkegaard concludes that "there are two possible situations — one can either do this or that. My honest opinion and my friendly advice is this: do it or do not do it — you will regret both." So, again, don’t expect concrete answers from the existentialists. But perhaps we can take Kafka’s words here as a guidepost for how to think about life, by finding meaning in the simple fact of existence itself. In a heartbreaking letter to his abusive father — a letter his father never even read — Kafka wrote, "It is, after all, not necessary to fly right into the middle of the sun, but it is necessary to crawl to a clean little spot on Earth where the sun sometimes shines and one can warm oneself a little."

About the Author
Tony Dunnell is an English writer of non-fiction and fiction living on the edge of the Amazon jungle.

One of the most influential thinkers of the modern era, Friedrich Nietzsche was a German philosopher whose work, an early example of existentialism, explored the meaning of the human experience. Nietzsche believed in the importance of individualism and self-expression; he often challenged traditional morality and societal norms, and espoused the pursuit of personal excellence.

Born in 1844, Nietzsche grew up with his mother and younger sister, after his father and younger brother died within six months of each other when Nietzsche was just 5 years old. He began composing songs at age 14 — a creative discipline that would inform his life and work — and went on to study classical philology (the study of language and literature) at Germany’s University of Bonn.

At 24 years old, without a doctorate or teaching certificate, Nietzsche was put forward to be the professor of classical philology at Switzerland’s University of Basel in Switzerland — the youngest person to ever hold the chair.

Nietzsche started publishing his influential works shortly after, including The Birth of Tragedy, Daybreak, Beyond Good and Evil, and his masterpiece, Thus Spoke Zarathustra. In his late 30s, however, his health began to decline, and in 1889, he experienced a mental health crisis that would effectively end his career. He spent the rest of his life in the care of his mother and, later, his sister, who went on to edit and publish many of the philosopher’s works after his death in 1900.

Nietzsche's work has had a profound influence on 20th-century thought, and continues to be debated and interpreted to this day. Here are 10 quotes to help distill the philosophy of Nietzsche and his visionary ideas.

What does not kill me, makes me stronger.

One of Nietzsche's more famous quotes is a confident affirmation of resilience. Facing and overcoming adversity can be a valuable learning experience. It not only makes a more capable and confident person, but will lead to one of Nietzsche's most-valued outcomes: personal growth and development.

You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.

Nietzsche often challenged the idea that there are absolute "right" and "wrong" ways to do things, notions that were tied to what he felt were outdated religious and moral ideals. Instead, in this translation from Thus Spoke Zarathustra, he emphasized the importance of personal freedom, encouraging people to explore their own ideas and paths, and to find their own way in life.

No one can construct for you the bridge upon which precisely you must cross the stream of life, no one but you yourself alone.

Again emphasizing individualism, Nietzsche tells us here that no one else can make decisions for us, solve our problems, or hand us our successes. It’s an empowering idea — reminding us not only that nothing worthwhile is easy, but that we have the power to shape our own destiny and overcome any obstacle — but it also carries the weight of responsibility.

If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.

It’s no secret that when we focus too much on negativity, it can have a profound effect on our own psyche, consuming our thoughts, emotions, and, eventually, our actions. Here, the abyss could represent any number of things that we spend too much time contemplating. It’s an insightful cautionary statement, reminding us to be mindful of where we choose to focus our attention.

Become who you are.

Nietzsche's urging to become who we are is a reminder of his signature directive: to not live an unexamined life. Less about a final destination or goal, this line evokes the courage needed to truly be ourselves. It encourages self-awareness, self-acceptance, and taking ownership of our choices to pursue our most authentic selves, even if that means taking an unconventional path.

There are no facts, only interpretations.

This quote reflects Nietzsche's skepticism about absolute truths. He believed there were only different interpretations of knowledge, shaped by our individual perspectives, experiences, and beliefs. This component of his philosophy also came to be known as "Nietzsche’s perspectivism."

There are no beautiful surfaces without a terrible depth.

Nietzsche firmly believed in the connection between suffering and joy — that one could not truly be experienced without first knowing the other. This quote frames this philosophy poetically, and suggests that the compassion that comes from experiencing hardship allows us to connect with others on a deeper, more vulnerable level.

He who has a why in life can tolerate almost any how. ###

Having a strong sense of purpose in life can give us the strength and resilience to endure just about any obstacle that comes our way. It’s worthwhile, then, to look at our lives and define our "why" in order to stay motivated, and in turn, stay true to our own path.

Without music, life would be a mistake.

Nietzsche was musical from a young age, and often remarked on the power and importance of music. He saw it as one of the purest expressions of the inner self — something unburdened by societal expectations, and a conduit to forces greater than the human mind. Music, he strongly believed, has a profound impact on human emotions, thoughts, and experiences — so much so that life would hardly be meaningful without it.

The higher we soar, the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly.

Personal excellence was a foundational idea in Nietzsche’s work. He introduced the concept of the "übermensch," (or "super man") as a goal for all of humanity, and here he provides a visual of soaring high. He warns, however, that the more successful we are, the less relatable we might seem to others; we must be mindful of staying humble and empathetic to those in a different place on their own journey.

The American philosopher and professor, Noam Chomsky, loses the ability to speak and write at 95 years old, this forces him to give up the throne of speech, in which he exposed the truth about global systems some of his most famous sayings: - 
- There is no such thing as a poor country. There's only one failed system in resource management!
- No one will put the truth in your mind, it's something you have to discover for yourself 
- If you want to conquer a people, create an imaginary enemy who seems more dangerous than you, then be their. savior. 
One of the clearest lessons in history; 
- "Rights are not granted, they are taken by force."
There is a purpose in distorting history and making it seem like great men did it all. It's part of how you teach people who can't do anything, that they are powerless. and they should just wait for a great man to do it.
- The world is a very mysterious and confusing place, if you are not willing to get confused, you become a replica of someone else's mind
- So you can control people. Make him believe that he is the reason for his delay and that you are coming to save him. "
- The world or the West will regret its trivial ideas that divert a person from his humanity or his nature. They must know the right religion. and the right belief.

To live a life of honesty and integrity is a responsibility of every decent person.
Noam Chomsky

At 96 years old, the renowned American philosopher and linguist Noam Chomsky has entered a quiet chapter, having lost the ability to speak and write—an end to the powerful voice that for decades challenged global power structures with razor-sharp clarity. Chomsky, often hailed as the "throne of words," shaped contemporary thought through his relentless critique of politics, media, and the mechanisms of control. His profound insights continue to resonate, inviting us to question the world around us with a critical eye.
Among his enduring truths is the reminder that poverty is not a natural state of nations but a failure of the systems managing their resources. He emphasised that truth is not something passively received but must be actively sought and discovered by each individual. Chomsky’s analysis of power dynamics reveals how those in control manufacture external threats—often exaggerated or fabricated—to justify their dominance while presenting themselves as protectors of the people.
He taught us that rights are not gifts granted from above but are wrested through struggle and persistence. Furthermore, by distorting history to glorify only “great men,” those in power foster a sense of helplessness, persuading the masses that meaningful change is the preserve of a select few. This tactic ensures intellectual conformity, discouraging individuals from grappling with the world’s inherent complexity and ambiguity.
Chomsky warned of the dangers of blaming the oppressed for their own suffering, a psychological manipulation used by rulers to maintain control while masquerading as saviours. Reflecting on Western society, he foresaw a future reckoning with shallow ideologies that alienate people from their authentic selves, urging instead a pursuit of genuine faith and belief.
Though his voice may have fallen silent, Noam Chomsky’s legacy endures, a beacon encouraging us to think independently, challenge authority, and seek truth beyond the surface.

Wim Hof is like a Moroccan home. At first glance, it looks like nothing special. Perhaps even walk-pastable. But then, upon entry, there are hanging chandeliers, incredible mosaics, delicious treats, and fine artistry everywhere.

Some people mocked him in the beginning. Others ridiculed him. He was known in the Netherlands as the “crazy guy.” But that was mostly from people who were looking from the outside and judging.

It was only when scientists recognised his powers through a number of experiments that he started to get a bit more street cred. Then everyone took him more seriously.

He’s still the “crazy guy”, but he’s well-loved for it now.

Here are 12 reasons why.

1. “Your fears are a consequence of a conditioned mind, and they are nothing but a burden.” — Wim Hof
My conditioning growing up was to say my please’s and thank you’s, always be polite, and don’t make too much fuss.

This subconsciously led me to play the nice guy and avoid conflict like the plague. As a result, I lived with anxiety for 15 years and only now am I unravelling it all.

2. “The mind under control is your best friend, the mind wandering about is your worst enemy. Make it your best friend, to the point where you can rely on it.” — Wim Hof
I’ve known both in my life.

At times, my mind has judged, criticised, shamed, and loathed me. It was like being stuck in a prison cell with no way out.

At other times, it’s been kind, appreciative, nurturing, compassionate, and understanding. The kind of companion I would be happy to share the rest of my life with.

It took a lot of work to get from there to here, but one thing I’ve learned along the way is that the mind is malleable. It feeds off what it’s being given, but it can change with determination and willpower.

3. “Material things are external and have no bearing on the soul.” — Wim Hof
He went on to say:

“You can only drive one car and occupy one room at a time. But if you seek happiness within your own being, in control over your own life-force, mind, and purpose, nothing else matters. You can be happy unconditionally. That’s the kind of happiness I want to give to the people I love because it comes from within. It’s already there.”

I’ve spent the last 10 years focusing on myself, trying to remove all the things that hold me back.

I wouldn’t swap an open heart, a peaceful mind, and an adventurous spirit for a million dollars.

4. “Fear does not go away by itself.” — Wim Hof
If anything, it grows and multiplies if it’s left unattended. My anxiety got worse when I tried to bury it and suppress it. My fear of rejection got stronger the more I withdrew. It’s paradoxical, but fear loses some of its darkness if it’s looked at head-on.

“You have to confront your fear, mold it, then learn to control it in it’s own irrational reality. Every human being has the power to do just that. To go deep within and confront your inner being is a powerful act. Going deep and developing the will power is the only way.” — Wim Hof

5. “Make it simple for yourself. Calm your mind from anger. Understand what makes you sad. And replicate the experiences that make you happy.” — Wim Hof
In the end, it’s that simple.

6. “Cold is a stressor, so if you are able to get into the cold and control your body’s response to it, you will be able to control stress.” — Wim Hof
This is also paradoxical, too, but stress is like a muscle: the more we stretch and push ourselves (in a safe environment), the stronger and more resilient we become. Cold water is one of the quickest ways to experience this firsthand.

I used to hate the cold. Even the thought of it would make me book another flight to a warm country and skip out on winter. But then I realised I was missing something vital.

Winters are tough and uncomfortable. But that’s the point. That’s why they’re important. I now make it a habit to do uncomfortable things, so I’m more prepared to handle uncomfortable things when they happen.

“If you don’t go into the cold, the cold comes to you.” — Wim Hof

7. “Men need to laugh more.” — Wim Hof
Men need to do a lot of things, but a sense of humour goes a long way. Literally.

A 15-year study on 53,556 people found that men with a high sense of humour had a 74% lower risk of death from infection, suggesting a positive health effect. Laughter also burns between 10 to 40 calories per day, and decreases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.

So, laugh. Your life depends on it.

8. “It is your birthright to be happy, strong, and healthy.” — Wim Hof
“We are built to be happy, strong and healthy… We have everything to live up to our dreams. You have everything to achieve that, and in a very short period of time you can get all the tools to manifest who you want to be.” — Wim Hof

One of those tools, for me, is the breath. It is my anchor in life as it helps me relax when I’m overwhelmed, heat up when I’m cold, feel energised when I’m low, and connect with spirit on a daily basis.

It’s how we enter the world, and it’s how we leave the world. One breath in. One breath out. Each breath in between has the ability to slow down or speed up. For the last seven years, I’ve been playing with what happens when I do both.

9. “We can do more than what we think. It’s a belief system that I have adopted and it has become my motto. There is more than meets the eye and unless you are willing to experience new things, you’ll never realize your full potential.” — Wim Hof
In summary: Growth lies beyond our comfort zone.

It’s where the magic happens.

“If you can learn how to use your mind, anything is possible.” — Wim Hof

10. “I’ve come to understand that if you want to learn something badly enough, you’ll find a way to make it happen. Having the will to search and succeed is very important.” — Wim Hof
I know this from becoming a full-time writer.

In the beginning, the cards were stacked against me. I dropped out of college, became a beach bum who spent most of his time in the ocean, had no money, and no marketing or sales experience. I just had a willingness to learn, grow, and work as hard as I possibly could to succeed.

My girlfriend called me stubborn, but I was more desperate than anything else.

Tony Robbins says, “There are only two forces that motivate people to do what they do: the desire to avoid pain or the desire to gain pleasure.”

Whatever your starting point might be, use it to fuel your way forward.

11. “Don’t seek to change others; change yourself.” — Wim Hof
Have you ever tried to push someone in a direction they don’t want to go? It’s almost impossible. There’s always pushback.

It took me a long time to realise that the only person I can change is myself. So however hard it is to mind my own business, I do.

“Just mind your own mind and let others mind theirs. Show them who you are through your actions, through your conviction. Be clear and transparent, vulnerable.” — Wim Hof

It takes courage to be authentic, but the alternative doesn’t bear thinking about.

12. “The greatest accomplishment you can achieve is stillness of the mind.” — Wim Hof
How we do that is a deeply personal thing. Meditation, breathwork, and psychedelics have been my thing. But there’s no road map. Each person is unique.

Once true peace has been experienced, it can never be taken away. That’s the reward. It’s why Mooji famously said, “When you can bear your own silence, you are free.”

One Last Thought
Let me end on a philosophical note.

Wim Hof said, “Life is like a dewdrop on a grass leaf. When it slips away, it’s gone forever.”

Don’t let it slip away.

This will soon be someone else’s dream. Grab it while you still can.

In 1909 at age 38, Marcel Proust began writing In Search of Lost Time, and he would continue writing his monumental work until his death a century ago in 1922. In total, In Search of Lost Time spanned seven volumes containing around 3,200 pages and more than 2,000 characters.

Despite initial reticence from publishers, Proust’s masterpiece went on to become one of the defining works in modern literature. Critics and authors alike were quick to praise his style and substance. Virginia Woolf was a huge fan, writing in 1922, "Proust so titillates my own desire for expression that I can hardly set out the sentence. Oh if I could write like that!"

Like Woolf, Proust helped shape modernist literature. His work often rejected chronological and narrative continuity, and his themes of time, memory, and the nature of art were very much at the heart of modernism. Memory, perhaps more than any other theme, is central to In Search of Lost Time. In the famous madeleine scene in the first volume, Swann’s Way, Proust writes how the smell and taste of a little cake floods the mind of his narrator with involuntary memories of his aunt Léonie and associated recollections.

Proust left us with an incredible body of work, in which he comments and philosophizes quite beautifully on many topics. Here are 17 of his greatest quotes, covering everything from love and writing to time, memory, and the nature of reality itself.

Thanks to art, instead of seeing a single world, our own, we see it multiply until we have before us as many worlds as there are original artists.

If a little dreaming is dangerous, the cure for it is not to dream less but to dream more, to dream all the time.

The only true voyage of discovery … would be not to visit strange lands but to possess other eyes.

The places that we have known belong now only to the little world of space on which we map them for our own convenience.

When we come to examine the thoughts, the actions of a woman whom we love, we are as completely at a loss as must have been, face to face with the phenomena of nature, the world's first natural philosophers, before their science had been elaborated and had cast a ray of light over the unknown.

We are not provided with wisdom, we must discover it for ourselves, after a journey through the wilderness which no one else can take for us, an effort which no one can spare us. #

What matters in life is not whom or what one loves, it is the fact of loving.

I realized that the essential book, the one true book, is one that the great writer does not need to invent, in the current sense of the word, since it already exists in every one of us — he has only to translate it. The task and the duty of a writer are those of a translator.

Sometimes in this life, under the stress of an exceptional emotion, people do say what they think.

There are perhaps no days of our childhood that we lived as fully as the days we think we left behind without living at all: the days we spent with a favorite book.

Love is space and time rendered perceptible by the heart.

The creation of the world did not occur at the beginning of time, it occurs every day.

The impression is for the writer what experiment is for the scientist, with the difference that in the scientist the work of intelligence precedes the experiment and in the writer it comes after the impression.

We feel in one world, we think and name in another. Between the two we can set up a system of references, but we cannot fill the gap.

Nine-tenths of the ills from which intelligent people suffer spring from their intellect.

An hour is not merely an hour, it is a vase full of scents and sounds and projects and climates.

Always try to keep a patch of sky above your life.

When the internet was first created, it was predicted to bring people around the world closer together than ever before. But as we now know, technological innovations such as the internet have proven to be an inadequate substitution for in-person interaction, and contrary to those initial predictions, our society often seems to feel more fractured and disconnected than ever.

In fact, the U.S. surgeon general released a 2023 advisory regarding the "healing effects of social connection and community" in response to "our epidemic of loneliness and isolation."

In many ways, it does feel as if our connections to each other are uniquely fraught. We may complain about our neighbors on Facebook groups and Nextdoor more often than we knock on their doors to offer our friendship, and generational divides have begun to seem more like chasms than gaps.

We have to remind ourselves that a strong society starts with us. If we want a solid community, we have to act accordingly. Each of us has the power to replace the suspicion, blame, and judgment we may be guilty of hurling at our (literal and figurative) neighbors with a warm remark or a helping hand, and we don’t need to wait to make those changes.

We all deserve to live in a supportive, compassionate world. Here are 12 quotes about how we can build just that.

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.
Greek proverb #

There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children.
Nelson Mandela

We must be willing, individually and as a nation, to accept whatever sacrifices may be required of us. A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.
Dwight D. Eisenhower

All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded to the individual.
Albert Einstein

There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.
Meg Wheatley

What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness is cured.
Kurt Vonnegut

The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.
Coretta Scott King

The society which scorns excellence in plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy: neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.
John W. Gardner

A happy life consists not in the absense of hardships, but in the mastery of them.
Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.
Life is a daring adventure or nothing. Helen Keller #
Helen Keller

Every gift from a friend is a wish for happiness. 
Richard Bach.

The first sign of corruption in a society that is still alive is that the end justifies the means.
Georges Bernanos

I know there is strength / In the differences between us / And I know there is comfort / Where we overlap.
Ani DiFranco

When we listen with less judgment, we always develop better relationships with each other. It’s not differences that divide us. It’s our judgments about each other that do. Curiosity and good listening bring us back together.
Meg Wheatley

Throughout his life, Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, has been a source of inspiration and wisdom — not just for Tibetan Buddhists, but for people everywhere.

The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader and monarch of Tibet. When he was just 2 years old, in 1937, Tenzin Gyatso was found to be the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama. All the Dalai Lamas are believed to be earthly manifestations of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva embodying compassion, and the patron saint of Tibet. It’s believed the Dalai Lama is delaying their own attainment of nirvana in a constant reincarnation cycle to help ease suffering in others.

Peace and compassion are central tenets of the 14th Dalai Lama's life, and his commitment to them has made him an international icon. In 1989, he received a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to find a peaceful solution for the political unrest in Tibet. He has also earned more than 150 awards and honorary degrees for his continuing push toward nonviolence and universal compassion and understanding, and is known around the world for advocating for harmony between people and nations alike.

These 14 quotes are nuggets of wisdom the 14th Dalai Lama has imparted in an effort to fulfill his mission to end suffering. Think of them as an instruction manual for living a life of peace, happiness, and compassion.

True happiness comes from a sense of inner peace and contentment, which in turn must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, of love and compassion and elimination of ignorance, selfishness, and greed.

Reason well from the beginning and then there will never be any need to look back with confusion and doubt.

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

True peace with oneself and with the world around us can only be achieved through the development of mental peace.

The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes.

There is a saying in Tibetan that "at the door of the miserable rich man sleeps the contented beggar." The point of this saying is not that poverty is a virtue, but that happiness does not come with wealth, but from setting limits to one’s desires, and living within those limits with satisfaction.

I try to treat whoever I meet as an old friend. This gives me a genuine feeling of happiness. It is the practice of compassion.

Inner peace is the key: If you have inner peace, the external problems do not affect your deep sense of peace and tranquility.

It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come.

Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend — or a meaningful day.

Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned.

Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.

Human happiness and human satisfaction must ultimately come from within oneself. It is wrong to expect some final satisfaction to come from money or from a computer.#

The root of happiness is altruism — the wish to be of service to others.

21 Mind-Altering Quotes That Are All Under 12 Words Long
From "The Godfather of Motivation" and a whole lot more
Andy Murphy Published in ILLUMINATION Jun 29, 2024

I first fell in love with Wayne Dyer because I heard him say things like:

"Begin to see yourself as a soul with a body rather than a body with a soul"

And:

"Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be."

This earned him the nickname "The Godfather of Motivation" and he goes down as one of the OG spiritual teachers.

So, to honour the good man, here are 21 of his best mind-altering quotes that are all under 12 words long.

1. "Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change" #
Marcus Aurelius put it another way:

"The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts."

2. "You are not stuck where you are unless you decide to be."
He then added:

"You are what you choose to be today. Not what you’ve chosen to be before."

3. "Love what you do; do what you love"
"Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life" — Wayne Dyer

4. "Whatever the question, love is the answer"
Or as St. Augustine once said: "Love and do what you will."

5. "Go for it now. The future is promised to no one"
We only have the here and now. All the rest is make-believe.

6. "You cannot fail, you can only produce results"
Jim Carrey put it another way:

"You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love."

7. "Heaven is a state of mind, not a location"
And it resides within.

"When you learn to trust in yourself, you are actually trusting in the very wisdom that created you." — Wayne Dyer

8. "You don’t attract what you want. You attract what you are."
That’s manifestation, baby!

And, "The latest research supports the notion that we have a natural ability to change the brain and body by thought alone, so that it looks biologically like some future event has already happened. Because you can make thought more real than anything else, you can change who you are from brain cell to gene, given the right understanding." — Dr. Joe Dispenza

9. "Friends are God’s way of apologizing for your family" #
Maybe it’s my dry British sense of humour but I love this one and I think we can all relate to it to some degree.

10. "You get treated in life the way you teach people to treat you" — Wayne Dyer
It took me years to learn to respect myself. When people treated me badly, I was convinced I was to blame or that I somehow deserved it. When I finally developed enough self-esteem to ensure I honoured my needs, I was amazed at how much better others treated me.

So, the hard lesson here is: If we treat ourselves well we’ll attract others who treat us well. If we neglect our needs we’ll find that same behaviour reflected back in the way others neglect us.

"The world is a looking glass and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face" — William Makepeace Thackeray

11. "You cannot be lonely if you like the person you’re alone with"
Mooji put it another way:

"When you can bear your own silence, you are free."

12. "When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself" #
For who am I judging other than myself?

If we’re all just tiny droplets in a vast ocean of consciousness, how is there any separation other than what I create?

13. "How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours"
In the end, all we can control is how we respond to any given situation.

That’s why Wayne Dyer warned:

"With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose." #

14. "I am realistic — I expect miracles"
Me too!

"If you believe it will work out, you’ll see opportunities. If you believe it won’t, you’ll see obstacles" — Wayne Dyer

15. "Conflict cannot survive without your participation"
So, always remember:

"You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside" — Wayne Dyer

16. "It’s never crowded along the extra mile"
There are two ways to get there:

Work harder and faster
Be consistent
Dwayne Johnson offers this advice:

"Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come."

17. "You don’t need to be better than anyone else"
"You just need to be better than you used to be." — Wayne Dyer

18. "No one knows enough to be a pessimist"
His sarcastic tone highlights an important point: none of us know what’s going on.

There are magical forces at work that are far beyond our control and what looks like good luck on the surface can actually turn out to be bad luck and vice versa.

All we can do is remain in the moment and strap ourselves in for the ride.

19. "You are an infinite spiritual being having a temporary human experience"
Two of my favourite spiritual teachers have said the same:

"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience." — Alan Watts
"I used to be a guy who was experiencing the universe, and now I feel like the universe experiencing a guy." — Jim Carrey
20. "As you think, so shall you be"
This is pretty much how the whole universe works in 7 words.

The Buddha found even fewer:

"What you think, you become"

21. "Everything I need now is here"
What more is there to say?

I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.
I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day.
I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right.
I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.
I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
I've learned.... That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
I've learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class.#
I've learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.#
I've learned.... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
I've learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
I've learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds.
I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
I've learned.... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.#
I've learned.... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
I've learned.... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.
I've learned.... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.#
I've learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.#
I've learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away.
I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.
I've learned.... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
I've learned.... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.
I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Society has necessitated the saving, making, owing, and charging of money for centuries. The only thing that’s seemed to change over time is the value of our currency — just think about how much a gallon of gas, buying a house, or attending college cost when you were a kid compared to today.

Thinking about money isn't always fun, but that’s also why it can feel so liberating to throw our heads back and laugh at the oversized role it plays in our lives. Here, we’re throwing in our two cents with a list of funny quotes about money spanning hundreds of years, from the Founding Fathers to contemporary musicians and comedians.

Money is not the most important thing in life, but it’s reasonably close to oxygen.
Zig Ziglar

That man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.#
Henry David Thoreau

Money, so they say / Is the root of all evil today / But if you ask for a rise, it’s no surprise / That they’re giving none away.
Pink Floyd

There are three faithful friends, an old wife, an old dog, and ready money.
Benjamin Franklin

Money often costs too much.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I was never in this for the money. But it turns out that the money was an absolute necessity for me.
Michael Scott (Steve Carell) in "The Office"

October. This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks in. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August, and February.
Mark Twain

Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz? / My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.
Janis Joplin

Would the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands? And the rest of you, if you’ll just rattle your jewelry.
John Lennon

That money talks / I’ll not deny / I heard it once: / It said, "Goodbye."
Richard Armour

No amount of superlatives can properly describe the incredible insightfulness of many historic women. From politicians to painters, authors to doctors, and athletes to moms, women have thrived and inspired countless others to do the same. What makes their achievements all the more remarkable are the hardships that women often endure in the constant struggle for equal rights — hardships that force them to break down barriers and succeed in the face of adversity.

History has seen figures includings Rosa Parks, Helen Keller, and Virginia Woolf fight tirelessly for others, sharing wisdom that still resonates today. In more modern times, inspirational women such as Dolly Parton and Malala Yousafzai have led incredible lives that serve as motivation for others to pursue their own paths. Then there are groundbreaking artists and luminaries such as Maya Angelou and Frida Kahlo, whose creative works continue to have a major impact on the world.

Listening to and absorbing the sage advice from these women — and countless others, including women we know personally — can only broaden our worldview and better our lives. Here are 30 incredible quotes from some truly amazing women.

Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.
Maya Angelou

I'm not offended by all of the dumb blond jokes because I know I'm not dumb … and I also know that I'm not blond.
Dolly Parton

I tell my story not because it is unique, but because it is the story of many girls. I think realizing that you’re not alone, that you are standing with millions of your sisters around the world is vital.
Malala Yousafzai

For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn’t end.
Michelle Obama

The history of men’s opposition to women’s emancipation is more interesting perhaps than the story of emancipation itself.
Virginia Woolf

Step out of the history that is holding you back. Step into the new story you are willing to create.
Oprah Winfrey

Great people do things before they are ready. They do things before they know they can do it. And by doing it, they're proven right.
Amy Poehler

A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Of course I am not worried about intimidating men. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I write for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they were so terrified, because we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves. We've been taught that silence would save us, but it won't.
Audre Lorde

I live my life the way I want to, which used to be considered a masculine trait, but now it is not. When I started doing it, it wasn’t so popular. But the later in time we get, the less radical it seems.
Cher

Cows run away from the storm while the buffalo charges toward it — and gets through it quicker. Whenever I’m confronted with a tough challenge, I do not prolong the torment, I become the buffalo.
Wilma Mankiller

But I hate to hear you talking so like a fine gentleman, and as if women were all fine ladies, instead of rational creatures. We, none of us, expect to be in smooth water all our days.
Jane Austen

I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: Be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble.
Serena Williams

It can’t last forever. Others have thought such things, in bad times before this, and they were always right, they did get out one way or another, and it didn’t last forever.
Margaret Atwood

Just speak very loudly and quickly, and state your position with utter conviction, as the French do, and you'll have a marvelous time!
Julia Child

When you can’t find someone to follow, you have to find a way to lead by example.
Roxane Gay

I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.
Charlotte Brontë

Sometimes we get caught up and having to do the to-do list of everyday life that we forget that there's this curiosity and playfulness and this creativity that needs to be fed.
LeAnn Rimes

Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in. And when you stumble, keep faith. And when you're knocked down, get right back up and never listen to anyone who says you can't or shouldn't go on.
Hillary Clinton

People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true. I was not tired physically … No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.
Rosa Parks

At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.
Frida Kahlo

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.
Marie Curie

There's something so special about a woman who dominates in a man's world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness, and the nerve to never take no for an answer.
Rihanna

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.
Helen Keller

Stop telling girls they can be anything they want when they grow up. I think it’s a mistake. Not because they can’t, but because it would have never occurred to them that they couldn’t.
Sarah Silverman

The truth is I've never fooled anyone. I've let men sometimes fool themselves. Men sometimes didn't bother to find out who and what I was. Instead they would invent a character for me. I wouldn't argue with them. They were obviously loving somebody I wasn't.
Marilyn Monroe

Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe that you must become its soul.
Coretta Scott King

Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say.
Barbara Kingsolver

About the Author
Bennett is a staff writer at Optimism as well as a freelance comedy writer. He's based in New York City.

Despite living in a world long dominated by men, women have shaped history just as much as their male counterparts. Women have held positions of power for millennia — as far back, at least, as 2400 BCE and the reign of the Sumerian queen Kubaba, the first recorded female ruler in history. Later came Boudica and Cleopatra, Catherine the Great and Queen Victoria, and many other women who shaped the fates of nations.

In every aspect of life, from the arts to science and technology, women have excelled in the face of patriarchal and sexist societies, in which their achievements have often been downplayed or even credited to men. Though much has improved, thanks to the efforts of generations of activists and feminists, the fight for true equality of the sexes remains unfinished. To inspire that continued fight, here are some empowering quotes from some of the most influential women in history, from Elizabeth I to Frida Kahlo.

I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too.
Elizabeth I was queen of England from 1558 until her death in 1603. One of the most popular monarchs in history, she was loved by her people despite the male-dominated world in which she ruled.

The more I study, the more insatiable do I feel my genius for it to be.
Ada Lovelace used her "poetical science" to help Charles Babbage with his Analytical Engine (one of the first computers), and as such is often cited as the world’s first computer programmer.

We have to free half of the human race, the women, so that they can help to free the other half.
Emmeline Pankhurst was a political activist who organized the suffrage movement in the United Kingdom, which helped women win the right to vote and inspired feminist movements around the world.

Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood.
Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, awarded for her pioneering research on radioactivity, as well as the first person and only woman to win two Nobel Prizes.

Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.
Virginia Woolf was one of the most important authors of the 20th century. A pioneer of modernist literature, she and her work inspired such renowned writers as Margaret Atwood and Toni Morrison.

The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life and the procedure. The process is its own reward.
Amelia Earhart was an aviation pioneer whose many records included becoming the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true. I was not tired physically… No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.
Rosa Parks was a prominent activist in the civil rights movement, whose name became synonymous with resistance to segregation after she refused to give up her seat for a white passenger.

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
Eleanor Roosevelt served as the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. As a political figure, diplomat, and pacifist, she has long been heralded for her work in furthering human rights.

Self-knowledge is no guarantee of happiness, but it is on the side of happiness and can supply the courage to fight for it.
Simone de Beauvoir was a French existentialist philosopher and writer whose work had a profound and lasting influence on feminist theory.

People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Maya Angelou was a writer and civil rights activist whose memoirs, most notably "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," broke new ground in reflecting the lived experience of many Black people.

I paint flowers so they will not die.
Frida Kahlo’s art remained relatively unknown until after her death, but was rediscovered by art historians and political activists in the 1970s. Her status as both an artist and an icon of the feminist movement has only grown since then.

About the Author
Tony is an English writer of non-fiction and fiction living on the edge of the Amazon jungle.

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
Thomas Edison

Even if you fail at your ambitious thing, it’s very hard to fail completely.
Larry Page

Failure and invention are inseparable twins.
Jeff Bezos

I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying.
Michael Jordan

With engineering, I view this year's failure as next year's opportunity to try it again. Failures are not something to be avoided. You want to have them happen as quickly as you can so you can make progress rapidly.
Intel co-founder Gordon Moore

Failure is an event, not a person. Yesterday ended last night.
Motivational speaker and business coach Zig Ziglar

In my experience, each failure contains the seeds of your next success — if you are willing to learn from it.
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen

There’s no such thing as failure. There are only results.
Motivational speaker and business coach Tony Robbins

In a world that's changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.
Mark Zuckerberg

If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.
Elon Musk

About the Author
Jennifer is a writer, traveler, witch, and unapologetic Chicagoan. @jenniferbillock

Life often tests us with moments that feel insurmountable. These challenges can come in many forms: personal setbacks, health problems, professional hurdles, or unexpected crises. What defines us in these moments is not the challenge itself, but our response to it — whether or not we give up when the going gets tough.

It’s these moments that require us to summon our inner strength. Endurance is like a quiet force that keeps us pushing forward when every fiber of our being wants to stop — much like a marathon runner pushing through impossible exhaustion for those last few miles. This endurance goes hand in hand with resilience, the art of weathering storms and emerging even stronger than before.

Reminding ourselves that setbacks are temporary and failure is just a detour on the larger path of our life is easier said than done, but giving up is not the answer. Endurance and resilience make for an indomitable spirit, one that will empower us to persevere, adapt, and never, ever give up.

Sure I am of this, that you have only to endure to conquer.
Winston Churchill

The best way out is always through.
Robert Frost

No matter how much falls on us, we keep plowing ahead. That's the only way to keep the roads clear.
Greg Kincaid

When you’ve exhausted all possibilities, remember this: You haven’t!
Robert Schuller

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
Thomas Edison

Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat.
Ralph Ellison

I will either find a way, or make one.
Hannibal Barca

A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.
Christopher Reeve

I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.
Maya Angelou

Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it's less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you've lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that's good.
Elizabeth Edwards

The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won’t. It’s whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere.
Barack Obama

The human capacity for burden is like bamboo — far more flexible than you'd ever believe at first glance
Jodi Picoult

The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.
Ernest Hemingway

Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.
Marie Curie

When you get into a tight place, and everything goes against you till it seems as if you couldn't hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that's just the place and time that the tide'll turn.
Harriet Beecher Stowe

About the Author
Nicole is a writer, thrift store lover, and group-chat meme spammer based in Ontario, Canada.

George Washington once wrote, "It is assuredly better to go laughing than crying thro’ the rough journey of life." The first U.S. President wasn’t the only commander in chief to highlight the importance of humor. Dwight D. Eisenhower saw it as fundamental to the job, saying, "A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done."

Humor, of course, is subjective. Not everyone would have laughed when Herbert Hoover quipped, "Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt," or when Jimmy Carter drolly stated, "I have often wanted to drown my troubles, but I can’t seem to get my wife to go swimming." And presumably not everyone would have found it funny that John Adams had a dog named Satan.

Some Presidents are known for their sense of humor, be it Lincoln’s sarcasm, Reagan’s endearing wit, or Obama’s fondness for dad jokes. Others became known more for their gaffes and unintentional word salads — perhaps most notably George W. Bush and his "Bushisms." Who could forget, "They misunderestimated me"? Here are some examples of the former: funny quotes from U.S. Presidents who were deliberately trying to get a laugh.

If I had to name my greatest strength, I guess it would be my humility. Greatest weakness, it’s possible that I’m a little too awesome.
Barack Obama

There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is having lots to do and not doing it.#
Andrew Jackson

Honestly, if I were two-faced, would I be showing you this one?
Abraham Lincoln

He has no more backbone than a chocolate éclair.
Theodore Roosevelt on William McKinley

I’m not worried about the deficit; it’s big enough to take care of itself.
Ronald Reagan

How has retirement affected my golf game? A lot more people beat me now.
Dwight D. Eisenhower

When we got into office, the thing that surprised me most was to find that things were just as bad as we’d been saying they were.
John F. Kennedy

Being President is like being a jackass in a hailstorm. There’s nothing to do but to stand there and take it.
Lyndon B. Johnson

Some folks look at me and see a certain swagger. In Texas, we call it walkin'.
George W. Bush

My esteem in this country has gone up substantially. It is very nice now when people wave at me, they use all their fingers.
Jimmy Carter

I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent’s youth and inexperience.
Ronald Reagan

I'm so overexposed I make Paris Hilton look like a recluse.
Barack Obama

I have now come to the conclusion never again to think of marrying; and for this reason; I can never be satisfied with any one who would be block-head enough to have me.
Abraham Lincoln

Being President is like running a cemetery; you’ve got a lot of people under you and nobody’s listening.
Bill Clinton

No matter how tough it gets, however, I have no intention of becoming a lame duck President — unless, of course, Cheney accidentally shoots me in the leg.
George W. Bush

If one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River, the headline that afternoon would read "President Can't Swim."
Lyndon B. Johnson

I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of national emergency, even if I'm in a Cabinet meeting.
Ronald Reagan

These days, I look in the mirror and I have to admit, I'm not the strapping young Muslim socialist that I used to be.
Barack Obama

About the Author
Tony is an English writer of non-fiction and fiction living on the edge of the Amazon jungle.

When Kurt Vonnegut passed away in 2007, he left the world with a body of work that spans more than half a century. His unique style — satirical and funny, with characteristically short and simple sentences that express complex ideas in an approachable yet profound manner — is evident throughout his three short-story collections, plays, autobiographical works, and 14 novels, including 1969’s Slaughterhouse-Five and 1963’s Cat's Cradle.

Vonnegut’s writing was often fatalistic, his humor dark. He had, after all, seen the horrors of World War II firsthand. He was captured by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge, and was kept as a prisoner of war in Dresden. He survived the near-total obliteration of the city by seeking refuge in a meat locker at the slaughterhouse where he was imprisoned — an experience he later dealt with, in his own inimitable style, in Slaughterhouse-Five. ("So it goes" is the novel’s shrug-like refrain.)

That said, Vonnegut was anything but negative. He was a humanist, and for many years, he served as the president of the American Humanist Association. "Being a humanist," he once wrote, "means trying to behave decently without expectation of rewards or punishment after you are dead." He wrote and spoke fervently but honestly about war and religion and politics, but always from a fundamental perspective of kindness and love — using humor as the salve for life’s many trials.

Through his writing, interviews, and lectures, Vonnegut left us with a wealth of quotes, covering everything from the nature of literature to the importance of jokes, and what he saw as one of the most crucial things in life, if not the most crucial thing: to be kind.

Literature is idiosyncratic arrangements in horizontal lines in only twenty-six symbols, ten Arabic numbers, and about eight punctuation marks.

The telling of jokes is an art of its own, and it always rises from some emotional threat. The best jokes are dangerous, and dangerous because they are in some way truthful.

I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, "If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is."

Nothing I can say can have any effect, except to say to somebody else, "You're not alone." That's as far as it goes.

The function of the artist is to make people like life better than before.

And how should we behave during this Apocalypse? We should be unusually kind to one another, certainly. But we should also stop being so serious. Jokes help a lot. And get a dog, if you don’t already have one.

Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God.

A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved.

Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.

We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.

I want to stay as close on the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center… Big, undreamed-of things — the people on the edge see them first.

Any reviewer who expresses rage and loathing for a novel is preposterous. He or she is like a person who has put on full armor and attacked a hot fudge sundae or a banana split.

Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.

Let others bring order to chaos. I will bring chaos to order. If all writers would do that, then perhaps everyone will understand that there is no order in the world around us, that we must adapt ourselves to the requirements of chaos instead.

If we are wounded by an ugly idea, we must count it as part of the cost of freedom and, like American heroes in the days gone by, bravely carry on.

We are healthy only to the extent that our ideas are humane.

Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies — "God damn it, you’ve got to be kind."

About the Author - Tony Dunnell

Life changes in the instant. The ordinary instant.

Memory fades, memory adjusts, memory conforms to what we think we remember.

I could tell you that the grave’s a fine and private place, but none I think do there embrace. Nor do they sing there, or write, or argue, or see the tidal bore on the Amazon, or touch their children. And that’s what there is to do and get it while you can and good luck at it.

Sometimes I get lonesome for a storm. A full-blown storm where everything changes. The sky goes through four days in an hour, the trees wail, little animals skitter in the mud and everything gets dark and goes completely wild.
#

On Love
Marriage is not only time: it is also, paradoxically, the denial of time.

I did not always think he was right nor did he always think I was right, but we were each the person the other trusted.
#

Maybe the most difficult, most important thing anyone could do for anyone else was to leave him alone; it was perhaps the only gratuitous act, the act of love.

A single person is missing for you, and the whole world is empty.
#

On Writing
I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see, and what it means. What I want and what I fear.

We tell ourselves stories in order to live.

Short stories demand a certain awareness of one's own intentions, a certain narrowing of the focus.

Grammar is a piano I play by ear.
#

As a writer, even as a child, long before what I wrote began to be published, I developed a sense that meaning itself was resident in the rhythms of words and sentences and paragraphs … The way I write is who I am, or have become.

You get the sense that it’s possible simply to go through life noticing things and writing them down and that this is OK, it’s worth doing. That the seemingly insignificant things that most of us spend our days noticing are really significant, have meaning, and tell us something.

I am still committed to the idea that the ability to think for one’s self depends upon one’s mastery of the language.

I definitely have body issues, but everybody does. When you come to the realization that everybody does — even the people that I consider flawless — then you can start to live with the way you are.
Taylor Swift

Work out because you love your body, not because you hate it.
Torre Washington

You have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.
Louise Hay

To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.
Thích Nhất Hạnh

Stop trying to fix your body. It was never broken.
Eve Ensler

And I said to my body softly, "I want to be your friend." It took a long breath and replied, "I have been waiting my whole life for this."
Nayyirah Waheed

The reality was my life wasn’t miserable because I was curvy; I was miserable because I thought I’d be happier if I were thinner.
Brittany Gibbons

Step away from the mean girls and say bye-bye to feeling bad about your looks. Are you ready to stop colluding with a culture that makes so many of us feel physically inadequate? Say goodbye to your inner critic, and take this pledge to be kinder to yourself and others.
Oprah Winfrey

Your words have so much power. Every day, if you tell yourself "I love you," if you give yourself one word of validation, it will change your mind.
Ashley Graham

Confidence is a habit that can be developed by acting as if you already had the confidence you desire to have.
Brian Tracy

You can’t hate yourself happy. You can’t criticize yourself thin. You can’t shame yourself worthy. Real change begins with self-love and self-care.
Jessica Ortner

Stop spending all day obsessing, cursing, perfecting your body like it’s all you’ve got to offer the world. Your body is not your art, it’s your paintbrush.
Glennon Doyle

Confidence is the only key. I can’t think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be herself.
Emma Stone

Being a healthy woman isn’t about getting on a scale or measuring your waistline. We need to start focusing on what matters — on how we feel, and how we feel about ourselves.
Michelle Obama

Take your time and your talent and figure out what you have to contribute to this world, and get over what the hell your butt looks like in those jeans!
America Ferrera

To love yourself right now, just as you are, is to give yourself heaven.
Alan Cohen

Find out who you are, and do it on purpose.

If you see someone without a smile today, give 'em yours.

I make a point to appreciate all the little things in my life. I go out and smell the air after a good, hard rain. These small actions help remind me that there are so many great, glorious pieces of good in the world.

I think that if I am smart in business, it’s just that I’m smart about who I am. I know what I can, can’t, will, and won’t do, and if I have to be strict about that, I will.

Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

I think people just know I’m a very open and accepting person. And in any religion we’re supposed to be that — we’re supposed to be kind... we’re not supposed to pass judgment.

I think you have to work at being happy, just like you have to work at being miserable. I’m going to grasp every happy moment I can find.

You can sit around and wish for good things to happen to you, but a dream is something you have to pursue, something you make happen… You’ve got to be responsible for your dreams. You’ve got to take care of them the way you take care of your children, protect them, say no to people who want to remake them their own way.

I discovered that there were books written about positive thinking. But, you see, I had practiced that all my life. That’s what got me out of the mountains.

If my attitude needs more adjusting, I visualize God holding me upside down and shaking all the negative stuff — fears, doubts, insecurities — right out of me. Try it. Ask God to turn you upside down! It’s a surefire pick-me-up.

My uncle Louis saw how serious I was about music, so he gave me a guitar, a baby Martin. Oh, I loved that guitar! I played it all the time. I prayed my dreams. Lived and breathed ’em too. Maybe that’s why it never occurred to me they might not come true.

I've had to go against all kinds of people through the years just to be myself. I think everybody should be allowed to be who they are, and to love who they love.

I have to not harden my heart, because I want to stay open to feel things. So when I hurt, I hurt all over. And when I cry, I cry real hard. And when I’m mad, I’m mad all over. I’m just a person; I like to experience whatever the feeling is and whatever I’m going through.

I knew there was a world beyond the Smokies… and I wanted to see it for myself… But I always came back for what I discovered growing up there: wonder and wisdom, music and inspiration, freedom and faith.

I am a happy person. That is my greatest blessing. It can be yours too. Think about it. Friends and family, work, laughter, prayer, love. They add up to joy. For you, for me, for anyone.

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.

I believe in intuitions and inspirations. I sometimes feel that I am right. I do not know that I am.

Try to become not a man of success, but try rather to become a man of value.

Although I am a typical loner in daily life, my consciousness of belonging to the invisible community of those who strive for truth, beauty, and justice has preserved me from feeling isolated.


The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.

Study and in general the pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.

Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.

Be a loner. That gives you time to wonder, to search for the truth. Have holy curiosity. Make your life worth living.

Nothing truly valuable arises from ambition or from a mere sense of duty; it stems rather from love and devotion towards men and towards objective things.

I am happy because I want nothing from anyone. I do not care about money. Decorations, titles, or distinctions mean nothing to me. I do not crave praise. The only thing that gives me pleasure, apart from my work, my violin, and my sailboat, is the appreciation of my fellow workers.

I never think of the future. It comes soon enough.

All romantic relationships are bound to have highs and lows, but when it comes to long-term partnerships, many couples find themselves somewhere in the middle, having settled into routines and patterns forged over months, years, or even decades together.

It’s easy to get caught up in the rush of daily life and forget to slow down and really appreciate our long-term partners — to celebrate them (or, let’s be real, to tease them mercilessly) for those quirks that made us fall in love with them in the first place. One of the many perks of long-term partnership is the ability to revel in the silly inside jokes that come with knowing someone inside and out.

Whether it’s our partner’s penchant for singing off-key opera in the shower, an embarrassing yet endearing nickname only we’re allowed to use, or a memory from way back when that still makes us laugh, any happy long-term partnership is bound to yield an abundance of light-hearted, cherished moments.

So let’s celebrate those little moments. Those sweet, goofy times may seem insignificant while they’re unfolding, but making an effort to find the joy within the everyday moments can go a long way toward making relationships, and life in general, a lot more fun.

With that being said, here are 11 quotes that poke a little bit of fun at the everyday ups and downs of long-term relationships.

You can’t have a relationship where one person says, "I love you" and the other says, "I’m hungry. Let’s get something to eat" … unless you’re married.
Larry David

Some of the freckles I once loved are now closer to liver spots. But it’s still the eyes we look at, isn’t it? That’s where we found the other person, and find them still.
Julian Barnes

I myself, I love being married, because it’s so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.
Rita Rudner

I’ve actually pinpointed the exact moment when a relationship goes long-term: I think it’s when, before sex, you no longer take each other’s clothes off, but you take your own clothes off independently because you realize it’s more practical and less time-consuming.
Michael McIntyre

I married for love, but the obvious side benefit of having someone around to find my glasses cannot be ignored.
Cameron Esposito

I always say, if you're married for 50 years, and 10 of them are horrible, you’re doing really good!
Michelle Obama

When people ask me what’s the key to my long marriage and lasting love, I always say, "Stay gone!" and there’s a lot of truth to that. I travel a lot, but we really enjoy each other when we’re together.
Dolly Parton

Bill and I had a marriage so flexible that whenever we went on a vacation together, someone would invariably ask me how long I had been widowed.
Erma Bombeck

Movie characters might chase each other through the fog or race down the stairs of burning buildings, but that's for beginners. Real love amounts to withholding the truth, even when you're offered the perfect opportunity to hurt someone's feeling.
David Sedaris

"Don’t go to sleep angry?" … I go to sleep angry all the time, because he falls asleep before me. And I’m just like, "Oh, you got nothing to overthink right now? OK."
Gina Brillon

It’s the little things you share together / Swear together / Wear together / That make perfect relationships / The concerts you enjoy together / Neighbors you annoy together / Children you destroy together / That keep marriage intact.
Stephen Sondheim

About the Author
Christy Lee Barnes lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and toddler son. She's a poet, educator, and an (extremely slow) trail runner.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt served as President of the United States for more than 12 years, helping the nation navigate through times of great difficulty and uncertainty. Roosevelt led Americans out of the Great Depression, enacted a sweeping series of reforms known as the New Deal, and ushered the nation through World War II. Through these trying times, FDR’s words often provided reassurance to the American people, who looked to their leader for regular guidance in an otherwise unpredictable world.

Several FDR quotes maintain a high degree of popularity today, such as his oft-repeated words, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Odds are we’ve also all heard him describe the attack on Pearl Harbor as "a date which will live in infamy."

But Roosevelt’s legacy extends far beyond those two popular quotations. The former President was a prodigious speaker who delivered hundreds — if not thousands — of speeches during his extensive political career. Each time FDR took the dais, he spoke with a level of intelligence and eloquence that made every speech notable and quoteworthy.

Let’s dive in a little deeper and take a look at some of Roosevelt’s words that may be less familiar. Here are 13 quotes from FDR that you’ve possibly never heard before.

The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.

The Nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.

Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.

Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.

The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have too much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.

Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.

The structure of world peace cannot be the work of one man, or one party, or one nation … it must be a peace which rests on the cooperative effort of the whole world.

Competition has been shown to be useful up to a certain point and no further, but cooperation, which is the thing we must strive for today, begins where competition leaves off.

The forests are the "lungs" of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.

Let us not be afraid to help each other — let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us.

Confidence … thrives on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection and on unselfish performance. Without them it cannot live.

We do not retreat. We are not content to stand still. As Americans, we go forward, in the service of our country.

If you treat people right they will treat you right — 90% of the time.

About the Author
Bennett Kleinman is a staff writer at Optimism as well as a freelance comedy writer. He's based in New York City.

Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another.
Alfred Adler

If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view — until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.
Harper Lee

Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins. And it’s up to you to make that happen.
Barack Obama

If you see someone without a smile, give ’em yours!
Dolly Parton

Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.
Simone Weil

The state of empathy, or being empathic, is to perceive the internal frame of reference of another with accuracy and with the emotional components and meanings which pertain thereto as if one were the person.
Carl Rogers

Empathy is forgetting oneself in the joys and sorrows of another, so much so that you actually feel that the joy or sorrow experienced by another is your own joy and sorrow. Empathy involves complete identification with another.
Dada Vaswani

An exchange of empathy provides an entry point for a lot of people to see what healing feels like.
Tarana Burke

Empathy comes from the Greek "empatheia" — "em" (into) and "pathos" (feeling) — a penetration, a kind of travel. It suggests you enter another person’s pain as you’d enter another country, through immigration and customs, border crossing by way of query: "What grows where you are? What are the laws? What animals graze there?"
Leslie Jamison

Empathy begins with understanding life from another person’s perspective. Nobody has an objective experience of reality. It’s all through our own individual prisms.
Sterling K. Brown

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
Leo Buscaglia

No one reaches out to you for compassion or empathy so you can teach them how to behave better. They reach out to us because they believe in our capacity to know our darkness well enough to sit in the dark with them.
Brené Brown

Humility is a quality that can often feel incompatible with today’s society. The news is chock-full of billionaires, celebrities, tech giants, and an assortment of other oversized egos demanding our attention and praise. We seem to be expected to also aspire to those levels of hubris and vanity, but holding ourselves in a more modest regard can be beneficial in the long run. #

That’s not to say we shouldn’t love or be confident in ourselves. Humility is often mistaken for being self-critical, but these are two different things. We can be gentle toward ourselves and proud of our accomplishments while still remaining open to the ideas that we aren’t perfect, that we don’t know everything, and that we always have room for improvement.

Another common misconception equates being humble with weakness. There’s a lot of strength to be found in humility, but it’s not the ostentatious sort of strength we may be accustomed to. Rather, it’s a quiet strength that underlies and bolsters our actions.

With that in mind, here are 17 quotes on the benefits of humility to carry with us in our everyday lives.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.
Rick Warren

Be wise; soar not too high to fall; but stoop to rise.
Philip Massinger

We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.
Rabindranath Tagore

Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues, hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.
Augustine of Hippo

With pride, there are many curses. With humility, there come many blessings.
Ezra Taft Benson

Pride makes us artificial, and humility makes us real.
Thomas Merton

When the dreams you’re dreamin’ come to you / When the work you put in is realized / Let yourself feel the pride but / Always stay humble and kind.
Tim McGraw

Life is a long lesson in humility.
J.M. Barrie

We learned about gratitude and humility — that so many people had a hand in our success, from the teachers who inspired us to the janitors who kept our school clean … and we were taught to value everyone's contribution and treat everyone with respect. #
Michelle Obama

A great man is always willing to be little. #
Ralph Waldo Emerson

To be humble to superiors is duty; to equals, is courtesy; to inferiors, is nobleness.
Thomas More

There is no respect for others without humility in one's self.
Henri-Frédéric Amiel

Humility, I have learned, must never be confused with meekness. Humility is being open to the ideas of others.
Simone Sinek

It is no great thing to be humble when you are brought low; but to be humble when you are praised is a great and rare attainment.
Bernard of Clairvaux

Humility is attentive patience.
Simone Weil

Every person that you meet knows something you don’t; learn from them.
H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Humility is perfect quietness of heart … It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel no resentment when anything is done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me.
Andrew Murray

You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.
Walter Hagen

Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans.
Allen Saunders

Close your eyes and turn your face into the wind. Feel it sweep along your skin in an invisible ocean of exultation. Suddenly, you know you are alive.
Vera Nazarian

I dote on myself, there is that lot of me and all so luscious, / Each moment and whatever happens thrills me with joy, / … / A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books.
Walt Whitman

Give me a quiet life, give me trees, the wind through them, give me a sea and the song it sings. Give me heartbeats shared with those I love, give me peace and a long deep sleep.
Tyler Knott Gregson

There’s no time to be bored in a world as beautiful as this.
Unknown

She often climbed up the hill and lay there alone for the mere pleasure of feeling the wind and of rubbing her cheeks in the grass. Generally at such times she did not think of anything, but lay immersed in an inarticulate well-being.
Edith Wharton

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.
Lao Tzu

Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast — you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.
Eddie Cantor

Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder. #
E.B. White

Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat. In our mad rush for progress and modern improvements, let’s be sure we take along with us all the old-fashioned things worthwhile.
Laura Ingalls Wilder

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.
John Lubbock

It always pays to dwell slowly on the beautiful things — the more beautiful the more slowly.
Atticus

I fall in love every day. With new songs, dogs, scents, pieces of art, illusions, five-minute conversations, a sunset in my rearview mirror, a story. A written note. A daydream. What a pleasure it is.
Victoria Erickson

The simplest things are overlooked. And yet, it is the simplest things that are the most essential.
Thomas Lloyd Qualls

Many authors, artists, and philosophers have argued that no book should ever be banned, no matter how many people it may offend. As Salman Rushdie said, "What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist." Isaac Asimov, the science fiction author and former president of the American Humanist Association, put it this way: "Any book worth banning is a book worth reading."

Despite the consensus around free speech among some of our greatest writers and thinkers, a huge number of books in the United States are frequently challenged and often banned by school districts and libraries. Ironically, many of these banned books are considered classics — titles that could quite easily appear on a recommended reading list from a professor or literary critic.

Here is a selection of quotes from some of these frequently banned books, from Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to The Hunger Games.

Right is right, and wrong is wrong, and a body ain’t got no business doing wrong when he ain’t ignorant and knows better.
"Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain has been subject to bans since it was first published in 1885, due to misinterpretation of its racial subject matter and the use of historic vernacular that includes racial slurs.

It’s really a wonder that I haven’t dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.
"The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank was banned in 2010 by a Virginia school system for what it considered sexual content.

Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place… With us it ain’t like that. We got a future.
"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck has been banned or challenged more than 50 times since its publication in 1937 for, among other things, the use of racial slurs and stereotypes, offensive language, being "anti-business," and general "vulgarity."

I would like to believe this is a story I’m telling. I need to believe it. I must believe it. Those who can believe that such stories are only stories have a better chance.
"The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood has frequently been challenged or banned, including a recent banning in Texas for, among other things, being considered sexually explicit and "anti-Christian."

It had occurred to Pecola some time ago that if her eyes, those eyes that held the pictures, and knew the sights — if those eyes of hers were different, that is to say, beautiful, she herself would be different.
"The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison has been one of the most frequently banned books in the United States in recent decades, due to controversial topics including racism, incest, and child abuse.

If you were drifting with a thousand other people, could you really still say you were lost?
"Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult was banned in 2022 by a school district in Utah because of graphic but necessary depictions of a school shooting.

So many people enter and leave your life! Hundreds of thousands of people! You have to keep the door open so they can come in! But it also means you have to let them go!
"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer was one of the most banned and challenged books in the U.S. between 2010 and 2019, typically for its use of "lewd and possibly offensive materials."

As long as you can find yourself, you’ll never starve.
"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins is, perhaps surprisingly, one of the most banned books of the last decade; in 2010 alone, there were 348 cases involving the banning of the trilogy due to perceived insensitivity, offensive language, violence, occult/satanic content, and for being "anti-family" and "anti-ethnic."

About the Author
Tony is an English writer of non-fiction and fiction living on the edge of the Amazon jungle.

When you learn, teach. When you get, give.
Maya Angelou

To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own.
Abraham Lincoln

The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.
Pablo Picasso

We must give more in order to get more. It is the generous giving of ourselves that produces the generous harvest.
Orison Swett Marden

A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.
Steve Maraboli

There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.
Kahlil Gibran

There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.
John Holmes

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.
Lao Tzu

It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.
Mother Teresa

Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Giving is the master key to success, in all applications of human life.
Bryant McGill

Giving opens the way for receiving.
Florence Scovel Shinn

No one has ever become poor by giving.
Anne Frank

Money. Everyone has to deal with it in some way, shape, or form, but not everyone has the same relationship to it. For some, it represents status, stability, and power; for others, it is a means to an end or a proxy for something else — obligation, freedom, expectation, or success. As Rebecca Johnson, a contributing editor to Vogue, once said, "Money is the opposite of the weather. Nobody talks about it, but everybody does something about it."

Money is often tied up with the concept of wealth, though many great thinkers throughout history have made it a point to draw a distinction between being financially rich and living a happy life that is spiritually or emotionally rich. As a result, many of the best quotes about money tackle how it should be handled with caution: Accumulating money in the bank account does not guarantee a fulfilling life. On the contrary, making money without purpose can be disorienting, disillusioning, and dissatisfying.

Benjamin Franklin, whose countenance graces the $100 bill, had a lot to say about money, but one of his most memorable quotes addresses exactly this issue. "Who is rich?" he asked. "He that rejoices in his portion." In other words, it’s not actual physical money that will bring a person joy, but gratitude itself. Below are 15 quotes that tackle the intertwined topics of money and wealth, in an attempt to understand what it truly means to be "rich."


Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.
Epictetus

Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one.
Benjamin Franklin

Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver. It will give you the means for the satisfaction of your desires, but it will not provide you with desires. ###
Ayn Rand

You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.
Maya Angelou

Every day is a bank account, and time is our currency. No one is rich, no one is poor, we've got 24 hours each.
Christopher Rice

Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.
Warren Buffett

Money is of value for what it buys, and in love it buys time, place, intimacy, comfort, and a private corner alone.
Mae West

It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.
Seneca

Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant.
P.T. Barnum

Capital as such is not evil; it is its wrong use that is evil. Capital in some form or other will always be needed.
Mahatma Gandhi

There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich.
Marlene Dietrich

Money looks better in the bank than on your feet.
Sophia Amoruso

Many folks think they aren’t good at earning money, when what they don’t know is how to use it.
Frank A. Clark, politician

It’s good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it’s good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven’t lost the things that money can’t buy.
George Horace Lorimer, journalist

A wise person should have money in their head, but not in their heart.
Jonathan Swift

Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Turn the old; return to them. Things do not change; we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts.
Henry David Thoreau

It is preoccupation with possession, more than anything else, that prevents men from living freely and nobly.
Bertrand Russell

Reduce the complexity of life by eliminating the needless wants of life, and the labors of life reduce themselves.
Edwin Way Teale

We go on multiplying our conveniences only to multiply our cares. We increase our possessions only to the enlargement of our anxieties.
Anna Brackett

Owning less is better than organizing more.
Joshua Becker

If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.
William Morris

Minimalism is asking why before you buy.
Francine Jay

The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things.
Elise Boulding

Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest. By doing this, you can reset your life and embark on a new lifestyle.
Marie Kondo

Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important — so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.
Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus

Be a curator of your life. Slowly cut things out until you’re left only with what you love, with what’s necessary, with what makes you happy.
Leo Babauta

Minimalism is really about reassessment of priorities, so you can remove unnecessary things from your life; get rid of things like possessions, activities, and relationships that do not improve or bring value to your life
Jane Andrews

Buy less, choose well, make it last.
Vivienne Westwood

More was never the answer. The answer, it turned out, was always less.
Cait Flanders

Romance has been a beloved literary theme for centuries. From the grand love stories of Shakespearean dramas to poignant and personal modern tales, romance has been woven into the fabric of epic adventures, historical sagas, and heartbreaking tragedies alike.

The details of these passionate entanglements — the flutter of a first glance, the ache of an unattainable love — have the power to evoke visceral reactions and emotions. These stories explore human connection, often while transcending cultural boundaries.

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A great literary romance doesn’t just leave a lasting impression of witnessing someone else’s love story; it also taps into our own desires and vulnerabilities. It delves into the complexities of human relationships: the good, the bad, and, hopefully, the ultimate triumph of the heart over differences of all kinds.

This selection of 13 of the most romantic lines in literature will surely stir your heart, each its own testament to the enduring power of love in storytelling.

He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.
Leo Tolstoy, "Anna Karenina"

You are every reason, every hope, and every dream I've ever had, and no matter what happens to us in the future, every day we are together is the greatest day of my life. I will always be yours.
Nicholas Sparks, "The Notebook"

I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation [for falling in love with you] … I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.
Jane Austen, "Pride and Prejudice"

Wherever you are is my home — my only home.
Charlotte Brontë, "Jane Eyre"

For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough.
Diana Gabaldon, "Outlander"

Don’t ever think I fell for you, or fell over you. I didn’t fall in love, I rose in it.
Toni Morrison, "Jazz"

Do I love you? My God, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches.
William Goldman, "The Princess Bride"

Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.
Emily Brontë, "Wuthering Heights"

Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say good night till it be morrow.
William Shakespeare, "Romeo and Juliet"

I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be.
Charles Dickens, "Great Expectations"

I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I’m grateful.
John Green, "The Fault in Our Stars"

Those that truly love have roots that grow towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from their branches, they find that they are one tree and not two.
Louis de Bernières, "Captain Corelli’s Mandolin"

14 Times TV Comedies Perfectly Summed Up Love

Romantic relationships are often the emotional core of TV comedies. Sitcom romances are sometimes even more satisfying and suspenseful than those  featured on more dramatic shows, perhaps because they feel more unexpected.

The combination of the characters’ relatability, the slow burning will-they-won’t-they dynamics, and the humor and vulnerability behind the emotionally charged relationships makes the romances seem more authentic, accessible, and memorable.

From the enthralling entanglements of Friends to the quirky on-again, off-again roller coaster of New Girl’s Nick and Jess, these romantic quotes from comedic TV characters are sure to give you butterflies and make you say, "Awww!"

You make me happier than I ever thought I could be, and if you let me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel the same way.
Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) to Monica Geller (Courteney Cox) in "Friends"

It's like my life isn't even real to me unless you're there and you're in it and I'm sharing it with you.
Luke Danes (Scott Patterson) to Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) in "Gilmore Girls"

If I had to dream up the perfect woman, she wouldn't even come close to you.
Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) to Topanga Lawrence (Danielle Fishel) in "Boy Meets World"

The things that you have done for me … go above and beyond what any person deserves. You’re all I need. I love you and I like you.
Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) to Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott) in "Parks and Recreation"

I would marry you on the G Train in the summertime when the air conditioning is broken.
Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) to Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) in "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"

I want to raise this dog with you, and I want to have babies and eat good food and laugh and take care of each other. And I want it to start tonight. It's you and me. It's always been you and me.
Jessica Day (Zooey Deschanel) to Nick Miller (Jake Johnson) in "New Girl"

When you're a kid, you assume your parents are soulmates. My kids are gonna be right about that.
Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) in "The Office"

"Spectacular" takes on a much different meaning once a person's met you.
Benjamin Ettenberg (Zachary Levi) to Midge Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"

I spent my whole life not knowing what right was supposed to feel like. And then I met you, and everything changed. You make me feel right.
Patrick Brewer (Noah Reid) to David Rose (Dan Levy) in "Schitt’s Creek"

When I first met you, I thought you were the most annoying person I’d ever met … I hated how you believed that life could be better than it was. And yet, here we are. And my life is so much better than it was — because of you.
Amy (America Ferrera) to Jonah (Ben Feldman) in "Superstore"

If soulmates do exist, they're not found, they're made.
Michael (Ted Danson) in "The Good Place"

We are made of particles that have existed since the moment the universe began. I like to think those atoms traveled 14 billion years through time and space to create us so that we could be together and make each other whole.
Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) to Penny (Kaley Cuoco) in "The Big Bang Theory"

Love is totally nonsensical. But we have to keep doing it, or else we’re lost, and love is dead, and humanity should just pack it in. Because love is the best thing we do.
Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) in "How I Met Your Mother"

When I was growing up, I didn’t have … a regular family like everybody else. And I always knew that something was missing. But now … I have everything I’m ever gonna need. You are my family.
Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow) to Mike Hannigan (Paul Rudd) in "Friends"

About the Author
Nicole is a writer, thrift store lover, and group-chat meme spammer based in Ontario, Canada.

For once touched by love, everyone becomes a poet.
Plato

A multitude of words is no proof of a prudent mind.
Thales of Miletus

Chance favors only the prepared mind. [Work Ethic]
Louis Pasteur

Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone. [Zen]
Alan Watts

The chief danger in life is that you may take too many precautions. [Be comfortable with risks. Adventures and the unforseen are good.]
Alfred Adler

Words empowered by justice can never be silenced. [Truth]
Isabel Ibañez

Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its troubles, but it empties it of its strength.
George Seaton Bowes

For some identify happiness with virtue, some with practical wisdom, others with a kind of philosophic wisdom, others with these, or one of these, accompanied by pleasure or not without pleasure.
Aristotle

Do not let habit, born from experience, force you along this road, directing aimless eye and echoing ear and tongue; but judge by reason the much contested proof which I have spoken.
Parmenides

All is flux, nothing is stationary.
Heraclitus

He who is not satisfied with a little, is satisfied with nothing.
Epicurus

Fame and wealth without wisdom are unsafe possessions.
Democritus

Only the educated are free.
Epictetus

Wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder.
Socrates

All formal dogmatic religions are fallacious and must never be accepted by self-respecting persons as final.
Hypatia of Alexandria

Everything in excess is opposed to nature.
Hippocrates

First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.
Epictetus

The unexamined life is not worth living.
Socrates

The greatest reward of righteousness is peace of mind.
Epicurus

Force has no place where there is need of skill.
Herodotus

We should venture on the study of every kind of animal without distaste; for each and all will reveal to us something natural and something beautiful.
Aristotle

Everything flows, and nothing abides, everything gives way, and nothing stays fixed.
Heraclitus

Of all the means which wisdom acquires to ensure happiness throughout the whole of life, by far the most important is friendship.
Epicurus

I myself know nothing, except just a little, enough to extract an argument from another man who is wise and to receive it fairly.
Socrates

Neither family, nor privilege, nor wealth, nor anything but Love can light that beacon which a man must steer by when he sets out to live the better life.
Plato

It is difficulties that show what men are.
Epictetus

No thing great is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.
Epictetus

A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.
Christopher Reeve

It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.#
Vince Lombardi

You are your possibilities. If you know that, you can do anything.
Oprah Winfrey

Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.
Martin Luther King Jr.

To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.
Oscar Wilde

There are darknesses in life, and there are lights; you are one of the lights.
Bram Stoker

A hug is like a boomerang — you get it back right away.
Bil Keane

It is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change.
Queen Elizabeth II

Courage is only an accumulation of small steps.
György Konrád

Courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own.
Michelle Obama

A depressing and difficult passage has prefaced every new page I have turned in life.
Charlotte Brontë

Remember never to say that you are alone, for you are not alone.
Epictetus

Here; you've been carrying that alone for a long time. Let me carry it with you awhile.
Julie Berry

Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.
Anonymous

Sometimes the right hug from the right person at the exact right time makes all the wrong in the world disappear.
Sarah Ockler

Heavy hearts, like heavy clouds in the sky, are best relieved by the letting of a little water.
Antoine Rivarol

Never smother your sorrow, but tend and cherish it, till it come to have a separate and integral interest.
Henry David Thoreau

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place.
Lance Armstrong

Sometimes it’s OK if the only thing you did today was breathe.
Yumi Sakugawa

The Sun himself is weak when he first rises, and gathers strength and courage as the day gets on.
Charles Dickens

Tough times never last, but tough people do!
Robert H. Schuller

There isn’t always an explanation for everything.
Ernest Hemingway

I have learned that there is more power in a good strong hug than in a thousand meaningful words.
Ann Hood

Confronting our feelings and giving them appropriate expression always takes strength, not weakness.
Fred Rogers

Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.
Joseph Campbell

I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Steve Jobs

Days are expensive. When you spend a day you have one less day to spend. So make sure you spend each one wisely.
Jim Rohn

You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.
John C. Maxwell

The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.
Janet Champ and Charlotte Moore

I’m always thinking about creating … I’m grateful and I can’t wait to wake up, because there’s something new to do and try every day. Every day I find something creative to do with my life.
Miles Davis



Our goal should be to get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually.
Abraham Joshua Heschel

Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.
Jack Kornfield

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.
William Blake

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.
Eleanor Roosevelt

You know what happens when you say "hello" or "good morning"? You make a connection. And isn’t that what being human is all about?
Philip Rosenthal


Lose an hour in the morning, and you will spend all day looking for it.
Richard Whately

she woke up / every morning / with the option / of being anyone she wished / how beautiful it was / that she always chose / herself
Tyler Kent White

To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.
Anatole France

You can’t go back and make a new start, but you can start right now and make a brand new ending.
James R. Sherman

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don’t go back to sleep.
Rumi

That is just the point: how the world, moist and bountiful, calls to each of us to make a new and serious response. That’s the big question, the one the world throws at you every morning. "Here you are, alive. Would you like to make a comment?"
Mary Oliver

Remember how cool you thought it would be to finally be an adult when you were growing up? Well, now that you're older you probably realized it's a lot different than you imagined, both in good and bad ways.
Amber Tamblyn in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Warner Bros. Pictures / Courtesy Alamy

When Redditor u/WOT247 asked "Adults of Reddit, what is something every teenager should know about 'the real world'?" people had some pretty insightful things to say. Here are some of the most noteworthy responses:

#1."Nobody really knows what they're doing."
Beanie Feldstein in Booksmart

United Artists Releasing / Courtesy Alamy
2."Everything is expensive when you move out."

3."Being popular in high school means absolutely NOTHING in the real world! So don't worry about it."
Alicia Silverstone and Stacey Dash in Clueless

Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Alamy
#4."Friendships take maintenance."

#5."During high school, learning how to learn is more important than anything you're actually learning."
Jonathan Bennett and Lindsay Lohan in Mean Girls

6."Don't worry about not having the respect of people you don't respect."

#7."Sometimes you'll only have yourself to rely on."
Emma Stone in Easy A

Sony Pictures Releasing / Courtesy Alamy
#8."Your job sees you as replaceable. Look out for yourself and your family. Your job is not everything, but it will feel like it is. Make sure that if you don't like where you are that you change it. Don't be miserable at a job because it pays well."

#9."Don't take criticism from people you wouldn't ask for advice."
Janelle Monáe in Hidden Figures

20th Century Fox / Courtesy Alamy
#10."Comparison is the thief of joy."

11."People lie. Just because they're an adult doesn't mean they always tell the truth."
Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde

MGM / Courtesy Alamy
12."Life never 'settles down.' If something is important to you then you should get to it ASAP."

#13."You don't become an adult just because you stopped being a teenager."
Scarlett Johansson and Thora Birch in Ghostworld

MGM / Courtesy Alamy
#14."Whatever it is that you want, you have to work very very hard to get it. There is no easy way. AND save every single penny you get, you WILL have an emergency when you WILL need it."

15."You can work hard and do all the right things and it doesn't guarantee success. You can be the kindest, best person for others and they can still betray you, but that doesn't mean you should not be kind and work hard."
Emma Stone in The Help

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Alamy
16."For better or for worse, confidence opens as many doors as competence." #

17."There is a huge chance the people you call your closest friends now, won't be in your life in the upcoming years."
The kids in the main cast of The Summer I Turned Pretty sitting on a couch

Courtesy Amazon Prime Video
18."The ones that'll hurt you most are those closest to you."

19."Learn how to manage money. Too many young people get deep into debt because they don't know how to save or how credit cards actually work. Remember that there is an order of where your money goes: Rent and bills must come first and foremost, then everything else."
A person pulling $1 out of a wallet

Boy_anupong / Getty Images
20."You are not entitled to anything. Nobody owes you anything! Work hard, save, make smart decisions, and surround yourself with like-minded people."

21."It's OK to make mistakes but learn from your mistakes and move on."
Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion

Buena Vista Pictures / Courtesy Alamy
#22."People matter more than things."

#23."Don't be in a hurry to grow up. Being an adult sucks."

"Comparison is the thief of Joy."  A gem of wisdom & a blinding flash of the obvious.

************
16: Wear cologne.
Why aren’t more men doing this?
The human brain remembers scent more than any other sensory experience.
Smelling good is never a bad idea.

In the West, evil is personified in the devil. In the East, it is greed, fear, hate, anger, ...

The value of money.

RULES TO TEACH YOUR SON
1. Never shake a man’s hand sitting down.
2. Don’t enter a pool by the stairs.
3. The man at the BBQ Grill is the closest thing to a king.
4. In a negotiation, never make the first offer.
5. Request the late check-out.
6. When entrusted with a secret, keep it.
7. Hold your heroes to a higher standard.
8. Return a borrowed car with a full tank of gas.
9. Play with passion or don’t play at all…
10. When shaking hands, grip firmly and look them in the eye.
11. Don’t let a wishbone grow where a backbone should be.
12. If you need music on the beach, you’re missing the point.
13. Carry two handkerchiefs. The one in your back pocket is for you. The one in your breast pocket is for her.
14. You marry the girl, you marry her family.
15. Be like a duck. Remain calm on the surface and paddle like crazy underneath.
16. Experience the serenity of traveling alone.
17. Never be afraid to ask out the best looking girl in the room.
18. Never turn down a breath mint.
19. A sport coat is worth 1000 words.
20. Try writing your own eulogy. Never stop revising.
21. Thank a veteran. Then make it up to him.
22. Eat lunch with the new kid.
23. After writing an angry email, read it carefully. Then delete it.
24. Ask your mom to play. She won’t let you win.
25. Manners maketh the man.
26. Give credit. Take the blame.
27. Stand up to Bullies. Protect those bullied.
28. Write down your dreams.
29. Take time to snuggle your pets, they love you so much and are always happy to see you.
30. Be confident and humble at the same time.
31. If ever in doubt, remember whose son you are and REFUSE to just be ordinary!
32. In all things lead by example not explanation.
33. Dress how you want to be addressed
34. BE BLESSED BY BEING A BLESSING

Jainism’s first and most fundamental truth is to reduce harm to living things at all costs. This compassionate tenet is a core part of the texts and teachings of the ancient Indian religion, which has roots as far back as the first century BCE and is still an integral part of the culture today. Jainism’s spiritual goal is to attain the liberation of the soul; although living with nonviolence is the primary path to attain it, Jains also have a strong environmental ethic, demonstrated through practicing vegetarianism and taking great care of the world around them.

At the heart of Jainism are its core principles, known as the "three jewels," or "ratnatraya": right belief, right knowledge, and right conduct. Right belief emphasizes not simply believing what you’re told, but avoiding preconceptions in order to see clearly. Right knowledge encourages an understanding of the universe and studying to attain enlightenment. Right conduct emphasizes understanding and practicing Jainism’s ethical rules of nonviolence, truthfulness, non-stealing, and detachment from material possessions.

Jainism has had many supreme leaders — known as tirthankaras — throughout its history. Some of the prominent tirthankaras include Parshvanatha, the 23rd tirthankara, and Mahavira, the most recent and 24th tirthankara of Jainism. Other monks, such as Kundakunda, also had a profound impact on the religion. Mahavira, who lived in the sixth century BCE, is considered to have reformed the tradition of Jainism into how it is practiced today. Many great scholars have also studied the tirthankaras’ revered work and contributed their own wisdom to the teachings of Jainism.

These quotes, taken from ancient Jain texts and more contemporary scholars, provide insights into Jainism’s fundamentals, and offer a comforting read through its peaceful nature.

Nonviolence is the greatest religion.
Mahavira, 24th tirthankara

Compassion to others is compassion to one's own self.
Sivarya, Jain monk

The most important principle of environment is that you are not the only element.
Mahavira

The universe is not for man alone, but is a theater of evolution for all living beings. Live and let live is its guiding principle.
Virchand Gandhi, Jain scholar

Don’t accumulate if you do not need.
Mahavira

Souls render service to one another.
Umaswati, Jain scholar

I am neither anger, nor pride, nor deceit, nor greed.
Kundakunda, Jain monk

Do unto others as you would like to be done by.
Mahavira

This is my country, that is your country; these are the conceptions of narrow souls — to the liberal-minded the whole world is a family.
Virchand Gandhi

A living body is not merely an integration of limbs and flesh but it is the abode of the soul which potentially has perfect perception, perfect knowledge, perfect power, and perfect bliss.
Mahavira

Right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct together constitute the path to liberation.
Umaswati

Anger begets more anger, and forgiveness and love lead to more forgiveness and love.
Mahavira

The self that has developed equanimity, if endowed with pure activities, attains heavenly happiness.
Kundakunda

Nonviolence and kindness to living beings is kindness to oneself.
Mahavira

About the Author
Nicole is a writer, thrift store lover, and group-chat meme spammer based in Ontario, Canada.

Dogs look up to you, cats look down on you. Give me a pig! He looks you in the eye and treats you as an equal.
Winston Churchill

There is, incidentally, no way of talking about cats that enables one to come off as a sane person.
Dan Greenburg

A horse is dangerous at both ends and uncomfortable in the middle.
Ian Fleming

I love [cats] … They are so nice and selfish. Dogs are TOO good and unselfish. They make me feel uncomfortable. But cats are gloriously human.
Lucy Maud Montgomery

Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people.
W.C. Fields

What do dogs do on their day off? They can’t lie around — that’s their job.
George Carlin

A fish tank is just interactive television for cats.
Oliver Gaspirtz

Anybody who doesn’t know what soap tastes like never washed a dog.
Franklin P. Jones

Always let your conscience be your guide.
The Blue Fairy (Evelyn Venable) in "Pinocchio," 1940

Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.
Rafiki (Robert Guillaume) in "The Lion King," 1994

#Love is putting someone else’s needs before yours.
Olaf (Josh Gad) in "Frozen," 2013

When life gets you down, you know what you’ve gotta do? Just keep swimming.
Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) in "Finding Nemo," 2003

The world keeps spinning, and the tales keep turning, and people come and people go, but they’re never forgotten.
Le Muerte (Kate del Castillo) in "The Book of Life," 2014

Sometimes our strengths lie beneath the surface.
Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) in "Moana," 2016

You are who you choose to be.
Hogarth Hughes (Eli Marienthal) in "The Iron Giant," 1999

It’s easy to harden your heart. But to open it — that’s the toughest thing you can do.
Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt) in "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part," 2019

There are those who say fate is something beyond our command, that our destiny is not our own. But I know better. Our fate lives within us; you only have to be brave enough to see it.
Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald) in "Brave," 2012

It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends.
Albus Dumbledore (Richard Harris) in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone," 2001

Try to make the world a better place. Look inside yourself and recognize that change starts with you.
Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) in "Zootopia," 2016

In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and SNAP! The job’s a game.
Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) in "Mary Poppins," 1964

The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.
The Emperor (Pat Morita) in "Mulan," 1998

Nothing is more important than family.
Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) in "Coco," 2017

Have faith in your dreams, and someday, your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.
Cinderella (Ilene Woods) in "Cinderella," 1950

Just because I cannot see it, doesn’t mean I can’t believe it.
Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon) in "The Nightmare Before Christmas," 1993

If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with.
Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) in "The Wizard of Oz," 1939

Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind — or forgotten.
Stitch (Chris Sanders) in "Lilo & Stitch," 2002

You must be imaginative, strong-hearted. You must try things that may not work, and you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul … Only the fearless can be great.
Gusteau (Brad Garrett) in "Ratatouille," 2007

Most of us have those books: You know, the ones that sit on our shelves for years, staring at us, intimidating us with their page lengths and making us feel guilty because we haven’t found the time or motivation to read them yet. They’re the books that show up again and again on demanding lists of "books to read before you die."

We know we should read these books, and we definitely will — eventually. After all, they’re featured on the aforementioned distinguished lists for good reason. The lessons and characters in these novels sometimes reach across centuries and continents to speak to our hearts and minds, to broaden our horizons, and to completely shift our perspective on the meaning of life.

But gaining the motivation to read a 500-page book can feel impossible when scrolling on our phone is more accessible and often more immediately gratifying. So don’t feel guilty if you haven’t read the books on this list — after all, the shortest (East of Eden) clocks in at a cool 600-700 pages, and a few others have an eye-popping page count of more than 1,000.

So while we certainly understand why starting any of these books may feel like a daunting task, we hope these quotes will make their respective tomes feel more accessible and maybe even inspire you to crack one of them open at long last.

Neither good nor evil can last for ever; and so it follows that as evil has lasted a long time, good must now be close at hand.  #
Miguel de Cervantes, "Don Quixote"

Considered by many to be the first modern novel, this epic follows a man who seeks to become the kind of chivalrous, romantic knight-errant he’s read about. It also somehow manages to be as funny now as it was when it was first published in the early 1600s.

Seize the moments of happiness, love and be loved! That is the only reality in the world, all else is folly.
Leo Tolstoy, "War and Peace"   #

This 1869 behemoth follows a number of Russian aristocratic families during and after Napoleon’s invasion of Russia as they go to war and attempt to find love and spiritual fulfillment.

Love loves to love love.
James Joyce, "Ulysses"

Taking place over the course of one day (June 16, 1904, to be exact), this 1922 novel uses stream of consciousness to explore the world and relationships of its three main characters: Leopold Bloom, his wife Molly, and Stephen Dedalus.

Now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.
John Steinbeck, "East of Eden"

This 1952 epic, which Steinbeck himself said contained "everything … I have been able to learn about my craft or profession in all these years," is an allegory for the first four chapters of the Bible’s Book of Genesis.

All human wisdom is contained in these words: Wait and hope!
Alexandre Dumas, "The Count of Monte Cristo"

Inspired by the true story of François Piçaud, a man wrongly imprisoned for seven years, this classic revenge tale from the mid-1840s follows Edmond Dantès as he seeks to punish those responsible for his plight.

What loneliness is more lonely than distrust?
George Eliot, "Middlemarch"

Subtitled "A Study of Provincial Life," George Eliot’s masterpiece was originally published in eight volumes throughout 1871 and 1872. The story weaves an intricate web of characters as it examines the complexities of social class and marriage.

I know not all that may be coming, but be it what it will, I’ll go to it laughing.
Herman Melville, "Moby-Dick"

Readers may be turned off by the detailed descriptions of whaling, but beyond that, Melville’s 1841 novel (also known as The Whale) is an enthralling story of how unchecked obsession can blind us and result in our own destruction. #

Not being heard is no reason for silence.
Victor Hugo, "Les Misérables"

What whaling is to Moby-Dick, extensive descriptions of the Paris sewer system are to Les Misérables. But as any musical theater fan can tell you, this 1885 novel about escaped convict Jean Valjean is also a sweeping tale of injustice, heroism, and romance.

A word in earnest is as good as a speech.
Charles Dickens, "Bleak House"

Dickens was undeniably a man who enjoyed spinning a long yarn, but this 1852 novel is his longest by page count (roughly 900). Bleak House shines a light on the legal system, revealing the devastating effects and injustices of a seemingly endless lawsuit.

Try to learn to let what is unfair teach you.
David Foster Wallace, "Infinite Jest"   # Learn from the bad things that happen to you.

This 1996 book is notoriously complex, using an unusual narrative structure and roughly 200 pages of footnotes to explore the ceaseless American pursuit of entertainment and the consequences that pursuit incurs.

Nowadays almost all capable people are terribly afraid of being ridiculous, and are miserable because of it.
Fyodor Dostoevsky, "The Brothers Karamazov"

Another Russian lit classic, Dostoevsky’s gripping 1880 novel is a combination of a courtroom drama and a murder mystery that takes a look at philosophical questions concerning free will, morality, faith, and doubt.

Even in a place of sorrow, time passes. Even in a place of joy. Do not assume that either keeps life from continuing.
Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, "The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois"

Jeffers’ astonishing 2021 debut novel spans 200 years, examining feminism, family, and race as it traces the history of an African American family through historical events including the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement, up until present day.

This topic would actually come at the end of the list and might be more appropriate to high school students.

Mental models play a significant role in our cognition, reasoning, and decision-making. These internal representations of external reality help us anticipate events and shape our behavior. It is a fascinating concept:

Definition: A mental model is an internal construct that the mind uses to create "small-scale models" of reality. These models help us understand how things work, influence our actions, and guide problem-solving approaches1.
Origins: The term "mental model" was coined by Kenneth Craik in 1943. He proposed that our minds construct these models to anticipate events based on incomplete facts, past experiences, and intuitive perceptions1.
Construction: Mental models are swiftly formed, often even before interacting with a website or product. They are based on our past experiences, beliefs, and assumptions. For instance, when encountering a new situation, we draw upon mental models to navigate it effectively2.

Problem Solving: Mental models act like personal algorithms, guiding our approach to solving problems1.
Understanding Complexity: When faced with intricate situations, mental models help us focus on relevant aspects and filter out noise2.

Mental Models: Learn How to Think Better and Gain a Mental Edge (jamesclear.com)

Mental models help you understand life. For example, supply and demand is a mental model that helps you understand how the economy works. Game theory is a mental model that helps you understand how relationships and trust work. Entropy is a mental model that helps you understand how disorder and decay work.

Mental models also guide your perception and behavior. They are the thinking tools that you use to understand life, make decisions, and solve problems. Learning a new mental model gives you a new way to see the world—like Richard Feynman learning a new math technique.

To quote Charlie Munger, "80 or 90 important models will carry about 90% of the freight in making you a worldly-wise person. And, of those, only a mere handful really carry very heavy freight."

1. “It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent.”
Stay away from things you don’t understand and remain within your circle of competence.
Intelligence is really about decision-making, so do whatever you can to avoid bad ones.

2. “Mimicking the herd invites regression to the mean.”
If you do what everyone else does, guess what?
You’ll keep getting the same results everyone else gets, which usually lead to disappointment and outcomes you don’t want.
To be different from the herd, you have to think and act differently and, of course, be right.

3. “I succeeded because I have a long attention span.”
Dabbling here and there won’t get you better-than-average results.
You need to be more focused, dedicated, and consistent than the herd.
Munger himself was a perfect example.
He spent a huge amount of time reading, and anyone who reads a lot knows that takes serious focus.

4. “Smart people aren’t exempt from professional disasters from overconfidence.”
Having the right temperament is far more valuable than being extremely intelligent.
Just because you’re smart doesn’t mean you can control your emotions. History proves that over and over again.
Smart people make dumb decisions all the time. Don’t be one of them.

5. “I think that one should recognize reality even when one doesn’t like it; indeed, especially when one doesn’t like it.”
You need to hear truths you don’t want to hear.
It might hurt your ego. It might sting.
But if you want to grow, you have to listen to things your ears don’t enjoy.

6. “The desire to get rich fast is pretty dangerous.”
Getting rich quickly doesn’t magically solve all your problems.
Money gives you options, but it doesn’t necessarily increase happiness.
Real wealth takes time.
Spend less than you earn, invest the difference, and play the long game.

7. “I try to get rid of people who always confidently answer questions about which they don’t have any real knowledge.”
Know-it-alls come across as arrogant.
And honestly, nobody likes one.
More often than not, they’re just covering up gaps in their knowledge and their own insecurities.

8. “There’s no way that you can live an adequate life without many mistakes.”
Mistakes don’t define you.
What matters is how you respond to them and whether you actually learn from them.
That’s what counts.

9. “You should never, when faced with one unbelievable tragedy, let one tragedy increase into two or three because of a failure of will.”
If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.
Reassess. Figure out what’s going wrong. Get to the root of the problem.
Then adjust your approach and go again.
Don’t let things spiral out of control.

10. “If you don’t know how to think, you’ll always be a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest.”
If you can’t think for yourself and make your own decisions, you’re at a serious disadvantage.
Just like someone with one leg would struggle in a fight, someone who can’t think clearly will struggle to get ahead.

5 Mental Models to Think Like a Strategic Genius
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5SBcAuqCSg&t=10s

0:00 - How to become a more strategic thinker - think strategically - one where you can plug in the facts and get a decision result. He got them from chess.
1:38 - Control the Center - the high ground - Where is the center of the board and how to get your pieces there.
How to lose 15 pounds? You have many options. What is the cventer? Lose weight or exercise. Which works better? Science says eating less. First - Focus on what you can control.
4:50 - The True Value of a Piece - Know them, especially in any position. 
7:04 - Position Over Submission - Position yourself to succeed. Be patient to set yourself to get there.
10:00 - Owning tThe Initiative - Which player is dictating the action. Which one is acting, which one is re-acting. Creates momentum, but has to be started. 
13:10 - The Hardest Move to Find - A tactical retreat (especially for knights). 
*** Moving back can be needed to move forward.
16:04 - How to go even deeper - 

We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us.
~ Marcel Proust #

Success isn't about how your life looks to others, but how it feels to you. ???
The best way to learn is by understanding, not memorization. Use whatever you can though.

Thankfully, perseverance is a great substitute for talent. 
It's pain that changes our lives.
Steve Martin.

#Don't Compare. The only person you should try to beat is who you were yesterday.

At the end of the day, you are enough exactly as you are . Meghan Markle

You don’t meet the people you love, you recognize them.
Anna Gavalda

"The more you sense the rareness and value of your own life, the more you realise that how you use it, how you manifest it, is all your responsibility. We face such a big task, so naturally we sit down for a while." — Kobun Chino Otogawa
The more you realize how unique you are, the more youy will recognize your value and responsibility.

It’s about teaching a culture how to treat you. Because at the end of the day, you define you.
Viola Davis

#I don’t want anyone who doesn’t want me.
Oprah Winfrey

In art and dream may you proceed with abandon. In life may you proceed with balance and stealth.
Patti Smith

#I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is."
Kurt Vonnegut

Every day I discover more and more beautiful things; it’s enough to drive one mad; I have such a desire to do everything, my head is bursting with it.
Claude Monet

The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely.
Louisa May Alcott

Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.
Stephen Hawking

#There are years that ask questions and years that answer.
Zora Neale Hurston

You must not ever stop being whimsical. And you must not, ever, give anyone else the responsibility for your life.
Mary Oliver

#Whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality.
Conan O'Brien

Adults are always asking kids what they want to be when they grow up because they are looking for ideas.
Paula Poundstone

#Even the most positive people have negative thoughts. The secret is not to feed them.
#A wise man makes his own opinions. An ignorant man follows public opinion.
#The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the most of what they have.
Master the day. Then do it every day.

One shouldn't just hope to be treated well. One must insist on it.
Abraham Verghese

#All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveller is unaware.
Martin Buber

#In the end, what we regret most are the chances we never took.
Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) in "Frasier"

This is no time to be making new enemies.
attributed to Voltaire, Machiavelli, and others

#A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds. Francis Bacon

Patience is a necessary ingredient of genius. Benjamin Dosraeli

Comfort can be dangerous. Comfort provides a floor, but also a ceiling. Trevor Noah.

You'll never find a rainbow if you are looking down. Charly Chaplin

Saying and doing small, simple expressions of gratitude every day yields big rewards. When people feel recognized as special and appreciated, they’re happier in that relationship and more motivated to make the relationship better and stronger.
Terri Orbuch, PhD

Bus stop, wet day / She's there, I say / Please share my umbrella / Bus stops, bus goes / She stays, love grows / Under my umbrella / All that summer we enjoyed it / Wind and rain and shine / That umbrella, we employed it / By August she was mine.
"Bus Stop," The Hollies, 1966

To truly cherish the things that are important to you, you must first discard those that have outlived their purpose.
Marie Kondo

#It is always important to know when something has reached its end. Closing circles, shutting doors, finishing chapters, it doesn’t matter what we call it; what matters is to leave in the past those moments in life that are over.
Paulo Coelho

I think it’s important to have closure in any relationship that ends — from a romantic relationship to a friendship. You should always have a sense of clarity at the end and know why it began and why it ended. You need that in your life to move cleanly into your next phase.
Jennifer Aniston

We all lose somebody we care about and want to find some comforting way of dealing with it, something that will give us a little closure, a little peace.
Mitch Albom

You don’t have to let that one thing be the thing that defines you.
Jojo Moyes

Closure isn’t closure until someone’s ready to close the door.
Jonathan Maberry

There’s a trick to the Graceful Exit. It begins with the vision to recognize when a job, a life stage, a relationship is over — and to let go. It means leaving what’s over without denying its validity or its past importance in our lives. It involves a sense of future, a belief that every exit line is an entry, that we are moving on rather than out.
Ellen Goodm

#Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.
Robert Waldinger

Judy Garland
#There are about 15 years that you can be young. All the rest, you are a grown-up. I think you appreciate being a grown-up much better, if you don’t try to be that way too soon. #
I believe that if you are lonely sometimes, you should accept it, without feeling that life has treated you badly. There are lonely moments in all lives. Even when you are in a crowd, a feeling of loneliness can wash over you. Remember that other people in the same crowd may be feeling the same way.
I can live without money, but I cannot live without love.


Elvis Presley
To judge a man by his weakest link or deed is like judging the power of the ocean by one wave.
Money's meant to be spread around. The more happiness it helps create, the more it’s worth. It's worthless as old cut-up paper if it just lies in a bank and grows there without ever having been used to help a body.
Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain’t goin’ away.
I figure all any kid needs is hope and the feeling he or she belongs. If I could do or say anything that would give some kid that feeling, I would believe I had contributed something to the world.
Money can never buy everything your heart desires. It won't buy love, or health, or true happiness.
My momma taught me one thing right from the very beginning, and that's that everyone's got a right to his own opinion. I believe that. And I also believe that you can't make everyone like you.
I watch my audience and listen to them, and I know we are all getting something out of our system. None of us knows what it is. The important thing is that we’re getting rid of it and nobody’s getting hurt.
I've had a pretty good lesson in human nature. It’s more important to try to surround yourself with people who can give you a little happiness, because you only pass through this life once, Jack. You don’t come back for an encore.

Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated. # Empathy.
H. Jackson Brown Jr.

From stregnth comes weaknesses. From weakness comes stregnths.

I lost myself when I learned how to please.
Glennon Doyle

What the superior man seeks is in himself; what the small man seeks is in others.
Confucius
***

The best relationships aren’t built on partners mostly telling each other what’s wrong. They’re built on partners mostly telling each other what’s right.
Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman

Poverty is the mother of crime - Marcus Aurelius. [Sometimes]

Ye cannot live for yourselves; a thousand fibres connect you with your fellow-men, and along those fibres, as along sympathetic threads, run your actions as causes, and return to you as effects.
Henry Melvill

There's a marked difference between acquaintances and friends. Most people really don't become friends. They become deep and serious acquaintances. But in a friendship you get to know the spirit of another person; and your values coincide.

I believe the greatest gift I can conceive of having from anyone is to be seen, heard, understood and touched by them. The greatest gift I can give is to see, hear, understand and touch another person. When this is done, I feel contact has been made.
Virginia Satir

Know the ways of the ones who take care of you, so that you may take care of them.
Robin Wall Kimmerer

A man's friendships are one of the best measures of his worth.
Charles Darwin

Align yourself with the right people, forge the right relationships and you’ll set yourself up for the long run.
Daymond John

One friend with whom you have a lot in common is better than three with whom you struggle to find things to talk about.
Mindy Kaling

As you go through life, one learns that if you don't paddle your own canoe, you don't move.
Catherine Hepburn

We can’t all, and some of us don’t. That’s all there is to it.

Joan Didion Quotes :
Life changes in the instant. The ordinary instant.
[Only one who has loved would understand that.]

Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.
Mary Shelley, "Frankenstein"

You can’t influence fate, or change what’s out of your control. But you can choose what you yourself do with the cards you’re dealt.
Ruth Ware, "The Death of Mrs. Westaway"

Happiness is not a possession to be prized, it is a quality of thought, a state of mind.
Daphne Du Maurier, "Rebecca"

“Where would be the merit if heroes were never afraid?”
— Alphonse Daudet, "Tartarin de Tarascon"

Benjamin Franklin compiled a list of 13 virtues that acted as guiding principles for his character and behavior.

They are:

Temperance: Eat not to dullness and drink not to elevation.
Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.
Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.
Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.
Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself.
Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.
Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
Justice: Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forebear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation.
Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring; Never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

I love the idea of creating a list of virtues. In doing so, Benjamin Franklin laid the groundwork for a productive daily schedule that reflected his values. He also made sure his time and energy were pointed in the right direction.

Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every New Year find you a better man.

#Diligence is the mother of good luck.

Love your enemies, for they tell you your faults.

He that would live in peace and at ease, must not speak all he knows or judge all he sees.

Great beauty, great strength, and great riches are really and truly of no great use; a right heart exceeds all.

He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.

The sting of a reproach, is the truth of it.

Reading makes a full man, meditation a profound man, discourse a clear man.

Beware of little expenses: A small leak will sink a great ship.

Hide not your talents, they for use were made: What’s a sun-dial in the shade?

Do you love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.

Well done is better than well said.

Glass, china, and reputation, are easily crack’d, and never well mended.

He that lies down with Dogs, shall rise up with fleas.

#Genius without education is like silver in the mine.

If man could have half his wishes, he would double his troubles.

The poor have little, beggars none, the rich too much, enough not one.

Don’t throw stones at your neighbors, if your own windows are glass.

#A true friend is the best possession.

#Wish not so much to live long as to live well.

Among the many things he said about personal finance, these four are drawn from "The Way to Wealth," a collection of adages and advice published in 1758 that were imparted in previous "Almanack" writings.
"There are no gains without pains," he wrote.
"Think what you do when you run in debt; you give to another power over your liberty."
"For age and want, save while you may; no morning sun lasts a whole day."
"We must add frugality, if we would make our industry more certainly successful,"

https://medium.com/change-your-mind/13-one-line-quotes-from-one-of-the-most-important-people-in-history-8d5770978ed3

Founding father, scientist, politician, inventor, diplomat, entrepreneur, and you could even argue the original father of self-development, Benjamin Franklin, was a hell of a person, to say the least, who’ll forever have his name etched into history.

1. “You may delay, but time will not.” #
Time doesn’t wait for anyone, and it definitely won’t wait for us, no matter how high and mighty we think we are.

Have a sense of urgency because sooner or later, whenever that may be, our time will eventually come to an abrupt end.

2. “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” #
Money can be taken away from you, but knowledge, though?

Not only does knowledge have an unlimited ROI, but the real beauty of knowledge is that it can never be taken away.

3. “Well done is better than well said.”
Talk is cheap, and anyone can make promises, give advice, and say the right things.

Ultimately, though, that doesn’t matter.

What matters is that we follow through on what you said we were going to do through action.

4. “Never leave that till tomorrow, which you can do today.”
Anything that can be done now should be done now.

This one reminds me of something Marcus Aurelius once said:

“You could be good today but instead you choose tomorrow.”

5. “A penny saved is a penny earned.”
Blowing all our money and never saving any has never been a wise decision.

Saving money matters. Knowing that we have enough to get by (and then some) goes a long way in keeping psychological peace.

6. “The wise man draws more advantage from his enemies than the fool from his friends.”
Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, and pay attention.

You’ll soon notice that your ‘enemies’ can teach you more than what you ever thought was possible.

7. “Anger is never without a reason but seldom with a good one.”
All behaviour makes sense with enough information, even anger.

However, one rarely has a good enough reason to become angry at the world.

Out of all the human emotions, anger is easily one of the most destructive and pointless.

8. “Being ignorant is not so much a shame as being unwilling to learn.”
It’s fine not to know something.

However, it’s not okay to never want to learn, remain curious, and improve as a person.

9. “Either write things worth reading or do things worth writing.”
The aim should be to create something of value.

In Franklin’s case, this would either be:

A) Write something of meaning and significance
B) Live an interesting life that’s worth writing about.
10. “Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.”
As Charlie Munger once said:

“The key to a happy life is low expectations.”

If you aim low enough and keep your expectations to a minimum, it’s impossible to be disappointed with the outcome.

11. “A good wife and health is a man’s best wealth.” #
Real wealth goes way beyond just money.

Real wealth is the quality of your home life and having a partner with whom you can share your life. That is priceless.

12. “It’s the easiest thing in the world for a man to deceive himself.”
We deceive ourselves more than anyone else.

We believe just about anything we want to think, justify our terrible choices, overestimate our abilities, and have a phenomenal ability to swerve and ignore uncomfortable truths.

In many respects, an honest self-reflection of ourselves is one of the hardest things to do in the world!

13. “Beware of little expenses, a small leak will sink a great ship.”
Seemingly minor expenses, when multiplied over a long time, can lead to huge costs and problems if they’re not kept under wraps.

History has shown that even some of the wealthiest individuals on the planet can be financially devastated when spending gets out of control.

[Sometimes Benjamin Franklin is called the Grandfather of our country. Maybe, but one thing for sure, he was the grandfather of a lot of French people.

Benjamin Franklin was a one man political conspiracy... and brilliant about it. He might well be blamed for the founding of America more than any other single person. His success at getting support for the revolution from France is well known. Less known but just as important was that it was he who brought the attention to the Southerners that Britain was banning slavery. That is why they supported the revolution. He knew what he was doing. He was creating a new independent nation and he shepherded it's creation all through the creation of the founding documents. He knew the intellectual and philosophical underpinning of what he was doing.  His leadership is not always obvious, but may have been the most important contribution of any single man to the creation of America.]

“Spending money to show people how much money you have is the fastest way to have less money.” — Morgan Housel

When Carl Sagan studied the universe, he saw more than data and science. Known for popularizing and promoting public understanding of astronomy, the famed scientist was as much a creative thinker and writer as he was a planetary expert. He thought deeply about science and our solar system, seeing the forest for the trees, and the universe’s lessons among the "star stuff," a term he made famous in an episode of his 13-part 1980s television show, Cosmos.

"We are a way for the universe to know itself. Some part of our being knows this is where we came from," Sagan said on his show. "We long to return. And we can, because the cosmos is also within us. We’re made of star stuff."

With profound lessons like this, Sagan applied a cosmic perspective to the human experience. He found awe in the interconnectedness of humans, Earth, and the solar system, and felt humbled learning that the same carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen atoms in our bodies were created by the stars some 4.5 billion years ago.

Sagan shared his scientific findings and life musings  on his popular TV show and in several influential books, including Cosmos (which accompanied the show), Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space, and Contact, which was made into a 1997 film starring Jodie Foster.

His primary goal was to make planetary science more accessible. A leader in the country’s early space endeavors, he undoubtedly succeeded — and inspired countless people along the way. Nearly 25 years after his passing, many still turn to Sagan for inspiration and grounding.

Here are 13 of his lasting lessons on what the universe can teach us about life.

#Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.

For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love.

Our preferences do not determine what’s true.#

The Universe is not obliged to conform to what we consider comfortable or plausible.

Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality.

There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.

Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious.

The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of star stuff.

Exploration is in our nature. We began as wanderers, and we are wanderers still. We have lingered long enough on the shores of the cosmic ocean. We are ready at last to set sail for the stars.#

Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives.

Every kid starts out as a natural-born scientist, and then we beat it out of them. A few trickle through the system with their wonder and enthusiasm for science intact.

In meeting people, it's rare that what I'm impressed by is their intelligence. There's much more likelihood that what I'm impressed by is their compassion, their optimism, their sense of humor-things of that sort I find much more compelling.

The visions we offer our children shape the future. It matters what those visions are. Often they become self-fulfilling prophecies. Dreams are maps.

About the Author
Stephanie Vermillion is an Ohio-based writer and photographer who's never met a slice of pizza she didn't like — or inhale.

Second chances don’t always come easy. Whether we’re seeking a redo of our own actions or giving a loved one another chance, starting over is often deeply intertwined with strong emotions that make the potential for forgiveness and perseverance more complex.

Yet second chances are by nature hopeful, usually granted on the presumption that past mistakes can educate us on how to head into a brighter future. Under the right circumstances and with a bit of self-introspection, an opportunity to start anew can produce relationships that are stronger than ever before, and accomplishments we could never have achieved without learning from the past.

Here are 20 modicums of wisdom to keep in mind about the benefits of giving it another go.

This is what life is about. We do not get redos, but we do get second chances.
Jeffrey Fry

Take forgiveness slowly. Don't blame yourself for being slow. Peace will come.
Yoko Ono

Sometimes things make more sense the second time around. People change, you change and the universe changes, if we keep ourselves confined to first chances only, we will truly miss out on some of the most beautiful things in life.
Rania Naim

A man deserves a second chance, but keep an eye on him.
John Wayne

Success lies in one’s ability to learn from mistakes.
Dr. Prem Jagaysi

If you have made mistakes, even serious mistakes, you may have a fresh start from any moment you choose, for this thing we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down.
Mary Pickford

Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.
F. Scott Fitzgerald

Everyone has a past. I have mine, you have yours, and we have ours. No matter what it takes, I will prove to you that our past, no matter how hurtful, didn’t ruin the future we could have.
Melissa Foster

I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.
Maya Angelou

Second chances do come your way. Like trains, they arrive and depart regularly. Recognizing the ones that matter is the trick.
Jill. A Davis

Opportunities multiply as they are seized.
Sun Tzu

A second chance doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. In many ways, it is the more difficult thing. Because a second chance means that you have to try harder. You must rise to the challenge without the blind optimism of ignorance.
Ling Ma

The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.
Oscar Wilde

Every second a seeker can start over, for his life’s mistakes are initial drafts and not the final version.
Sri Chinmoy

Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish.
Ovid

Until we have seen someone’s darkness we don’t really know who they are. Until we have forgiven someone’s darkness, we don’t really know what love is.
Marianne Williamson

If love finds you again, don’t fight it. Don’t let grief hold you back. Love is a risk. There are no guarantees. But, in the end, it is always, always worth it.
J.L. Berg

To err is human, to forgive, divine.
Alexander Pope

To take that second chance, we need to notice where we are and be open to the possibility of growing.
Holly Elissa Bruno

I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.
Abraham Lincoln

About the Author
Bennett Kleinman is a staff writer at Optimism as well as a freelance comedy writer. He's based in New York City.

One of life’s more unfortunate eventualities is that we’re likely to find ourselves separated from our loved ones by physical distance at some point or another. Whatever our reasons may be for parting — a job, a spouse, a dream home, medical necessity, etc. — the process of leaving is almost always sad.

Losing the ability to see a friend whenever we wish can be incredibly difficult. Or perhaps we have a friend who’s always been long-distance, such as a pen pal, whom we wonder if we’ll ever be able to meet in person.

In any case, distance can test even the strongest friendships. But if both parties are committed to maintaining a relationship and putting in the effort to stay connected, these friendships can survive no matter how many miles lie between us. It’s an act of love to show someone we want them in our lives even if we don’t know when we’ll see each other again.

Here are 15 quotes to send to long-distance friends as a reminder that they’re always in our thoughts and no amount of distance can quell our affection for them.

Can miles truly separate you from friends? If you want to be with someone you love, aren’t you already there?
Richard Bach

We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep.
William James

I’m never sad when a friend goes far away, because whichever city or country that friend goes to, they turn the place friendly. They turn a … name on the map into a place where a welcome can be found.
Helen Oyeyemi

The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.
Charles Dickens

If I had a single flower for every time I think of you, I could walk forever in my garden.
Claudia Adrienne Grandi

If you’re out on the road / Feeling lonely and so cold / All you have to do is call my name / And I’ll be there on the next train.
Carole King

The road to a friend’s house is never long.
Danish proverb

I think it's nice that we share the same sky … so even though we're not actually in the same place and we're not actually together, we kind of are in a way, you know?
Sophie (Frankie Corio) in "Aftersun"

If I miss you any harder, my heart might come looking for you.
Gemma Troy

Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

Growing apart doesn’t change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled. I’m glad for that.
Ally Condie

The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected.
Nicholas Sparks

Ain't no mountain high enough / Ain't no valley low enough / Ain't no river wide enough / To keep me from gettin' to you.
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

The pain of missing you is a beautiful reminder of the joy of loving you.
Dean Jackson

Don’t be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.
Richard Bach

About the Author
Brooke Robinson
Inspiring Quotes editor, bibliophile, cinephile, and curry enthusiast based in Cleveland, Ohio.

So shines a good deed in a weary world.

In the movie, Charlie Bucket returns a gobstopper and places it on Willy Wonka’s desk. Wonka is heartened by this act of honesty. His response is a rephrasing of a Shakespeare quote from The Merchant of Venice, which was originally, "So shines a good deed in a naughty world."

There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination. Living there you'll be free, if you truly wish to be.

These lines come from the song "Pure Imagination," which Wonka sings when the group first enters the factory. For Wonka, there is beauty everywhere, you simply have to "look around and view it."

A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.

This line from the film has its origins in an old — perhaps very old — saying. The exact expression appeared in a review in The New-York Mirror in 1823, the reviewer himself quoting an "old couplet." It might go as far back as the Roman poet Horace, who wrote, "Mingle a little folly with your wisdom; a little nonsense now and then is pleasant."


We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of the dreams.

Wonka uses these words in response to Veruca Salt’s impudent question, "Snozzberries? Who ever heard of a snozzberry?" Here, Wonka is quoting the first two lines of the 1873 poem "Ode" by Arthur O'Shaughnessy.


#Time is a precious thing. Never waste it.

So says Wonka as he drops an alarm clock into a steaming vat, much to the surprise of Veruca Salt, who exclaims, "He’s absolutely bonkers!"


Where is fancy bred, in the heart or in the head?

Wonka again paraphrases The Merchant of Venice in the movie. Shakespeare originally wrote, "Tell me where is fancy bred, Or in the heart, or in the head?" He is inquiring as to where our desires begin: in the heart or in the mind?


Don’t argue, my dear child,
please don’t argue! It’s such a waste of precious time!

In the novel, Wonka tells Mike Teavee not to waste time arguing. It’s a fair point, although Mike’s argument concerning Wonka’s "hair toffee" concept is quite valid.


All I ask is a tall ship and a star to sail her by.

Before setting off on the movie’s psychedelic boat ride, Willy Wonka quotes this beautiful line from the poem "Sea Fever" by the English poet John Masefield.


You should never, never doubt what nobody is sure about.

When Mr. Salt doubts that any of them will get out of the skewed perspective room alive, Wonka replies in typically strange fashion. He’s actually quoting from Hilaire Belloc’s 1897 poem, "The Microbe," which ends with the lines, "Oh! let us never, never doubt What nobody is sure about!"

American author John Steinbeck was a literary giant. The Nobel Prize winner’s books — classics such as The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men — have captivated readers around the world for nearly a century. At the heart of the writer’s unique artistry was his ability to render, in intimate detail, the challenges of everyday life in the mid-20th century. Steinbeck’s hopeful perspective on the human condition, in spite of the long odds faced by his characters, was elevated by a clear understanding of the grace and resilience possible in even the most difficult of situations.

The themes of perseverance and transcendence found in much of Steinbeck’s work arose naturally from his upbringing and education. Raised in the Episcopal Church, he was steeped in the philosophy of Protestant ethics that centralizes the personal journey of humans from original sin through sacrifice to salvation. Many of his stories follow this very arc, and in so doing explore the deepest questions of human nature. Why do we behave the way we do, caught between our weaknesses and strengths? When we falter, how do we recover our grace?

For Steinbeck, this was the very essence of being human: We are challenged by the world, and though we may fail, we all have the capacity to be exceptional. Here are 13 quotes from Steinbeck’s books, speeches, and other writings that explore his ideas on life, literature, and hope.

I am impelled, not to squeak like a grateful and apologetic mouse, but to roar like a lion out of pride in my profession.
Nobel Prize acceptance speech, 1962

It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure on the world.
"East of Eden"

#Try to understand men. If you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and almost always leads to love.#
Journal entry, 1938

I hold that a writer who does not passionately believe in the perfectibility of man has no dedication nor any membership in literature.
Nobel Prize acceptance speech, 1962

I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.
"On Teaching"

It is true that we are weak and sick and ugly and quarrelsome but if that is all we ever were, we would millenniums ago have disappeared from the face of the earth.#
"Writers at Work"

For man, unlike anything organic or inorganic in the universe, grows beyond his work, walks up the stairs of his concepts, emerges ahead of his accomplishments.
"The Grapes of Wrath"

No man really knows about other human beings. The best he can do is to suppose that they are like himself.#
"The Winter of Our Discontent"

And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good.
"East of Eden"

Because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that'swhy.
"Of Mice and Men"

And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected. And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual. This is what I am and what I am about.
"East of Eden"

And the little screaming fact that sounds through all history: repression works only to strengthen and knit the repressed.
"The Grapes of Wrath"

All war is a symptom of man's failure as a thinking animal.
"Once There Was a War"

About the Author
April Dávila is a lover of words. Her debut novel "142 Ostriches" was released in 2020.

Emily Dickinson is considered one of the greatest American poets of all time, famous not only for her singularly brilliant and innovative poetry, but also for her mysterious habits, reclusive tendencies, and morbid fascination with death.

Throughout her life, Dickinson was often misjudged as a shy and strange loner, but her poems and letters reveal her to be bright and witty, a rebel against the social norms of her time. She was tormented by the limitations put upon her as a woman despite her impressive intelligence, and spent her life struggling with the question of faith despite living in a deeply religious Christian community.

As an adult, she rarely left the bedroom of her childhood home in Amherst, Massachusetts. And though her writing expresses a longing for recognition, she had fewer than a dozen poems published in her lifetime — it wasn’t until after Dickinson’s death that her sister found a treasure trove of nearly 2,000 poems hidden in the poet's room.

Dickinson’s writing reveals her deep thoughts on heartache, conflict, and mortality — but also love, faith, and hope. Here, we’ve gathered some of the most poignant lines from her poetry and letters, which due to the author’s intense mind and unusual life, land especially deeply in the soul.

Dying is a wild night and a new road.
Letter to Perez D. Cowan, 1869

Dickinson often wrote about death, sometimes as a personified character — Death — and other times as an experience or a curiosity. Her writing makes clear that she did not fear death, nor did she think anyone should.

This is my letter to the World / That never wrote to Me.
Johnson 441, 1862

Dickinson was famously a shut-in: She almost never left her father’s Amherst house, where she would exchange notes with visitors or talk to them from other rooms, but never face-to-face. Here, she expresses both her longing to communicate with the outside world and maybe also some bitterness that that world didn’t understand her peculiar habits or recognize her talent.

Forever – is composed of Nows.
Poem 690

Not knowing when the Dawn will come, / I open every Door.
Poem 1619

Dickinson wrote often about the fleeting preciousness of time. She was keenly aware of the opportunities denied to her as a woman in 19th-century society, but she retained a sense of hopefulness in her poetry nevertheless, and a desire to live life to the fullest. These fragments remind us to seize the moment and take risks with the limited time we have.

My friends are my "estate." Forgive me then the avarice to hoard them!
Letter to Samuel Bowles, circa 1858

That till I loved / I never lived.
Poem 549

Though Dickinson lived the latter years of her life in relative seclusion, she was never in complete isolation. She wrote often of her loved ones, and how both romantic and platonic love enriched her life. She even implied that relationships were a form of wealth, referring to her precious friends as an "estate" that she couldn’t bear to share.

There are many people in the world … how do they live? How do they get strength to put on their clothes in the morning?
Letter to Thomas Higginson, 1870

To Dickinson, the duties that a woman of her era and social standing were expected to fulfill — housework, social visits — were exhausting and unpleasant. In her writing, she often wished for another, freer existence.

I am out with lanterns, looking for myself.
Letter to Mrs. J.G. Holland, 1856

This solemn-sounding line comes from a letter Dickinson wrote about moving house with her family. With these eight simple words, she lamented that with all her belongings displaced, she felt scattered and not herself.

I measure every Grief I meet / With narrow, probing, eyes — / I wonder if It weighs like Mine — / Or has an Easier size.
Poem 561, 1862

Dickinson suffered plenty of loss in her life, including the death of loved ones, love affairs gone wrong, and the family troubles that arose when her brother Austin took a mistress (though interestingly enough, that mistress, Mabel Loomis Todd, was instrumental in getting Dickinson’s poems published after she died). It makes sense that in encountering other people’s grief, she would hold up her own as a measuring stick.

"Faith" is a fine invention / For Gentlemen who see! / But Microscopes are prudent / In an Emergency!
Poem 202

Dickinson’s irreverence toward the Christian revivalism of her time is evident in this lighthearted excerpt. She was fascinated by the modern sciences and their overlap with religious faith. Here, she doesn’t reject religion outright, but instead gently prods people of faith to consider the relationship between the two.

Nature is a haunted house — but Art — a House that tries to be haunted.
Letter to Thomas Higginson, 1876

As an artist herself who wrote often from her life and surroundings, Dickinson was very familiar with the line between honesty and exaggeration. It explains why so much of her poetry is focused on nature images: In nature, we see things the way they are.

Because I could not stop for Death – / He kindly stopped for me – / The Carriage held but just Ourselves – / And Immortality.
Poem 479

Death is the supple Suitor / That wins at last – / It is a stealthy Wooing.
Poem 1445

One of Dickinson’s most well-known poems describes her ride in a metaphorical coach, with Death and Immortality as her fellow passengers. Here she picks up the image again: She posits Death as an admirer who slowly wears her down until the end of her life, when he spirits her away in a coach as trumpets sound. Dickinson’s vivid imagination lives on to this day: In the TV series Dickinson, rapper Wiz Khalifa plays the character of Death.

Luck is not chance — / It's Toil — / Fortune's expensive smile / Is earned.
Poem 1350

Success is counted sweetest / By those who ne’er succeed.
Poem 112

Dickinson reminds us here that only those who have experienced failure can appreciate the full value of success. In her case, though her poems were widely circulated among friends and women’s literary circles, only a handful were published in her lifetime. While she didn’t taste the sweetness of success in life (like many artists), her legacy after death is lasting and far-reaching. In a sense, she achieved the immortality she wrote about so often.

About the Author
Paola Bennet is a writer based in Brooklyn, NY. She writes a fortnightly newsletter that treasures the mundane, called Small Histories. Find her on Instagram @paolafbennet.

If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress, and tension. And if you didn't ask me, I'd still have to say it.
George Burns, comedian and actor

I look back on my life like a good day's work — it was done and I am satisfied with it … life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.
Grandma Moses, American folk artist

Happiness lies in moments, and while you have it you’re not even aware; only afterwards do you know you were happy.
Luise Rainer, actress

When we recall the past, we usually find that it is the simplest things — not the great occasions — that in retrospect give off the greatest glow of happiness.
Bob Hope, comedian and actor

Being Black in this country before 1954 was a very, very, very bad thing, a hard thing. You were proud because of having overcome that, you see, and knowing people who could overcome it, and did overcome it.
Etta Moten Barnett, actress and singer

#My philosophy is to live in the now — yesterday is gone, you don’t know if there’s even going to be a tomorrow, so you might as well enjoy today.
Iris Apfel, interior designer and fashion icon

Always keep your smile. That's how I explain my long life.
Jeanne Calment, supercentenarian

One must take what comes, with laughter.
Olivia de Havilland, actress

I think half the success in life comes from first trying to find out what you really want to do. And then going ahead and doing it.
Kirk Douglas, actor #

Comprehend the changing of times—never stay stuck in the past or its difficulties.
Concepción Calvillo de Nava, centenarian #

There is always something we can be concerned about. The secret is to rise above it and do whatever we can to make the world a better place.
Dame Vera Lynn, singer and entertainer

Keep your eyes open, your emotions free. Leap into the future!
Bernard Kalb, journalist

#If you try to be kind to people, you’ll be on the road to a good life.
George Dunn, WWII veteran

The secret to longevity is ice cream.
Paul Marcus, centenarian

Some of the most common, most well-known sayings we share are about the idea of home. Whether it’s The Wizard of Oz’s famous "There’s no place like home" or the classic "home is where the heart is," home is the subject of so many famous quotes exactly because it is such a difficult concept to pin down.

Home can be a physical place, or even a person, or simply a feeling of familiarity. It can refer to family, to a chosen community, to every place you once lived, or to none of the places you’ve lived. A home is as unique to each individual as their DNA, but what continues to fascinate us is our collective effort to define it nonetheless.

Feeling safe and supported by a home is a critical part of what it means to be human, and a sense of belonging is often central to our identity. Great works of art have been created in homage to homes found or forgotten, and the pursuit of home is something that has driven many great novels and movements.

Whether we're moving away from a home or trying to reclaim one, missing home or in the midst of creating a new one for ourselves, these 18 quotes are helpful reminders about the importance of its gravitational pull. Because home, for all of its complexities, is where we’re allowed to be our truest selves in the end.

The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.
Maya Angelou

Home is where the heart can laugh without shyness. Home is where the heart’s tears can dry at their own pace.
Vernon Baker

There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.
Jane Austen

Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.
Oliver Wendell Holmes

The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely.
Louisa May Alcott

I think that when you invite people to your home, you invite them to yourself.
Oprah Winfrey

Home isn’t where you’re from, it’s where you find light when all grows dark.
Pierce Brown

Good food and a warm kitchen are what make a house a home.
Rachael Ray

You can have more than one home. You can carry your roots with you, and decide where they grow.
Henning Mankell

Home is people. Not a place. If you go back there after the people are gone, then all you can see is what is not there anymore.
Robin Hobb

If you go anywhere, even paradise, you will miss your home.
Malala Yousafzai

Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition.
James Baldwin

Home is where one starts from.
T.S. Eliot

Whether they are part of home or home is part of them is not a question children are prepared to answer.
William Maxwell

I think you travel to search and come back home to find yourself there.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Home is the place where, when you have to go there / They have to take you in.
Robert Frost

The accent of one's birthplace lingers in the mind and in the heart as it does in one's speech.
François de La Rochefoucauld

Wherever friendly paths intersect the whole world looks like home for a time.
Hermann Hesse

About the Author
Joyce Chen is a writer, editor, and community builder based in Seattle, Washington.

Big cities have a special allure. The vibrant energy, diverse cultures, and seemingly endless possibilities make them a preferred tourist destination — and an exciting place to live. The unspoken promise of opportunity and unforgettable moments makes big cities feel irresistible, even if visiting or living there does come with cons to go with the pros.

While they’re often hubs of innovation and ambition, with plenty of options for work or education, the fast-paced lifestyle and the high cost of living can be overwhelming.

The complicated reality of big-city life has long held a prominent place in the minds of thinkers and writers, leading to some influential works over the years. Ernest Hemingway never got over his time in Paris, while urbanist Jane Jacobs’ thoughtful, community-minded approach to city life has had major impacts in some of the biggest cities in the world.

This selection of quotes from the aforementioned figures and others cover everything — the good, the bad, and the beautiful — about big cities and their place in our lives  and imaginations.

The seeds of civilization are in every culture, but it is city life that brings them to fruition.#
Susanne Katherina Langer

I have an affection for a great city. I feel safe in the neighbourhood of man, and enjoy the sweet security of the streets.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.
Jane Jacobs

As an artificial world, the city should be so in the best sense: made by art, shaped for human purposes.
Kevin Lynch

New York was no mere city. It was instead an infinitely romantic notion, the mysterious nexus of all love and money and power, the shining and perishable dream itself.
Joan Didion

A city is more than a place in space, it is a drama in time.
Patrick Geddes

The city hung in my window, flat as a poster, glittering and blinking, but it might just as well not have been there at all, for the good it did me.
Sylvia Plath

I have never felt salvation in nature. I love cities above all.
Michelangelo Antonioni

London opens to you like a novel itself … It is divided into chapters, the chapters into scenes, the scenes into sentences; it opens to you like a series of rooms, door, passage, door.
Anna Quindlen

As a remedy to life in society, I would suggest the big city. Nowadays it is the only desert within our reach.
Albert Camus

A city is a place where there is no need to wait for next week to get the answer to a question, to taste the food of any country, to find new voices to listen to and familiar ones to listen to again.
Margaret Mead

If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.
Ernest Hemingway

All great art is born of the metropolis.
Ezra Pound

Cities, like cats, will reveal themselves at night.
Rupert Brooke

The city is a fact in nature, like a cave, a run of mackerel or an ant-heap. But it is also a conscious work of art, and it holds within its communal framework many simpler and more personal forms of art.
Lewis Mumford

About the Author
Nicole is a writer, thrift store lover, and group-chat meme spammer based in Ontario, Canada.

Motivational Quotes From Historic Union Leaders

While trade guilds have existed since at least the era of ancient Rome, trade unions and labor movements as we know them today arose in the 18th and 19th centuries during the Industrial Revolution. The rise of labor unions was particularly noteworthy in Great Britain and the United States, where workers began to realize their only chance of successfully fighting abusive and exploitative employers — as well as inhumane working conditions — was in banding together.

On August 20, 1866, the first U.S. labor federation was founded in Baltimore, Maryland. Known as the National Labor Union, it sought to establish an eight-hour workday. This paved the way for other unions, such as the Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor. And within these organizations, leaders emerged — men and women who were particularly outspoken and who fought tirelessly for the rights of workers.

Here are 13 quotes from some of the most prominent union leaders in modern history, including Eugene V. Debs, Mother Jones, and Cesar Chavez.

Give men shorter hours in which to labor, and you give them more time to study and learn why bread is so scarce while wheat is so plenty.
Terence V. Powderly

Terence V. Powderly was best known as the leader of the Knights of Labor, a labor federation that reached its peak in the 1880s. Powderly was a staunch proponent of the eight-hour workday.

To speak for labor; to plead the cause of the men and women and children who toil; to serve the working class, has always been to me a high privilege; a duty of love.
Eugene V. Debs

Eugene V. Debs was a passionate and outspoken labor organizer who co-founded the Industrial Workers of the World. He ran for U.S. President as a Socialist Party candidate five times between 1900 and 1920, becoming arguably the most famous socialist in the nation.

If they want to hang me, let them. And on the scaffold I would shout, "Freedom for the working class!"
Mother Jones

Mary G. Harris Jones, better known as Mother Jones, was an Irish-born schoolteacher-turned-labor organizer who became a powerful voice — and a famously fiery agitator — for the union rights of coal miners and other workers in the U.S.

We want more school houses and less jails; more books and less arsenals; more learning and less vice … more leisure and less greed; more justice and less revenge; in fact, more of the opportunities to cultivate our better natures, to make manhood more noble, womanhood more beautiful, and childhood more happy and bright.
Samuel Gompers

Samuel Gompers was a British-born cigar maker who became one of the architects of the labor movement as a labor union leader and founder of the American Federation of Labor (for which he served as president from 1886 to 1894 and then from 1895 to 1924).

Oh, Misery, I have drunk thy cup of sorrow to its dregs, but I am still a rebel.
Lucy Parsons

Lucy Parsons became an activist after the harsh repression of the Chicago railroad strike of 1877. She was a vocal and controversial proponent of labor organization who also called attention to class struggle, and her social anarchism often saw her clash with the authorities.

Unions were created to make living conditions just a little better than they were before they were created, and the union that does not manifest that kind of interest in human beings cannot endure, it cannot live.
Philip Murray

Philip Murray was a talented negotiator whose leadership skills engendered his presidency of both the Congress of Industrial Organizations and the United Steelworkers of America.

Freedom is never granted: It is won. Justice is never given: It is exacted. Freedom and justice must be struggled for by the oppressed of all lands and races.
A. Philip Randolph

A. Philip Randolph was a labor leader and civil rights activist who founded the first major U.S. Black labor union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, in 1925. He later helped organize the March on Washington in 1963, during which Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech.

Let the workers organize. Let the toilers assemble. Let their crystallized voice proclaim their injustices and demand their privileges. Let all thoughtful citizens sustain them, for the future of Labor is the future of America.
John L. Lewis

John L. Lewis was a major figure in the history of coal mining who helped organize millions of industrial workers in the 1930s. He served as president of the United Mine Workers of America from 1920 to 1960 and founded the Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1935.

There is no greater calling than to serve your fellow man. There is no greater contribution than to help the weak. There is no greater satisfaction than to have done it well.
Walter Reuther

Walter Reuther was an American labor leader who served as president of the United Automobile Workers. His negotiation skills helped secure numerous gains for workers, including cost-of-living adjustments, unemployment benefits, and health and welfare benefits.

From the depth of need and despair, people can work together, can organize themselves to solve their own problems and fill their own needs with dignity and strength.
Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez was a Mexican American labor leader and civil rights activist who fought tirelessly for what he called "la causa" (the cause) — an effort to raise pay and improve working conditions for U.S. farm workers in the 1960s and 1970s. His nonviolent activism was recognized posthumously in 1994 when he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The most important word in the language of the working class is "solidarity."
Harry Bridges

Harry Bridges was an Australian-born American labor leader who was president of the International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union from 1937 to 1977. Despite continuous opposition from the U.S. government, he became one of the most influential labor leaders in the country’s history.

To the degree that a government can be challenged and workers can have the right to help to determine their hours of work, conditions of employment, redress of their grievances, it’s the labor movement that made this contribution on behalf of the working class. I remain a member of that class without apology.
Maida Springer Kemp

Maida Springer Kemp was a pioneering international labor advocate who fought to improve working standards in the garment industry. In 1945, she became the first Black woman to represent U.S. labor overseas.

The only effective answer to organized greed is organized labor.
Thomas R. Donahue

Thomas R. Donahue worked as a doorman and bus driver before becoming one of the most influential leaders of the trade union movement in America, serving as secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations from 1979 to 1995.

Featured image credit: Bettmann via Getty Images

Author image
About the Author
Tony Dunnell
Tony is an English writer of non-fiction and fiction living on the edge of the Amazon jungle.

The series ran for 31 seasons, from 1968 through 2001. On the show, Rogers dispensed timeless wisdom about how to be kind to others, how to feel good about yourself, and what to do when you’re up against your worst fears.

He used everything from puppets to songs to chats with friendly neighborhood pals to teach kids about the importance of empathy and compassion, encouraging his young viewers to dream big, explore the world, and above all else, be kind. Here, we’ve rounded up 20 of Rogers’ most memorable quotes,  reminders of the good old days of turning on the TV and spending an afternoon in the neighborhood.

ON KINDNESS
#All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors — in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.

As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has or ever will have, something inside that is unique to all time.

#When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping."

#Imagine what our real neighborhoods would be like if each of us offered, as a matter of course, just one kind word to another person.

ON LOVE
Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like "struggle." To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.

Everyone longs to be loved. And the greatest thing we can do is to let people know that they are loved and capable of loving. #

Listening is where love begins: listening to ourselves and then to our neighbors.

I don’t think anyone can grow unless he’s loved exactly as he is now, appreciated for what he is rather than what he will be.

Mutual caring relationships require kindness and patience, tolerance, optimism, joy in the other's achievements, confidence in oneself, and the ability to give without undue thought of gain.

ON HEALING
Forgiveness is a strange thing. It can sometimes be easier to forgive our enemies than our friends. It can be hardest of all to forgive people we love. Like all of life's important coping skills, the ability to forgive and the capacity to let go of resentments most likely take root very early in our lives.

There is no normal life that is free of pain. It’s the very wrestling with our problems that can be the impetus for our growth.

When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting and less scary.

ON LIVING LIFE TO ITS FULLEST
#It’s not so much what we have in this life that matters. It’s what we do with what we have.

The thing I remember best about successful people I've met all through the years is their obvious delight in what they're doing, and it seems to have very little to do with worldly success. They just love what they're doing, and they love it in front of others.

It’s good to be curious about many things.

You rarely have time for everything you want in this life, so you need to make choices. And hopefully your choices can come from a deep sense of who you are.

ON INDIVIDUALITY
If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of.

#We all have different gifts, so we all have different ways of saying to the world who we are.

It’s really easy to fall into the trap of believing that what we do is more important than what we are. Of course, it’s the opposite that’s true: What we are ultimately determines what we do!

The greatest gift you ever give is your honest self.

“Listening is where love begins: listening to ourselves and then to our neighbors.”

"All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we're giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That's one of the things that connects us as neighbors--in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver."#

"Anyone who does anything to help a child in his life is a hero. "

"As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has- or ever will have- something inside that is unique to all time. It's our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression." #You are valuable.

#"Discovering the truth about ourselves is a lifetime's work, but it's worth the effort."

"Forgiveness is a strange thing. It can sometimes be easier to forgive our enemies than our friends. It can be hardest of all to forgive people we love. Like all of life's important coping skills, the ability to forgive and the capacity to let go of resentments most likely take root very early in our lives."

"How many times have you noticed that it's the little quiet moments in the midst of life that seem to give the rest extra-special meaning?"

"I hope you're proud of yourself for the times you've said "yes," when all it meant was extra work for you and was seemingly helpful only to someone else."

#"If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person."

"In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers."

"It's not the honors and the prizes and the fancy outsides of life which ultimately nourish our souls. It's the knowing that we can be trusted, that we never have to fear the truth, that the bedrock of our very being is good stuff."

"It's really easy to fall into the trap of believing that what we do is more important than what we are. Of course, it's the opposite that's true: What we are ultimately determines what we do!"

"Knowing that we can be loved exactly as we are gives us all the best opportunity for growing into the healthiest of people."

"Listening is where love begins: listening to ourselves and then to our neighbors."

"Little by little we human beings are confronted with situations that give us more and more clues that we are not perfect. "

"Love and success, always in that order. It's that simple AND that difficult."

"Love is like infinity: You can't have more or less infinity, and you can't compare two things to see if they're 'equally infinite.' Infinity just is, and that's the way I think love is, too."

"Love isn't a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now."

"Mutual caring relationships require kindness and patience, tolerance, optimism, joy in the other's achievements, confidence in oneself, and the ability to give without undue thought of gain."

"Often out of periods of losing come the greatest strivings toward a new winning streak."

#"Often when you think you're at the end of something, you're at the beginning of something else."

"Our society is much more interested in information than wonder, in noise rather than silence...And I feel that we need a lot more wonder and a lot more silence in our lives"

"Real strength has to do with helping others."
#
"Some days, doing 'the best we can' may still fall short of what we would like to be able to do, but life isn't perfect on any front-and doing what we can with what we have is the most we should expect of ourselves or anyone else."

"There's a world of difference between insisting on someone's doing something and establishing an atmosphere in which that person can grow into wanting to do it."

#"The connections we make in the course of a life--maybe that's what heaven is."

"The greatest gift you ever give is your honest self."

"The kingdom of God is for the broken hearted"

#"The media shows the tiniest percentage of what people do. There are millions and millions of people doing wonderful things all over the world, and they're generally not the ones being touted in the news."

"The only thing evil can't stand is forgiveness."#

"The thing I remember best about successful people I've met all through the years is their obvious delight in what they're doing and it seems to have very little to do with worldly success. They just love what they're doing, and they love it in front of others."#

"The world needs a sense of worth, and it will achieve it only by its people feeling that they are worthwhile." "Try your best to make goodness attractive. That's one of the toughest assignments you'll ever be given."

"There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind."

"There are times when explanations, no matter how reasonable, just don't seem to help."#

"There is no normal life that is free of pain. It's the very wrestling with our problems that can be the impetus for our growth."#

"There's a part of all of us that longs to know that even what's weakest about us is still redeemable and can ultimately count for something good."

"We get so wrapped up in numbers in our society. The most important thing is that we are able to be one-to-one, you and I with each other at the moment. If we can be present to the moment with the person that we happen to be with, that's what's important."

#"We speak with more than our mouths. We listen with more than our ears."

"Whatever we choose to imagine can be as private as we want it to be. Nobody knows what you're thinking or feeling unless you share it."

"Who you are inside is what helps you make and do everything in life."

"You can think about things and make believe. All you have to do is think and they'll grow."

"You can't really love someone else unless you really love yourself first."

"You rarely have time for everything you want in this life, so you need to make choices. And hopefully your choices can come from a deep sense of who you are."

The rich history of Hindi proverbs is a testament to India’s vibrant cultural heritage. The origins of many of these expressions can be traced back to ancient times, when the oral tradition of storytelling played an important role in sharing the knowledge and values of a community. This accumulated wisdom came from a wide array of sources, including cultural practices, fables and folklore, philosophical teachings, and religious scripture.

Because India is largely an agrarian society, traditional Indian aphorisms have often drawn parallels between nature and human behavior. Some of these sayings not only offered practical advice for farming, but also served as metaphors for navigating the challenges of everyday life. Many of India’s oldest proverbs reflect various aspects of community life, family dynamics, spirituality, and social norms inherent to certain regions of the country.

These wise sayings continue to evolve and change with time and circumstance, and many have been adapted and interpreted to fit new contexts while still retaining their essential meaning. Here are 20 Hindi proverbs whose fundamental wisdom is still relevant to modern life.

Truth alone triumphs.

If one door is shut there are a thousand others open.

Take advice from everyone, but do what you think is best.

A friend in adversity is a true friend.

One has won if in his heart he feels so, and is defeated if he thinks so.

A guilty conscience is a hidden enemy.

Joy and grief are a whirling wheel.

One man’s ruin, another’s rainy season.

A tree is judged by its fruit.

To try to please everyone is to try to touch the sky.

It’s easy to throw something into the river but hard to get it out again.

Act as a friend to another and have another as your friend.

Life is short, but hope is long.

There is no one who knows everything, there is no one who knows nothing.

Anger’s best cure is silence.

If you have planted a tree you must water it too.

Where there is faith there is everything.

To lose is to learn.

Without fire there is no smoke.

When it is springtime in the heart, the whole world is green.

Consult a dictionary, and the answer to one of life’s most pressing questions — what is happiness? — can be summed up quite succinctly: a state of well-being and contentment. 

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet.
James Oppenheim

Those who are not looking for happiness are the most likely to find it, because those who are searching forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others.
Martin Luther King Jr.

Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.
Helen Keller

Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get.
W. P. Kinsella

The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.
Marcus Aurelius

Happiness depends upon ourselves.
Aristotle

Happiness is not something readymade. It comes from your own actions.
Dalai Lama

Of all the means to insure happiness throughout the whole life, by far the most important is the acquisition of friends.
Epicurus

The only way to be truly happy is to make others happy.
William Carlos Williams

The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.
Thích Nhất Hạnh

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
Mahatma Gandhi

Make up your minds that happiness depends on being free, and freedom depends on being courageous.
Pericles

Happiness is not a goal, it is a by-product. Paradoxically, the one sure way not to be happy is deliberately to map out a way of life in which one would please oneself completely and exclusively.
Eleanor Roosevelt

I don’t want a job. I have eight acres of fields outside the city wall, enough for vegetables and grain. I also have an acre and a half of farmland nearby, which gives me enough silk and hemp. Strumming my zithers is enough to give me pleasure, studying Tao with you is enough to make me happy. I don’t want a job.
Yan Hui

We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.
Frederick Koenig

Don’t wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get you’ve got to make yourself.
Alice Walker

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.
Thích Nhất Hạnh

All happiness depends on courage and work.
Honoré de Balzac

True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future.
Seneca

Happiness in this world, when it comes, comes incidentally. Make it the object of pursuit, and it leads us a wild-goose chase, and is never attained. Follow some other object, and very possibly we may find that we have caught happiness without dreaming of it.
Nathaniel Hawthorne

Happiness is something that multiplies when it is divided.
Paulo Coelho

Genuine happiness can only be achieved when we transform our way of life from the unthinking pursuit of pleasure to one committed to enriching our inner lives, when we focus on 'being more' rather than simply having more.
Daisaku Ikeda

Happiness consists more in small conveniences or pleasures that occur every day, than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom to a man in the course of his life.
Benjamin Franklin

Happiness exists on earth, and it is won through prudent exercise of reason, knowledge of the harmony of the universe, and constant practice of generosity.
José Martí

Many people think excitement is happiness ... But when you are excited you are not peaceful. True happiness is based on peace.
Thích Nhất Hạnh

Do not take life too seriously — you will never get out of it alive.
Elbert Hubbard

I enjoy life when things are happening. I don't care if it's good things or bad things. That means you're alive. Things are happening.
Joan Rivers

My favorite thing on this planet to do is to play games. And if you don't enjoy games, then you're really missing the point of what this life is. Honestly, it's important to not take this whole process of life on this planet too seriously.
RuPaul

Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.
George Bernard Shaw

My mama always said, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."
Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) in "Forrest Gump"

I have a simple philosophy: Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. And scratch where it itches.
Alice Roosevelt Longworth

I believe that if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade. And try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka, and have a party.
Ron White

All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then Success is sure.
Mark Twain

I'm an idealist. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way.
Carl Sandburg

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.
Mae West

Humility is a quality that can often feel incompatible with today’s society. The news is chock-full of billionaires, celebrities, tech giants, and an assortment of other oversized egos demanding our attention and praise. We seem to be expected to also aspire to those levels of hubris and vanity, but holding ourselves in a more modest regard can be beneficial in the long run.

Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues, hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.   #
Augustine of Hippo

When the dreams you’re dreamin’ come to you / When the work you put in is realized / Let yourself feel the pride but / Always stay humble and kind.   
Tim McGraw

We learned about gratitude and humility — that so many people had a hand in our success, from the teachers who inspired us to the janitors who kept our school clean … and we were taught to value everyone's contribution and treat everyone with respect.
Michelle Obama

A great man is always willing to be little.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The pen is mightier than the sword" — so wrote the novelist and playwright Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839, coining an adage that still holds true today. The phrase speaks to the power of words, whether written or spoken, and their effectiveness as a means for bringing about social or political change.

The efficacy of words has been proven time and time again throughout history, in rousing speeches and passionate addresses that have inspired deeds both heroic and horrific. Verbal declarations have also marked pivotal moments in human history, be it walking on the moon or the testing of the first atomic bomb. Words have reinforced our optimism in times of light and have helped us comprehend the incomprehensible in times of darkness.

Here are several quotes that have inspired or accompanied truly world-changing events, from famous figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King Jr.

I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king.
Queen Elizabeth I

In 1588, with England under threat of imminent invasion by the Spanish Armada, Queen Elizabeth I rode out in silver armor and delivered a rousing speech to her troops at Tilbury. A defining moment in British history, this helped Elizabeth turn the small island nation into a major global power — which would eventually forge the biggest empire in human history, largely due to rampant colonialism.

We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Abraham Lincoln

Despite being a mere 272 words long, Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address remains one of the most important speeches in American history. Delivered in 1863 during the brutal American Civil War, it spoke to the past, present, and future of a nation not yet 100 years old. The speech has had an enduring impact not only on the U.S., but on a number of democracies around the world.

I come to ask you to help to win this fight. If we win it, this hardest of all fights, then, to be sure, in the future it is going to be made easier for women all over the world to win their fight when their time comes.
Emmeline Pankhurst

In 1913, Emmeline Pankhurst, the leader of the British suffragette movement, delivered her famous "Freedom or Death" speech in Hartford, Connecticut, stressing the need for radical action and perseverance. It was a powerful and inspiring moment in the fight for women’s right to vote, which was eventually granted in the U.S. (1920) and in Britain (1928).

We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.
Winston Churchill

With France about to fall to Nazi Germany and a potential invasion of Britain on the horizon, Winston Churchill delivered arguably the most important speech of World War II. He entered the House of Commons on June 4, 1940, and delivered a rousing address to his people, galvanizing the national will to fight on until the very end, while also capturing the attention of the U.S., which at the time was reluctant to enter the war.

If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one. Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
J. Robert Oppenheimer

On July 16, 1945, J. Robert Oppenheimer, known as the "father of the atomic bomb," witnessed the terrible destructive power that he and the other members of the Manhattan Project had brought into the world. After watching the world's first nuclear explosion, he quoted a verse from the ancient Hindu text "Bhagavad Gita."

Though not his own, the words have become synonymous with the usage of nuclear weapons, which introduced a catastrophic new dimension to global conflict.

The future must see the broadening of human rights throughout the world. People who have glimpsed freedom will never be content until they have secured it for themselves.
Eleanor Roosevelt

In September 1948, Eleanor Roosevelt delivered a speech at the Sorbonne in Paris regarding a milestone document drawn up by the newly formed United Nations: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

This document and the rights defined within it were controversial at the time, but Roosevelt’s passionate endorsement (she called it her "most important task" while at the U.N.) helped push through the comprehensive declaration that, for the first time, defined the fundamental human rights that merit universal protection.

Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan delivered his famous speech at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin on June 12, 1987. Despite senior advisers cautioning him against using the phrase, Reagan nonetheless urged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down" the infamous Berlin Wall in what would become one of the U.S. President’s most famous speeches. Removal of the wall, which had encircled West Berlin since 1961, began in 1990.

We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.
John F. Kennedy    #

The original "moonshot" effort began in earnest on September 12, 1962, when President Kennedy gave a speech at Rice University in Houston, Texas. His passionate address was designed to bolster public support for his proposal to land a man on the moon before 1970. The mission was completed ahead of schedule when, on July 16, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the lunar surface.

Even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.
Martin Luther King Jr.     #

On August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. A defining moment of the civil rights movement, it’s best remembered for the iconic refrain "I have a dream" — a part of the speech that was actually improvised.

Caught up in the spirit of the moment, King began riffing, which prompted his speechwriter, Clarence B. Jones, to tell the person next to him, "These people out there today don’t know it yet, but they’re about to go to church."

I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.
Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela began his defense in the 1964 Rivonia Trial with a speech from the defendant’s dock that lasted three hours. As a Black man in a white man’s court — accused of sabotage, communism, and aiding foreign powers — he bravely critiqued apartheid and injustice, famously declaring his willingness to die for his cause. He was found guilty and served 27 years of his sentence before being released and elected president of South Africa.

This project is experimental and of course comes without any warranty whatsoever. However, it could start a revolution in information access.
Tim Berners-Lee

On August 6, 1991, English computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee invited the public to collaborate with him on his World Wide Web project, which, at the time, was hosted on his NeXT computer. It was a truly revolutionary moment that reshaped the future of society, forever changing the way we access information, communicate with each other, and share photos of grumpy cats.

Given the deeply intricate nature of the human brain, we’re all inherently susceptible to a wide range of emotions. From euphoric bliss to heart-wrenching sadness, feelings may be brought on by specific events or creep in as if from nowhere. But whether those feelings are positive or negative, what’s important is that we seek to embrace and understand them rather than repress them.

As early modern psychology began examining the human psyche in the 19th century, theories emerged about several distinct emotional categories. One pioneer in the field, William James, believed that standard human emotions included surprise, curiosity, fear, and anger. Paul Ekman later expanded upon James’ early thoughts and introduced the concept of six basic human emotions: sadness, happiness, fear, anger, surprise, and disgust.

As we learn more about the brain, recent studies suggest that there are dozens of unique classifications, implying that the array of human emotions is ever-expanding and virtually limitless.

While it may seem challenging to fully comprehend the way we feel at times, it’s important to express ourselves nonetheless: to laugh if we’re happy, cry if we’re sad, scream if we’re angry, or do whatever else feels natural to us. At the end of the day, we’re lucky to feel emotions on as deep and complex a level as we do. Here are 38 quotes that pertain to the range of human emotions.

HAPPINESS

But also I say this: that light / is an invitation / to happiness, / and that happiness, / when it’s done right, / is a kind of holiness, / palpable and redemptive.
Mary Oliver


One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats, and if some of these can be inexpensive and quickly procured so much the better.
Iris Murdoch

Happiness quite unshared can scarcely be called happiness — it has no taste.
Charlotte Brontë    #

Perfect happiness is a beautiful sunset, the giggle of a grandchild, the first snowfall. It's the little things that make happy moments, not the grand events. Joy comes in sips, not gulps.
Sharon Draper

SADNESS
You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.
Jonathan Safran Foer   #

Sadness is but a wall between two gardens.
Kahlil Gibran

The good life is not one immune to sadness but one in which suffering contributes to our development.
Alain de Botton    #

Give sorrow words: the grief that does not speak / Whispers the o’er-fraught heart, and bids it break.
William Shakespeare

What brings us to tears will lead us to grace. Our pain is never wasted.
Bob Goff    #

FEAR
Don’t believe every worried thought you have. Worried thoughts are notoriously inaccurate.
Renee Jain    #




Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.     #
Bertrand Russell

EXCITEMENT

Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough.
Emily Dickinson

If you do nothing unexpected, nothing unexpected happens.
Fay Weldon

I saw that my life was a vast glowing empty page and I could do anything I wanted.
Jack Kerouac

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
Les Brown

ANGER
Hurt gives way to bitterness, bitterness to anger. Travel too far that road and the way is lost.
Terry Brooks

You can't shake hands with a clenched fist.
Indira Gandhi

Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness.
Thích Nhất Hạnh

Let frustration fuel inspiration.
Sonia Boyce

I can become quite angry and burning in anger, but I have never been bitter. Bitterness is a corrosive, terrible acid. It just eats you and makes you sick.
Maya Angelou

REGRET
Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
Søren Kierkegaard

You must believe that your past is not your future.
Gayle Carson

There are two kinds of guilt … the kind that drowns you until you’re useless, and the kind that fires your soul to purpose.
Sabaa Tahir

We should regret our mistakes and learn from them, but never carry them forward into the future with us.
Lucy Maud Montgomery    #

SHYNESS
You got a chance to go up and say something? Don’t be shy. No matter how it comes out, just let it come out.
Fiona Apple   #

You must do the thing you think you cannot do.
Eleanor Roosevelt

If the risk is fully aligned with your purpose and mission, then it’s worth considering.
Peter Diamandis

It's not your job to be likable. It's your job to be yourself. Someone will like you anyway.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie    #

Freedom lies in being bold.  #
Robert Frost

What makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful.
Brené Brown

Memory: that slippery beast that dictates not just the moments we recall from our lives, but the very narrative we live by. Memory is the way we encode and store information about what’s happening around and to us at any given moment. It is also, importantly, how we understand who we are.

The memories we carry with us are how we learn from our mistakes, and how we hold on to our biggest joys. And the ability to store away tidbits of information about the past — our favorite songs from middle school, whether we had breakfast earlier today, or what happens when we put our hand on a hot surface — informs how we exist in the present, and how we plan for the future.

The caveat, of course, is that memories can often be unreliable and easily influenced by everything from heightened emotions to corroborations (or the lack thereof). What we remember from a moment might be different from what someone else does, which is just part of what makes the concept of memory so fascinating.

Here, we’ve rounded up 21 quotes about the mystery, complexity, and importance of how we hold onto the past.

The memory has as many moods as the temper and shifts its scenery like a diorama.
George Eliot

The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It’s the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.
Lois Lowry

You don't remember what happened. What you remember becomes what happened.
John Green

That’s what the world is, after all: an endless battle of contrasting memories.
Haruki Murakami

Memory takes a lot of poetic license. It omits some details; others are exaggerated, according to the emotional value of the articles it touches, for memory is seated predominantly in the heart.
Tennessee Williams

We didn’t realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.
A.A. Milne

Music, at its essence, is what gives us memories. And the longer a song has existed in our lives, the more memories we have of it.
Stevie Wonder

We do not remember days, we remember moments.
Cesare Pavese

We now know that memories are not fixed or frozen, like Proust’s jars of preserves in a larder, but are transformed, disassembled, reassembled, and recategorized with every act of recollection.
Oliver Sacks

Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things.
Cicero

Without memory, each night is the first night, each morning is the first morning, each kiss and touch are the first.
Alan Lightman

Memories are like salt: the right amount brings out the flavor in food, too much ruins it.
Paolo Coehlo

One must have a good memory to be able to keep the promises one makes.
Friedrich Nietzsche

The past is always tense, the future perfect.
Zadie Smith

God gave us memories that we might have roses in December.
J.M. Barrie

Memory … is the diary that we all carry about with us.
Oscar Wilde

In memory everything seems to happen to music.
Tennessee Williams

Imaginings too easily become memories, memories imaginings.
Ian McDonald

For all of us, explicit memory makes it possible to leap across space and time and conjure up events and emotional states that have vanished into the past yet somehow continue to live in our minds.
Eric Kandel

Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure.
Jane Austen

The true art of memory is the art of attention.
Samuel Johnson

Maintaining an optimistic outlook doesn’t mean fixating on the positive while turning a blind eye to the realities of life or forcefully suppressing our negative feelings. In fact, that kind of toxic positivity can harm our emotional well-being. True, healthy optimism entails acknowledging our more unpleasant and uncomfortable feelings while believing in and working toward better days ahead.

Life doesn’t always unfold smoothly, and the future, no matter how thoroughly we plan it, is always unpredictable. On those days when mustering our optimism is especially challenging, these 12 quotes can provide hope and encouragement to help guide us toward a brighter mental space.

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.
Martin Luther King Jr.

Optimism isn’t a belief that things will automatically get better; it’s a conviction that we can make things better.
Melinda French Gates

I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter.
Walt Disney


In times of great stress and adversity, it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.
Lee Iacocca

My optimism … does not rest on the absence of evil, but on a glad belief in the preponderance of good and a willing effort always to cooperate with the good, that it may prevail.
Helen Keller

I am very optimistic, and I always think positive, but within reason and never getting too far ahead of the game.
Luis Fonsi

Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.
Herbert Kretzmer

Toxic positivity is pressuring people to look on the bright side … Healthy support is shielding people from the dark side. You invite them to express their pain, and show them they’re not alone and won’t feel it forever.
Adam Grant

I don’t believe in ageing. I believe in forever altering one’s aspect to the sun. Hence my optimism.
Virginia Woolf

When you’ve exhausted all possibilities, remember this: You haven’t!
Robert Harold Schuller

Hope confronts. It does not ignore pain, agony, or injustice … You can’t have hope without despair, because hope is a response. Hope is the active conviction that despair will never have the last word.
Cory Booker

Problems come in all shapes and sizes. Some are small and easily solved, while others stretch to a global scale and require many minds working on a solution. Indeed, problem-solving is such an integral part of life that humans often choose to tackle problems for fun or for a mental challenge — take, for example, the worldwide popularity of crosswords and sudoku puzzles.

Some problems present opportunities: If an inventor can solve a particular problem that helps a whole swath of society, that innovation might change the world for the better. Other problems, of course, are very much unforeseen and unwanted. But even then, a positive attitude can go a long way to mitigate a tricky situation. As the eighth-century Indian philosopher Shantideva wrote, "If you can solve your problem, then what is the need of worrying? If you cannot solve it, then what is the use of worrying?"

Here are some more wise quotes about solving problems, from philosophers, authors, business leaders, and more.

No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking.
Voltaire

Each problem that I solved became a rule, which served afterwards to solve other problems.
René Descartes, philosopher and mathematician

A problem thoroughly understood is always fairly simple. Found your opinions on facts, not prejudices. We know too many things that are not true.
Charles Kettering, inventor

There is always a well-known solution to every human problem — neat, plausible, and wrong.
H.L. Mencken, journalist

The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.
Albert Einstein

If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
Isaac Asimov, writer

Every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution. If you don't have any problems, you don't get any seeds.
Norman Vincent Peale, clergyman and author

If we want to solve a problem that we have never solved before, we must leave the door to the unknown ajar.
Richard Feynman, theoretical physicist

Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.
Barbara Johnson, literary critic

Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve.
Roger Lewin, anthropologist and science writer

We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.
Lee Iacocca, automobile executive

It is well known that "problem avoidance" is an important part of problem solving. Instead of solving the problem you go upstream and alter the system so that the problem does not occur in the first place.
Edward de Bono, psychologist and author

Whatever creativity is, it is in part a solution to a problem.
Brian Aldiss, author

Leadership is solving problems. #
Colin Powell

To launch a business means successfully solving problems. Solving problems means listening.
Richard Branson

Our best problem-solving resource is peace. Solutions arise easily and naturally out of a peaceful state.
Melody Beattie, author

To solve any problem, there are three questions to ask yourself: First, what could I do? Second, what could I read? And third, who could I ask?
Jim Rohn, entrepreneur and author

Too many problem-solving sessions become battlegrounds where decisions are made based on power rather than intelligence.
Margaret J. Wheatley, writer and management consultant

Every problem has a solution, although it may not be the outcome that was originally hoped for or expected.
Alice Hoffman, author

About the Author
Tony Dunnell is an English writer of non-fiction and fiction living on the edge of the Amazon jungle....

Love is among the most powerful emotions we as humans are privileged enough to experience, as it represents the deep and unbreakable bonds we form with those we cherish. But while love often leads to feelings of unmitigated joy, it can also manifest in incredible sorrow, especially when those we love are no longer with us. In those times when love causes raw and painful feelings, we must remember the words the great poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote in an elegy for his best friend: "’Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."

The end of our physical relationships with people don’t mean our love for them has to fade away. In fact, we’d be doing a disservice to their memory if we ignored the love we once shared with them. While circumstances may change and people may drift apart, we need not forget or deny the deep connection that once existed and helped to shape us into the people we are today.

Here are 16 quotes from some of history’s wisest individuals that go to show the indelible impact love makes on all of our lives.

True love is eternal, infinite, and always like itself. It is equal and pure, without violent demonstrations; it is seen with white hairs and is always young in the heart.
Honoré de Balzac

Love is something eternal; the aspect may change, but not the essence.
Vincent Van Gogh

What we have once enjoyed we can never lose … All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.
Helen Keller

They that love beyond the world cannot be separated by it. Death cannot kill what never dies.
William Penn

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
1 Corinthians 13:7

Love is energy: It can neither be created nor destroyed. It just is and always will be, giving meaning to life and direction to goodness.
Bryce Courtney

The only way to have eternal love is to never let your heart forget what it’s like to live without it.
Sherrilyn Kenyon

Life is eternal and love is immortal, and death is only a horizon, and a horizon is nothing, save the limit of our sight.
Bede Jarrett

Time is / Too slow for those who wait, / Too swift for those who fear, / Too long for those who grieve, / Too short for those who rejoice; / But for those who love, / Time is not.
Henry Van Dyke

The brain may take advice, but not the heart, and love, having no geography, knows no boundaries: weight and sink it deep, no matter, it will rise and find the surface.
Truman Capote

It isn’t possible to love and to part. You will wish that it was. You can transmute love, ignore it, muddle it, but you can never pull it out of you. I know by experience that the poets are right: love is eternal.
E.M. Forster

What is grief, if not love persevering?
Vision (Paul Bettany) in "WandaVision"

Love is the emblem of eternity; it confounds all notion of time; effaces all memory of a beginning, all fear of an end.
Germaine de Staël

The story of love is not important — what is important is that one is capable of love. It is perhaps the only glimpse we are permitted of eternity.
Helen Hayes

If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. Buildings burn, people die, but real love is forever.
Sarah Mohr (Rochelle Davis) in "The Crow"

I still miss those I loved who are no longer with me but I find I am grateful for having loved them. The gratitude has finally conquered the loss.
Rita Mae Brown

About the Author
Bennett Kleinman is a staff writer at Optimism as well as a freelance comedy writer. He's based in New York City.

We have become / as one, deep rooted in the soil / of Life and tangled in the sweet growth.
J.R.R. Tolkien

However important it is that love shall precede marriage, it is far more important that it shall continue after marriage.
Samson Raphael Hirsch

Marriage is the fullness of time.
Søren Kierkegaard

So close that your hand upon my chest is mine, / so close that your eyes close with my dreams.
Pablo Neruda

To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part.
Book of Common Prayer, Solemnization of Matrimony

May this marriage offer fruit and shade / like the date palm.May this marriage be full of laughter, / our every day a day in paradise. / ... / I am out of words to describe / how spirit mingles in this marriage.
Rumi

I hold this to be the highest task of a bond between two people: that each should stand guard over the solitude of the other. For, if it lies in the nature of indifference and of the crowd to recognize no solitude, then love and friendship are there for the purpose of continually providing the opportunity for solitude.
Rainer Maria Rilke

She's talkin' to me with her voice / Down so low I barely hear her / But I know what she's sayin' / I understand, because my heart and hers are the same / And in January we're gettin' married.
The Avett Brothers

Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, and the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.
Khalil Gibran

Here's the advice I give everyone about marriage — is she someone you find interesting? … Does she make you laugh? And I don’t know if you want kids, but if you do, do you think she will be a good mom? Life is long. These are the things that really matter over the long term.
Barack Obama

can i picture us in old age / conquering the worldlike we've got young blood / running in our veins
Rupi Kaur

What is called for is an ability on the part of the couple to "see" each other, to constantly apprehend the essence of the other.
David Whyte

You are a language I have learned by heart.
Dana Gioia, poet

When marrying, ask yourself this question: Do you believe that you will be able to converse well with this person into your old age? Everything else in marriage is transitory.
Friedrich Nietzsche

Happy and thrice happy are they who enjoy an uninterrupted union, and whose love, unbroken by any complaints, shall not dissolve until the last day.
Horace

To be fully seen by somebody, then, and be loved anyhow — this is a human offering that can border on miraculous.
Elizabeth Gilbert

What greater thing is there for two human souls, than to feel that they are joined for life — to strength each other in all labor, to rest on each other in all sorrow.
George Eliot

Will you still need me, will you still feed me / When I'm 64?
The Beatles

There is no more lovely, friendly, and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage.
Martin Luther

A happy marriage is a long conversation which always seems too short.
André Maurois

The secret of a happy marriage is finding the right person. You know they're right if you love to be with them all the time.
Julia Child

What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are but how you deal with incompatibility.
Leo Tolstoy

Marriage is a risk; I think it’s a great and glorious risk, as long as you embark on the adventure in the same spirit.
Cate Blanchett

These Travel Quotes Will Inspire You To Hit the Road

Expanding your horizons. A desire to explore the unknown. Connection. Adventure. These are the tenets that unite travelers in that shared experience so many of us know and love.

Maybe you’re the kind of traveler who likes to throw away the map and get lost, or perhaps you’re the type that prefers to have an itinerary with a carefully curated list of things to do. In any case, dreaming up future trips is half the fun, and letting your imagination run wild with fantasies of backcountry vespa rides or long walks through cobblestone streets is always a joy.

Whether travel has been a regular part of your life or you’re just now itching to explore, there is no shortage of inspiration to help fuel that wanderlust. Here are 14 quotes about the travel to inspire your next journey.

If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine, it’s lethal.
Paulo Coelho

A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.
Lao Tzu

We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls.
Anaïs Nin

Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.
Terry Pratchett

To get away from one's working environment is, in a sense, to get away from one's self; and this is often the chief advantage of travel and change.
Charles Horton Cooley

Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.
Anatole France

One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.
Andre Gide

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to control it.
John Steinbeck

Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body.
Anthony Bourdain

Sometimes you have to travel a long way to find what is near.
Paulo Coelho

When we get out of the glass bottle of our ego and when we escape like the squirrels in the cage of our personality and get into the forest again, we shall shiver with cold and fright. But things will happen to us so that we don't know ourselves. Cool, unlying life will rush in.
D.H. Lawrence

For the born traveler, travelling is a besetting vice. Like other vices, it is imperious, demanding its victim's time, money, energy and the sacrifice of comfort.
Aldous Huxley

One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.
Henry Miller

About the Author
Lauren Alexander

Before Hawaii came in contact with the Western world, the native language (ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi) was a purely oral tradition, with no written words apart from some petroglyph symbols. Stories were passed from generation to generation, keeping the Hawaiian traditions, culture, and language alive. One form of storytelling was the famous hula, a dance accompanied by chants or singing.

The annexation of Hawaii by the United States in 1898 brought about a rapid decline in the native language of the islands. But the second half of the 20th century saw a concerted effort to keep Hawaiian alive. One of the key figures in this was Mary Kawena Pukui, a Hawaiian author, hula expert, and educator. From the age of 15, she began to collect and translate proverbs and folktales, and she later wrote or co-authored numerous scholarly works including the definitive Hawaiian-English Dictionary and her book ʻŌlelo Noʻeau, which safeguarded almost 3,000 examples of Hawaiian proverbs.

Thanks to people like Mary Kawena Pukui, the Hawaiian language — although still endangered — has regained a foothold, and there are a growing number of speakers in homes and schools. Here are some of the most colorful proverbs from that language, covering everything from teamwork to love to the importance of taking care of the land.

Everybody paddle the canoes together; bail and paddle, paddle and bail, and the shore will be reached.

The stars are the eyes of heaven.

The land is a chief; man is its servant.

When one wants to dance the hula, bashfulness should be left at home.

A joyousness is in the voice of love.

No task is too big when done together by all.

Love is like a bird — there is no branch that it does not perch upon.

Strive for the summit.

Truth is not changeable.

One can think of life after the fish is in the canoe.

There is life in a kindly reply.

Love gives life within.

The body enjoys health when the stomach is well filled.

Distance is ignored by love.

When one learns to be a warrior, one must also learn to run.

No cliff is so tall that it cannot be scaled.

While the rain is still far away, thatch the house.

No kind deed has ever lacked its reward.

Recognize and be recognized, help and be helped; such is family life.

Love is worn like a wreath through the summers and the winters.

Let the singer select the song.

About the Author
Tony Dunnell
Tony is an English writer of non-fiction and fiction living on the edge of the Amazon jungle.

Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point.
C.S. Lewis ##

In his 1942 novel, "The Screwtape Letters," author C.S. Lewis makes an important observation on the nature of courage. He argues that all spiritual virtues — such as love, hope, faith, patience, and mercy — have little meaning if they disappear in the face of danger or persecution. It is easy to be kind, forgiving, or strong when times are good, but retaining those qualities during times of adversity requires great courage.

Friendship is the greatest of worldly goods. Certainly to me it is the chief happiness of life. If I had to give a piece of advice to a young man about a place to live, I think I should say, "sacrifice almost everything to live where you can be near your friends."

You can't get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.

For me, reason is the natural organ of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning. Imagination, producing new metaphors or revivifying old, is not the cause of truth, but its condition.

Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.

The books or the music in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust to them; it was not in them, it only came through them … For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never visited.

We have trained [people] to think of the Future as a promised land which favoured heroes attain — not as something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.

I do not think the forest would be so bright, nor the water so warm, nor love so sweet, if there were no danger in the lakes.

We all want progress. But … if you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man.

No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.

In reading great literature I become a thousand men and yet remain myself. Like a night sky in the Greek poem, I see with a myriad eyes, but it is still I who see.

When I was ten I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.

You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.

The value of the myth is that it takes all the things we know and restores to them the rich significance which has been hidden by the "veil of familiarity."

A children’s story which is enjoyed only by children is a bad children’s story. The good ones last. A waltz which you can like only when you are waltzing is a bad waltz.

The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts.

The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like, "What? You too? I thought I was the only one."

I wrote the books I should have liked to read if only I could have got them. That's always been my reason for writing. People won't write the books I want, so I have to do it for myself.

Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for anyone else.
Charles Dickens

When Charles Dickens was 12 years old, he went to work in a shoe polish factory while his father was relegated to debtor’s prison. The experience stirred his lifelong zeal to expose the social and economic plights of the lower class in 19th-century London. Read more…

The older I get, the more I want to be authentically myself.
Julianne Moore

Best known for her roles in films such as "Still Alice" and "Boogie Nights," Academy Award-winning actress Julianne Moore has also authored bestselling children’s books about self-acceptance. Read more…

What is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?
Albert Camus

In French philosopher Albert Camus’s lyrical essay "The Desert," written in 1938, he discusses what makes people happy. Read more…

What a lovely surprise to finally discover how unlonely being alone can be.
Ellen Burstyn

Ellen Burstyn is an American actor known for her charm and versatility; she has appeared in dozens of films, including "Requiem for a Dream," "The Exorcist," and "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore." Read more…

The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it.
Eckhart Tolle

Spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle is best known for his teachings on mindfulness, consciousness, and the nature of the self. His work emphasizes the importance of living in the present moment. Read more…

In three words I can sum up everything I've learned in life: It goes on.
Robert Frost

On his 80th birthday, Robert Frost was asked, "In all your years and all your travels, what do you think is the most important thing you’ve learned about life?" Read more…

Life is filled with circumstances beyond our control. But while we can’t always prevent what happens to us, we do have power over how we respond to those events, including the especially challenging or difficult ones. Read more…

The only time we waste is the time we spend thinking we are alone.
Mitch Albom

The complexity and impermanence of human life are common themes in writer Mitch Albom’s work. In Albom’s novel "The Five People We Meet In Heaven," the protagonist Eddie feels unsatisfied. Read more…

It is so easy to give, so exquisitely rewarding.
John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck was a master of the moral philosophizing that defined his work. In this line from his travel journal "The Log From the Sea of Cortez," he illustrated the simple joy of giving to others — whether it be time, or gifts, to friends, family, or charity. Read more…

"Enough" is a feast.
Buddhist proverb

This Buddhist proverb emphasizes the idea that contentment and satisfaction come from appreciating what we already have, and not always seeking more. Read more…


Today, we think of Eleanor Roosevelt as a strong and fearless role model. The longest-serving First Lady of the United States, she transformed the role, taking on more leadership and political responsibility than any before her. Read more…

Deserve your dream.
Octavio Paz

Octavio Paz, one of the most influential poets in the world, came from humble beginnings. He began publishing his work as a teenager and released his first poetry collection before the age of 20. Read more…

Mistakes are almost always of a sacred nature.
Salvador Dalí

Salvador Dalí never lacked self-confidence. His flamboyant style and eccentricities were fundamental to his public persona, and he often declared himself the greatest artist of modern times. Read more…


Mister Rogers’ wisdom always felt like a comforting, validating hug. In this quote — similar to the familiar phrase "when one door closes, another opens" — he ruminates on beginnings and endings. Read more…

Not what we have but what we enjoy constitutes our abundance.
Jean Antoine Petit-Senn

Satirist and poet Jean Antoine Petit-Senn lived in Geneva during the 1800s and spent his days writing sharp satirical commentary. Read more…

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.
Steve Jobs

In June 2005, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs gave the commencement speech at Stanford University. As he spoke about his own remarkable success, he also contemplated mortality. Read more…

Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.
Marie Curie

Marie Curie is best known for her scientific breakthroughs in radiation and radioactivity, which won her two Nobel Prizes. Read more…

You don't luck into integrity. You work at it.
Betty White

According to a poll conducted in 2011, Betty White was America’s most trusted celebrity. Perhaps this comes as no surprise: The beloved actress-comedienne never let success go to her head. Read more…

Never apologize for showing feeling, my friend.
Benjamin Disraeli

Benjamin Disraeli was a towering figure of British politics during the second half of the 19th century. He served twice as prime minister of the United Kingdom, formed a close working relationship with Queen Victoria, and became a powerful voice on the global political scene. Read more…

What counts is not the things that happen, but what we do with them.
Annie Ernaux

Annie Ernaux won the 2022 Nobel Prize in literature for the "courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements, and collective restraints of personal memory." Read more…

I have stood on a mountain of no's for one yes.
B. Smith

It might be difficult to imagine the charming Barbara Elaine Smith, known professionally as B. Smith, facing rejection. But any path as ambitious as hers is bound to encounter a lot of "no’s" on the way to the top. Read more…

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.
William James

A brother to author Henry James, William James was a philosopher and psychologist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He explored many different ideas in his writings and teachings but often returned to the concept of free will. Read more…

Poet, spiritual teacher, mystical dancer, and cultural leader: The writer known as Rumi held many roles in the 13th century, and continues to be one of the most popular poets in the world today. Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī was born in Afghanistan in 1207.
He traveled through Uzbekistan, Iran, and Syria, and spent much of his life in Turkey before his death in 1273. He wrote in Persian, Arabic, Turkish, and Greek, and is widely seen as the most influential mystical writer in the Muslim tradition. His deeply human and universally inspiring works have now been translated in more than 20 languages and sold millions of copies.

Rumi’s father and grandfather were traditional Muslim preachers and scholars, and Rumi followed in their footsteps. But when he met a wandering holy man named Shams of Tabriz in 1244, he embarked on a new life journey into mysticism and poetry. Rumi’s relationship with Shams and his mourning of Shams’ death a few years after they met fueled his prolific writing.

Rumi wrote tens of thousands of individual pieces, many of which were devotional songs for Shams, the prophet Muhammad, and God, along with his masterwork, The Masnavi, which is composed of 26,000 couplets (two lines of verse that form a poetic unit).

He described transcendent love, the holy nature of everyday experiences, joy, grief, and more with an accessible, lyrical voice. Many of his poems were written as he spun in a whirling dance or were composed to be sung in gatherings of Sufis (Islamic mystics).

Both during his life and after, Rumi’s vibrant musings appealed to people of many faiths and backgrounds. As one of the key translators of Rumi’s work, Coleman Barks, wrote, "He wants us to be more alive, to wake up … He wants us to see our beauty, in the mirror and in each other." Here are 15 Rumi quotes that reveal his unique perspective on spiritual enlightenment and divine love.

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I'll meet you there.

That which God said to the rose, and caused it to laugh in full-blown beauty, He said to my heart, and made it a hundred times more beautiful.

The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along.

Dance, when you're broken open. Dance, if you've torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you're perfectly free.

If the house of the world is dark, Love will find a way to create windows.

Your legs will get heavy and tired. Then comes a moment of feeling the wings you've grown, lifting.

This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness … meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.

Friend, our closeness is this: anywhere you put your foot, feel me in the firmness under you.

Which is worth more, a crowd of thousands, or your own genuine solitude?Freedom, or power over an entire nation? A little while alone in your room will prove more valuable than anything else that could ever be given you.

Love is the reality, and poetry is the drum that calls us to that. Don’t keep complaining about loneliness! Let the fear-language of that theme crack open and float away. Let the priest come down from his tower, and not go back up!

Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

While still in the cage of your being, behold the spirit bird before it flies away.

They will ask you what you have produced. Say to them, except for Love, what else can a Lover produce?

Birds make great sky circles of their freedom. How do they do it? They fall, and falling, they’re given wings.

Submit to a daily practice. Your loyalty to that is a ring on the door. Keep knocking, and the joy inside will eventually open a window, and look out to see who's there.

Leonardo da Vinci is among the most talented and insightful individuals to ever share our planet. His indelible legacy as a masterful painter persists to this day, as works such as the "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper" can attest.

In addition to being a prolific Renaissance artist, Leonardo was also a brilliant theorist. His views on the human condition were ahead of their time and remain as relevant today as they were more than 500 years ago.
Leonardo kept an extensive series of notebooks and journals to chronicle his thoughts on topics such as painting, anatomy, botany, and paleontology, to name just a few. These original sources provide us with an invaluable direct look into the mind of this great polymath, whose brilliant philosophical observations have inspired countless others over the centuries.

In honor of this incredible artist and thinker, here are 12 quotes that illustrate Leonardo da Vinci’s thoughts on life and that can be used as guiding principles on our own personal journeys.

Poor is the pupil that does not surpass his master.

Leonardo preached the importance of continually seeking out knowledge. According to his philosophy, an effective education involves taking the basics one learns as a student and using them to expand the mind even further.

Experience never errs; it is only your judgments that err by promising themselves effects such as are not caused by your experiments.

Ever the practical theorist, Leonardo believed trial and error to be the foundation of truth. In turn, he thought all fallacies arise from untested personal beliefs.

It is easier to contend with evil at the first than at the last. #

It’s best to tackle the roots of evil when they first present themselves Leonardo posited. Waiting too long allows those bad influences to grow stronger and potentially become unmanageable.

Whoever in discussion adduces authority uses not intellect but rather memory.

Leonardo believed all men are equal and that those who claim to have power tend to rely on perception rather than fact to maintain their control.

The knowledge of past times and of the places on the earth is both an ornament and nutriment to the human mind.

It’s important to remember the past, according to Leonardo, as those who choose to ignore history are doomed to repeat prior mistakes.

We ought not to desire the impossible. #

When setting personal goals, Leonardo believed in the importance of remaining grounded and seeking out realistically achievable end results.


According to Leonardo, our own beliefs are often responsible for guiding us down the wrong path. The great thinker thought important decisions should be based on scientific methods rather than on gut feelings.

As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death. #

Leonardo believed that in order to leave this Earth feeling content, we must consciously live fulfilling lives while we’re here.


Leonardo claimed that evolution arises out of necessity. It’s need, rather than want, that makes the world grow stronger and develop more fully.

To lie is so vile, that even if it were in speaking well of godly things it would take off something from God’s grace; and Truth is so excellent, that if it praises but small things they become noble.

To Leonardo (and surely to many of us), lying is a wholly reprehensible action, considering the destruction and chaos it’s sure to bring about . Telling the truth, on the other hand, can highlight the value and virtue of even the littlest things.

Avoid studies of which the result dies with the worker.

It’s imperative to leave behind a worthy legacy, per Leonardo. We should do what we can to ensure our work doesn’t die with us and that our pursuits continue to inspire others after we’re gone.

Just as iron rusts unless it is used, and water putrifies or, in cold, turns to ice, so our intellect spoils unless it is kept in use. # [Use it or lose it]

Leonardo was a huge proponent of staying eternally curious and constantly exercising one’s mind so it doesn’t become stale with disuse. As it happens, we’re big proponents of that as well. 

“Maybe who we are isn’t so much about what we do, but rather what we’re capable of when we least expect it.” – JODI PICOULT, MY SISTER’S KEEPER

“Live, and be happy, and make others so.”
– MARY SHELLEY, FRANKENSTEIN

“It is not knowledge, but the act of learning, not possession but the act of getting there, which grants the greatest enjoyment.”
—Carl Friedrich Gauss

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Lao Tzu

There are always flowers for those who want to see them.
Henri Matisse # [There is always beauty if you want to see it.]

Well-behaved women seldom make history.
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. #
Wayne Gretzky

The time is always ripe to do right.
Martin Luther King Jr.

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
W.E. Hickson

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.
Helen Keller

Action is the antidote to despair. #
Joan Baez

Speak your mind — even if your voice shakes.
Maggie Kuhn

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. #
Dolly Parton

The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity. #
Amelia Earhart

Fear is stupid. So are regrets. #
Marilyn Monroe

Every moment is a fresh beginning.
T.S. Eliot

Genius is 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration.
Thomas Edison

Considered one of the best writers of the Victorian era, Charles Dickens was lauded for his insightful, honest, and often humorous stories about the underprivileged members of British society. He is often credited with drawing attention to the plights of the common people with his writing, and for helping to bring about social change.

Though he was a prolific writer, composing short stories, nonfiction, and stage plays, he is best known for his longer stories, including Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, and Great Expectations, which were originally published in serial installments in weekly and monthly magazines. Only later were the stories reprinted in the bound forms we’re familiar with today, read over and over for their wisdom and wit. Here, we’ve collected 11 classic lines penned by Dickens, as familiar as old friends.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...
"A Tale of Two Cities"

These famous opening words set the stage for a novel full of contradictions, a story that continuously compares the cities of London and Paris during the French Revolution. The phrase still rings true today as we look around and see a world that’s both deeply troubled and astoundingly compassionate. It can be difficult to hold both realities in our minds. Dickens captured it on the page with one line.

I have been bent and broken, but — I hope — into a better shape.
"Great Expectations"

The character of Estella is introduced to readers at the beginning of the story as cold and insulting. Though our main character, Pip, pines for her, she cares little for him. It is not until the end of the novel, when Estella speaks this line, that we see how her own trials have changed her over the course of the story. Just as Pip has learned to be honest and hardworking, Estella has learned humility through suffering.

Trifles make the sum of life.
"David Copperfield"

This novel, which is considered to be at least partly autobiographical, weaves the facts of Dickens’ own life with fiction to tell the story of a young man who loves and loses and learns to love again. Through it all we see how the small, day-to-day decisions we make end up defining our lives as a whole. Even the great turning points of life are reached through incremental steps and solidified by minutiae.

Please, sir, I want some more.
"Oliver Twist"

In this scene, which takes place early in the book, young Oliver is a resident at the parish workhouse for boys. After being served a meager portion of gruel for his supper, then waiting while a long prayer is said over the food, Oliver finishes his dinner in a few bites. Desperate with hunger, he approaches the master of the house and asks for seconds. The next day, a flyer is posted offering five pounds to anyone who will take the greedy child off their hands — and so the adventure of his life begins.

No one is useless in this world... who lightens the burden of it for any one else. #
"Our Mutual Friend"

Our Mutual Friend is considered by some modern critics to be one of Dickens’ greatest works, but when it was published serially over many months in 1864 and 1865, it did not sell well. Dickens himself was quite ill during this time, and the book would end up being his last completed work. This line, which is spoken in the book to comfort a character who is feeling useless, may also be a subtle nod to the people in Dickens’ life during this difficult time.

It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor. #
"A Christmas Carol"

This reflection comes as grumpy old Scrooge, under the wing of the Ghost of Christmas Present, is given a peek at his nephew’s Christmas celebration. The younger man’s laughter sets the other party guests to chuckling, and Scrooge begins to understand that he too might have enjoyed such happiness, if only he had accepted the invitation from his nephew to join the party.

We need never be ashamed of our tears.
"Great Expectations"

This line, from chapter 19 of the book, comes as Pip is finally leaving London with the hope of becoming a proper gentleman. When he sees his friends Joe and Biddy and is overcome with nostalgia, he begins to weep. He goes on to say: "I was better after I had cried, than before — more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle." It’s a sentiment that rings true even after 160 years.

Family not only need to consist of merely those whom we share blood, but also for those whom we’d give blood. #
"Nicholas Nickleby"

The third novel by Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby tells the story of a young man who takes a job at a boy’s boarding school where the pupils are terribly abused. Disgusted with the treatment of the young men, Nickleby gives the headmaster a beating and frees one of the pupils, Smike. The two travel to London and join a touring stage company. The bond between the two friends becomes as strong as the bond between brothers, illustrating how the closest friends can often feel more like family.

It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.
"A Tale of Two Cities"

This passage is pulled from the final chapter of the book and is said by the character Sydney Carton as he [SPOILER] makes his way to the guillotine in place of his doppelganger. His sacrifice is generally seen as selfless, but some argue that this line indicates a degree of self-aggrandizing, a way for Carton to finally do something noble and exit the world on a high note.

Fan the sinking flame of hilarity with the wing of friendship; and pass the rosy wine.
"The Old Curiosity Shop"

One of Dickens’s lesser-known works, The Old Curiosity Shop was a huge success when it was first serialized. Though this line is often quoted in celebration, it takes on a more sinister tone when considered in context. Spoken by the character of Richard Swiveller, the main character’s scheming, debt-ridden lawyer, it begs the question of who we trust and why.

Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.
"David Copperfield"

This line, which is the very first of the book, launches us into the story with hardly any context. The speaker could be male or female, young or old, rich or poor, which is precisely why the sentiment is so universal. At times we all feel the hero of our own stories, while at other times we believe ourselves obscured by more dominating characters. It is a rare sentence that so accurately captures what it is to be human.

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Good writing has the power to leave us speechless. Sometimes all it takes is a single line, a memorable maneuvering of a few words, and they’re etched into our consciousness forever. These words have the ability to inspire and enlighten, but the best ones also tend to evoke a deep connection, making particularly effective pieces of literature feel like lifelong friends.

Often, these powerful one-liners act as a window into the human experience that causes us to reflect on self-discovery, freedom, love, and loss. The complexity of human life is not easily captured or conveyed, but these quotes by authors from different genres and eras showcase their awe-inspiring abilities to convey raw emotions, elicit deep empathy, and truly stir the soul.

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The Great Gatsby"

I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart: I am, I am, I am.
Sylvia Plath, "The Bell Jar"

Ernest Hemingway, "A Farewell to Arms"

When someone you love dies, and you’re not expecting it, you don’t lose her all at once; you lose her in pieces over a long time — the way the mail stops coming, and her scent fades from the pillows and even from the clothes in her closet and drawers.
John Irving, "A Prayer for Owen Meany"

Zora Neale Hurston, "Their Eyes Were Watching God"

If we had a keen vision and feeling of all ordinary human life, it would be like hearing the grass grow and the squirrel's heart beat, and we should die of that roar which lies on the other side of silence.

Choose a place where you won't do harm — yes, choose a place where you won't do very much harm, and stand in it for all you are worth, facing the sunshine.
E.M. Forster, "A Room With a View"

Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat.
Ralph Ellison, "Invisible Man"

Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt, that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.
Virginia Woolf, "A Room of One’s Own"

Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt.
Kurt Vonnegut, "Slaughterhouse-Five"

And know that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.

When we need it most, it’s the hardest to find. Hold on to too much of it, and we risk falling prey to naivete. But carry too little, and we can become our own worst enemies, shielding our hearts from new possibilities. What is this paradoxical, ever-abundant and simultaneously scarce phenomena? Hope.

Indeed, hope can be one of our most powerful driving forces and our biggest downfall. It can serve as a catalyst for great prosperity or as rose-colored glasses that shield us from life’s inevitabilities. To put a not-so-simple concept simply, hope is the lifeblood of humanity. To hope is to look forward into the unknown and believe that positive things await, despite a lack of concrete evidence.

In its best form, hope is a potent elixir, easing our present ailments and giving us strength to face the future. So whether we’re feeling full of hope or notably devoid of it, these quotes about hopefulness serve to remind us just how important it is to hold on to — or find — this optimistic conviction.

When there is no hope, it is incumbent on us to invent it.
Albert Camus

Hope in the shadow of fear is the world’s most powerful motivator.
Neal Shusterman

"Hope" is the thing with feathers / That perches in the soul, / And sings the tune without the words, / And never stops at all.
Emily Dickinson

We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.
Martin Luther King Jr.

The longest way must have its close, — the gloomiest night will wear on to a morning.
Harriet Beecher Stowe

Hang on to your hopes, my friend / That’s an easy thing to say / But if your hope should pass away / Simply pretend / That you can build them again.
Paul Simon

Hope is the only bee that makes honey without flowers.
Robert G. Ingersoll

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I cannot reach them: but I can look up, and see their beauty; believe in them, and try to follow where they lead; remember that frost comes latest to those that bloom the highest.
Louisa May Alcott

If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?
Percy Bysshe Shelley

Listen to the MUSTN’TS, child, / Listen to the DON’TS / Listen to the SHOULDN’TS / The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON’TS / Listen to the NEVER HAVES / Then listen close to me — / Anything can happen, child, / ANYTHING can be.
Shel Silverstein

If we will be quiet and ready enough, we shall find compensation in every disappointment.
Henry David Thoreau

Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there’s no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.
Laini Taylor

Don’t ever underestimate the impact you can have, because history has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own.
Michelle Obama

Such is the force of this beautiful and wilful conviction, it carries itself in the face of all opposition. I am never discouraged by absence of good. I never can be argued into hopelessness.
Helen Keller

Just like moons and like suns, / With the certainty of tides, / Just like hopes springing high, / Still I’ll rise.
Maya Angelou

’Tis not in the high stars alone, / Nor in the cup of budding flowers, / Nor in the redbreast’s mellow tone, / Nor in the bow that smiles in showers, / But in the mud and scum of things / There alway, alway something sings.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

In three words, I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.
Robert Frost

Hope, or an expectation of future good, is of so extensive an influence, that whether true or false, well or ill founded, it is one of the principal springs that keep mankind in motion.
Andrew Fuller

When day comes, we step out of the shade aflame and unafraid. The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.
Amanda Gorman

The most powerful man in the world kept a journal — not for glory, but to keep his sanity.
And now, centuries later, his words feel more urgent than ever.
Marcus Aurelius was no ordinary emperor.
He commanded the greatest empire on Earth — yet his fiercest struggle was within himself.
His Meditations were never meant for the public eye.
They were a lifeline — a shield against the slow decay of absolute power.
Picture this:
A man who could end lives with a single command spent his nights writing about humility, self-restraint, and the vanity of fame.
That fact alone reveals more about leadership than a thousand speeches.
While plague ravaged the empire, barbarians pressed at the borders,
and even his own family betrayed him —
Marcus clung to a philosophy born not in palaces, but in chains.
The irony is striking:
The Stoicism of Epictetus, once a slave, became the compass of the most powerful man alive.
“Accept what you cannot change,” he wrote — as legions marched to die on the Danube.
“Control your perceptions,” he reminded himself — while treason brewed in his inner circle.
His philosophy became his armor:
Temperance amid endless temptation.
Justice when cruelty would have been easier.
Courage in the shadow of plague and war.
While others surrendered to decadence,
he ate like a soldier and often slept on the ground.
Power did not corrupt him —
though it nearly crushed him.
Each line of Meditations bears the cost of ruling with conscience in a merciless world.
And today, when leadership too often collapses into soundbites and vanity,
Marcus Aurelius still speaks across the centuries.
His deepest lesson?
True power lies not in ruling others, but in ruling yourself.
In an age drowning in distraction, his call to discipline feels revolutionary.
And he leaves us with a haunting question:
How many of today’s leaders could endure absolute power —
and not lose their humanity?
The last of Rome’s “Five Good Emperors” proved it was possible:
to sit on a throne without becoming a tyrant,
to be surrounded by flattery yet remain clear-headed.
Because in the end, legacy is not the land you conquer —
but the self you conquer within.

1. “The best revenge is to not be like your enemy.”
When someone wrongs you, fighting fire with fire isn’t always the best course of action to take.

In fact, most of the time, fighting fire with fire is the wrong action to take.

Instead, we should be the bigger person, stay calm, and not be like the person who has wronged us.

2. “Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself.”
Just because we’re strict and disciplined with ourselves doesn’t mean we should force others to do the same.

Learn to have some form of leniency.

Not everyone can be as disciplined and committed as us.

3. “Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now take what’s left and live it properly.”
Live with a sense of urgency and intention.

Stop waiting for things to happen.

Instead, make things happen.

4. “Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.”
Stop theorising about what it means to be a good human being.

Just be one.

Do good, be good, live with good intentions, and do what we’re supposed to do.

5. “Just that you do the right thing. The rest doesn’t matter.”
Focus on actions, not the outcome.

If it’s the right thing to do, and we know it’s the right thing to do, even if other people don’t think it is, just do it.

6. “It’s silly to try to escape other people’s faults. They are inescapable. Just try to escape your own.”
We have so many different faults to deal with internally it’s ridiculous.

So, instead of spending all our time and focus trying to solve other people’s issues, maybe we should start focusing more on ourselves.

This doesn’t mean we should never help other people; it means we should shift our attention towards helping someone we can help: ourselves.

7. “It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.”
We shouldn’t be scared of death.

Instead, we should be scared of never living the life we want to live, a life without meaning, without purpose, and without the people we want to share it with.
(P.S. I used to have this one pinned up on my bedroom cupboard!)

8. “It never ceases to amaze me that we all love ourselves more than other people but care more about their opinions than our own.”
How many of us truly love ourselves?

How many of us make and trust our own decisions?

How many of us are scared of taking risks and taking action because we let other people steer our inner ship?

We like to think that we value ourselves, but we put too much trust in other people’s judgements.

9. “You could be good today, but instead you choose tomorrow.”
We have the chance to make the right choices, do something good with our day, and seize the opportunities that present themselves to us daily.
But we don’t.
We procrastinate and don’t take action.
We put things off for abother day.
But the truth is, tomorrow might never come.
To think otherwise reeks of arrogance and entitlement.

In the 2023 Oscar-nominated film The Holdovers, history teacher Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) gifts copies of Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations to multiple people, saying, "For my money, it’s like the Bible, the Quran, and the Bhagavad Gita all rolled up into one."

Unlike those religious texts, however, Meditations began its life as the personal diary of a Roman emperor and philosopher. It was also likely never intended to be published. Written during Marcus Aurelius’ rule from 161 to 180 CE, these introspective notes were meant to help Aurelius reflect on his Stoic philosophy and propel him along his personal journey of self-improvement.

The writings, ranging in length from one sentence to extended paragraphs, are divided into 12 books that trace the various periods of the author’s life as he endeavors to make sense of himself and his place in the universe. To this day, Marcus Aurelius’ musings remain almost eerily relevant.

Although we may not be Roman emperors, we continually strive to become better versions of ourselves just as Marcus Aurelius did nearly 2,000 years ago, and that’s where his musings can come in handy. Here are 15 timeless quotes from Meditations that can help all of us find our place in the world.

The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts.

Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.


You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.

Here is a rule to remember in future, when anything tempts you to feel bitter: not, "This is a misfortune," but "To bear this worthily is good fortune."

Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.

If you can, show them the better way. If you cannot, remember that this is why you have the gift of kindness.

There is a limit circumscribed to your time — if you do not use it to clear away your clouds, it will be gone, and you will be gone, and the opportunity will not return.

Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?

The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.

If you are distressed by anything, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to your own estimate of it; and this you have power to revoke at any moment. ##

Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.

Watch the stars in their courses as one that runneth about with them therein; and think constantly upon the reciprocal changes of the elements, for thoughts on these things cleanse away the mire of our earthly life.

It can ruin your life only if it ruins your character. Otherwise it cannot harm you — inside or out.

Accept humbly: let go easily.

1. “If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it.”
We know when something feels off.

Whether it’s the action we’re currently taking or the decision we’re about to make, deep down we know if something is right or not.

The rule here is simple: when in doubt, do what we think is right and choose integrity first.

2. “Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”
Many of us spend all our time waiting for the perfect time and the ideal conditions.

So, what do we do? We delay.

This is ignorant and it’s entitled.

By doing so, we’re just assuming that we will have time later, which may never happen.

Don’t just talk and think about doing good. Just be good.

3. “The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”
Our lives are a product of our thoughts, and we are what we believe.

The more we feed ourselves negativity, the more we begin to believe it and live it.

Feed ourselves with positivity, our lives all of a sudden improve, and everything shifts in the direction we want it to shift in.

4. “Why should you feel anger at the world? As if the world would notice.”
Out of all the toxic feelings a human being could tussle with, anger could very well be the worst.

Anger offers us nothing and changes nothing. It provides us with zero purpose. It’s pointless.

Not only do we personally feel terrible and drained whenever anger arises and gets the better of us, but so does everyone else around us.

5. “Choose not to be harmed, and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel harmed, and you haven’t been.”
You know the old saying: “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”? Well, it’s true.

People can say what they want, but words genuinely can’t hurt us unless we let them do so.

Absolute freedom is when we stop gifting other people the power to offend us.

6. “It’s silly to try to escape other people’s faults. They are inescapable. Just try to escape your own.”
Everyone single one of us has problems. Everyone.

This means that trying to fix others without first fixing and addressing our problems is a loser’s game to play.

No, it’s not selfish to do so.

It’s a reminder sometimes to put ourselves at the front of the queue because the truth is, that’s when the real progress begins.

7. “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”
Hardships, resistance, and difficult things, no matter how much we hate them, are good for us.

Obstacles are the path. Difficult things are the way.

Every struggle is a golden opportunity to grow, become more resilient, and move forward.

“One can acquire everything in solitude—except character.”
—Stendhal

“Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness.”
—Confucius, "Analects"

11 More Quotes

I’m not scared to admit it, but I was lost.

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my young life, and I needed guidance.

That guidance came from the one and only Marcus Aurelius, a former Roman Emperor who nowadays is better known as a philosopher than as the most powerful person on earth back in the day.

Despite being dead for nearly 2000 years, it never ceases to amaze me how much impact one person still has on thousands upon thousands of people’s lives in today’s society.

Marcus’s book Meditations is a book I religiously re-read and flick through many times throughout the year, and that will continue to be the case for quite some time.

In this article, I could have included dozens of Marcus Aurelius quotes, but today we will have to settle for eleven of my favourites.

So, here we go:

1. “You could be good today, but instead you choose tomorrow.”
It’s easy to put things off for another day.

But putting things off for another day reeks of arrogance.

It’s arrogant because you’re assuming that you’ll have another time to do something later.

Time, though, waits for nobody, and it definitely won’t wait for you.

If something can be done now, it should be done, now and always.

2. “Why should you feel anger at the world? As if the world would notice.”
Guess what?

The world doesn’t give a shit how angry you are with it, and nobody cares how pissed off you are.

Your anger isn’t going to make a blind bit of difference to what happens in the world, so you might as well start nipping it in the bud before you do something stupid that you’ll regret later.

3. “Whatever happens to you has been waiting to happen since the beginning of time.”
Fate is real, and everything happens for a reason (or at least I think it does!)

Whatever happens to you has always been destined to happen to you.

4. “Your soul takes on the colour of your thoughts.”
Your current life is a by-product of your past and present thoughts.

Think terrible things, expect awful things to come your way.

Think great things, expect great things to happen.

What you implant into your brain eventually becomes a reality in some shape or form. Never forget that.

5. “It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.”
Look, it sounds obvious, but we’re all going to die someday.

Whether that scares you or not, it doesn’t matter.

Either way, you should use death as a tool, a tool of urgency, and a tool to live a life you want to live on your own terms.

6. “Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself.”
Not everyone can be as strict and disciplined as we are, and it’s essential to keep that in mind.

If you always hold the belief that everyone should be able to attain your own high standards, you’ll go insane and forever be frustrated.

Show some leniency to keep your insanity intact.

7. “The best revenge is not to be like your enemy.”
Just because someone has wronged you doesn’t mean that you have to wrong them in return.

The adage ‘an eye for an eye’ isn’t the best course of action to take in most instances.

The best course of action is to be unlike the person who’s trying to cause you harm.

8. “You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can’t control.”
You don’t always need to go around and give your opinion out willy-nilly on every single matter; you can also remain neutral.

It’s not to say that you shouldn’t have an opinion, but the option to have no opinion is also there.

9. “Just that you do the right thing. The rest doesn’t matter.”
You don’t need externals to tell you what’s right.

If you do what you believe to be right, and you have good, legitimate reasoning to think that what you’ve done is right, that’s good enough.

10. “It’s silly to try to escape other people’s faults. They are inescapable. Just try to escape your own.”
Everyone has faults and things in their lives they’d like to correct, even you.

So instead of swooping in and trying to correct everyone else, focus on fixing your own problems first.

Putting yourself isn’t selfish, it’s essential.

Because if you don’t put yourself at the front of the queue, who will?

11. “Don’t be overheard complaining about life. Not even to yourself.”
Complaining, moaning, and moping around doesn’t do anybody any good.

Not only does complaining drain the complainer’s energy, but it also zaps the energy of the entire room.

The next time you find yourself about to complain, nip it in the bud and get on with life, you’ll feel better for it.

Abraham Lincoln was born into poverty in 1809, in a humble log cabin in Kentucky. Self-educated, he rose up to become a lawyer, then a politician, and then, ultimately, the 16th President of the United States. He held the nation’s highest office from 1861 until his assassination in 1865, during which time he led the country through the American Civil War and brought about the abolition of slavery.

Among Lincoln’s many talents as a leader was his ability to write speeches of the highest order — perhaps none more eloquent or more famous than his first inaugural address, in which he talked of "the mystic chords of memory" and "the better angels of our nature." Beyond his formal addresses, the President was also known for his sense of humor and love of jokes, which he scattered around liberally when the setting allowed.

Despite his ability with the pen, Lincoln wasn’t what most would consider a natural orator. His voice, according to many accounts, was high-pitched and reedy; some even called it shrill. His accent was a blend of Indiana and Kentucky, which wasn’t always appealing to audiences in Boston or New York.

But what Lincoln lacked in appearance and delivery, he more than made up for with the sheer strength of his words and ideas — as evidenced by his most insightful and memorable quotes.

In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be, wrong.

No man is good enough to govern another man, without that other's consent.

The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present …  As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew.

A man watches his pear-tree day after day, impatient for the ripening of the fruit. Let him attempt to force the process, and he may spoil both fruit and tree. But let him patiently wait, and the ripe pear at length falls into his lap.

I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors; and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true views.

As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy.

Think you these places would satisfy an Alexander, a Caesar, or a Napoleon? Never! Towering genius disdains a beaten path. It seeks regions hitherto unexplored.

Adhere to your purpose and you will soon feel as well as you ever did. On the contrary, if you falter, and give up, you will lose the power of keeping any resolution, and will regret it all your life.

The struggle of today, is not altogether for today — it is for a vast future also. #

When we were the political slaves of King George, and wanted to be free, we called the maxim that "all men are created equal" a self-evident truth; but now when we have grown fat, and have lost all dread of being slaves ourselves, we have become so greedy to be masters that we call the same maxim "a self-evident lie."

When the white man governs himself, that is self-government; but when he governs himself, and also governs another man, that is more than self-government — that is despotism.

Bad promises are better broken than kept.

Let us neither express nor cherish any hard feelings toward any citizen who by his vote has differed with us. Let us at all times remember that all American citizens are brothers of a common country, and should dwell together in the bonds of fraternal feeling.

The true rule, in determining to embrace or reject anything, is not whether it have any evil in it, but whether it have more of evil than of good.

With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds.

Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today. #

This statement, perhaps better than any other, demonstrates Lincoln’s use of wit and humor. Much like Britain’s wartime prime minister Winston Churchill, Lincoln knew how powerful laughter could be in dark times. As the following quotes show, Lincoln’s sharp wit was both self-deprecating and, at times, a potent weapon in the political realm.

I have now come to the conclusion never again to think of marrying; and for this reason: I can never be satisfied with anyone who would be block-head enough to have me.

Abraham Lincoln poked fun at himself as much as at anyone else, as shown in this line from a letter written to Mrs. Orville H. Browning in 1838 (four years before he married Mary Todd).

I didn't want the [damned] fellow to kill me, which I think he would have done if we had selected pistols.

In 1842, the young Abraham Lincoln publicly ridiculed politician James Shields during a debate about banking in Illinois, leading Shields to challenge Lincoln to a duel. Being the far larger and stronger man , Lincoln, who had the privilege of choosing the weapons, went with "cavalry broadswords of the largest size." The two men later called a truce on the day of the duel.

Shoot me, for if I am an uglier man than you I don’t want to live.

One of Lincoln’s favorite stories involved an encounter with a stranger who apparently told him, "Some years ago I swore an oath that if I ever came across an uglier man than myself I'd shoot him on the spot." It may be a tall tale, but Lincoln’s response is funny nonetheless.

He has a good deal of trouble with his popular sovereignty. His explanations explanatory of explanations explained are interminable.

This zinger is from a 1858 presidential debate with Stephen Douglas. Lincoln poked fun at his opponent’s seemingly contradictory ideas regarding popular sovereignty, drawing laughter from the crowd.

Honestly, if I were two-faced, would I be showing you this one?

This self-deprecating comment is perhaps the most famous Lincoln one-liner from the Douglas debates. Lincoln made the quip in response to Douglas’ accusation that he was two-faced.

I am rather inclined to silence, and whether that be wise or not, it is at least more unusual nowadays to find a man who can hold his tongue than to find one who cannot.

During an 1861 speech in Pittsburgh, Lincoln addressed a supportive and vocal crowd who were more than willing to laugh at his jokes — especially this one, which poked fun at the chattering political class in general.

My dear McClellan: If you don't want to use the Army I should like to borrow it for a while.
During the Civil War, Lincoln became increasingly frustrated by Union General George McClellan’s unwillingness to attack the Confederate Army. Lincoln recalled him to Washington with the simple but barbed message above.

My dear girl, the ball that hit him, would have missed you.
While visiting a wounded soldier, Lincoln noticed a young woman asking the injured man where he had been shot. The soldier had been shot through the testicles and didn’t wish to give the woman an answer. After talking with the soldier, Lincoln gave the woman this delicate explanation.

Aristotle posited that three factors contribute to human goodness: nature, habit, and reason.

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.

The roots of many modern disciplines can be traced back more than 2,000 years to the profound contributions of Aristotle, a brilliant thinker whose impact on human knowledge in science, politics, philosophy, and more remains indelible.

Aristotle was born in northern Greece in 384 BCE to parents who came from traditional medical backgrounds and who encouraged his intellectual pursuits. At roughly age 17, the future philosopher embarked on a 20-year career as a student of — and eventually a teacher alongside — Plato, in the vibrant learning center of Athens.

His mentorship under Plato shaped his philosophical foundation, but Aristotle's intellectual pursuits extended far beyond philosophy. He evolved into a polymath, branching out into a wide spectrum of disciplines, including science, politics, the arts, and even metaphysics. After leaving Athens for a number of years (during which time he married his wife Pythias), Aristotle was summoned to Macedonia in 342 BCE by King Philip II, who requested his expertise in educating his son — the future Alexander the Great.

In 335 BCE, Aristotle opened his own school in the Lyceum. His singular approach to knowledge, characterized by his insatiable curiosity and an unwavering commitment to understanding the underlying principles of the world, were dispersed throughout his approximately 200 works, of which only 31 survive.

Aristotle wasn’t content with merely absorbing information; rather, he analyzed and sought to unravel the "why" behind everything. This led to one of his most notable roles, as a pioneer of the scientific method. He championed empirical observations and endeavored to make sense of the world based on tangible evidence. His contributions to this field fundamentally influenced the scientific methods we still use to this day.

Beyond his scientific endeavors, Aristotle also displayed a keen interest in politics, ethics, and the complexities of society. The Greek great’s intellectual curiosity and desire to explore, explain, and enhance the world have left a lasting legacy, and his body of work serves as a timeless source of wisdom and insight. Here are some of Aristotle's most poignant quotes that exemplify the way he saw the world.

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.

Aristotle had a sincere appreciation for and curiosity about the world around him, and he spent a significant amount of time studying and classifying animals. Aside from valuing and respecting the inherent beauty and complexity found in every facet of nature, Aristotle also encouraged others to study and understand the natural world, a constant source of marvel, inspiration, and information all its own.

The roots of education … are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.

The process of learning can be challenging, often demanding much of us and involving hard work and perseverance. But the rewards of education, as lifelong student Aristotle knew, are immensely valuable and gratifying. Like the reaping of a harvest after sowing, the long-term benefits and fulfillment that come from the effort and dedication put into education are well worth all the hard work.

Piety requires us to honor truth above our friends.

Aristotle believed it was critically important to stay true to one's principles and moral values above all else. The concept of piety, often associated with religious duty, highlights the ethical responsibility to prioritize what is right and just over loyalty to our friends. Although Aristotle rejected traditional religion, here the word is used to emphasize the significance of maintaining one's moral compass even if it means disagreeing with our loved ones.

Our characters are the result of our conduct.

A recurring idea in Aristotle’s work is the role of our habitual behaviors in defining our personal constitutions. It reflects a central theme of his ethical philosophy, which suggests that consistently practicing virtuous conduct leads to the development of virtuous character. It serves as a guiding principle throughout his exploration of ethics and the pursuit of a well-lived, righteous life.

Happiness then is the best, noblest, and most pleasant thing in the world.

"Eudaimonia" is a central concept in Aristotle's ethical philosophy. Though it’s often translated to mean "happiness," the concept encompasses a more enduring state of well-being than mere momentary pleasure. This profound type of human flourishing, he believed, was the result of living a life of upstanding actions and moral excellence — and he stated it to be the ultimate goal of human life.

One swallow does not make a summer, nor does one day; and so too one day, or a short time, does not make a man blessed and happy.

Similar to his belief that our habits help define our character, Aristotle stressed the importance of consistency in achieving true happiness. Fleeting periods of joy or success don’t determine one's overall well-being; instead, lasting happiness results from sustained virtuous conduct and a life lived according to high moral standards.

Any one can get angry — that is easy … but to do this to the right person, to the right extent, at the right time, with the right motive, and in the right way, that is not for every one, nor is it easy.

Aristotle understood the complexity — and the power — of anger. The often-volatile emotion wields the potential for both destructive and constructive change. To effectively harness its force, balance is crucial. Through the cultivation of mindfulness, compassion, and wisdom, we have the capacity to channel anger in a positively transformative manner.

A whole is that which has beginning, middle, and end.

Aristotle’s Poetics is a seminal work of literary theory in which the philosopher discusses narrative structure, plot, the role of character development, the use of language and style, catharsis, and more. This quote reflects his idea that in order for something to be considered a complete and meaningful work, it should have a clear and coherent structure, with distinct phases — including a beginning, middle, and end. The insights in Poetics have had an enduring influence on literature, drama, and the arts.

Hope is the dream of a waking man.

Aristotle prominently highlighted human aspirations and the pursuit of a fulfilling life. Here, he characterizes hope as a driving force,  underscoring its power as a motivating vision and a conscious dream to work toward in the waking world, rather than merely a chimerical wish or unspoken desire.

Much more practical are those mental activities and reflections which have their goal in themselves and take place for their own sake.

Intellectual pursuits contain their own intrinsic values. Aristotle was highly motivated by the quest for knowledge and understanding, and these things alone, without external incentives, are inherently meaningful and purposeful. This quote also aligns with Aristotle’s belief that finding joy and well-being in life are goals that depend on ourselves and our own pursuit of happiness.

Aristotle was not just a great philosopher; the ancient Greek scholar also wrote about poetry, drama, comedy, biology, physics, politics, and music. His thirst for understanding the world seemed boundless.

When his works were studied in the Middle Ages, he became known as not just a philosopher but "The Philosopher." In the poet Dante’s 1472 epic poem Divine Comedy, Aristotle is called "the master of those who know."

Living in the fourth century B.C., Aristotle was the student of the renowned philosopher Plato and in turn became the tutor of Alexander the Great, then the prince of Macedonia. While serving at the royal courts, Aristotle became deeply concerned with how people might achieve eudaimonia, a Greek word meaning to flourish as a human being. To Aristotle’s mind, thriving in life was all a matter of character and virtue.

Aristotle believed that humans could learn to be virtuous by making a habit of moral acts — in other words, if you practiced acting like a good person, you would eventually become good.

"For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them," he wrote in Nicomachean Ethics, one of his most influential works. "Men become builders by building and lyre players by playing the lyre; so too we become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts."

Aristotle saw virtue as a balance between two extremes. The brave person, for instance, was one who avoided acting like a coward (considered a vice) but was also not rash or foolhardy (a vice on the other end of the spectrum). He believed moderation brought out the best in all people and made human society harmonious.

In his ethical works, Aristotle discussed the chief virtues a good and moral person should strive to possess as character traits. Here are Aristotle’s thoughts on 11 of the most important virtues.

COURAGE
Courage involves pain, and is justly praised; for it is harder to face what is painful than to abstain from what is pleasant.

TEMPERANCE
By abstaining from pleasures we become temperate, and it is when we have become so that we are most able to abstain from them.

LIBERALITY (GENEROSITY)
Of all those who are called virtuous the liberal are probably the best liked, because they are helpful; and their help consists in giving.

TRUTHFULNESS
Falsehood is in itself bad and reprehensible, while the truth is a fine and praiseworthy thing.

FRIENDLINESS
The best friend is he that, when he wishes a person's good, wishes it for that person's own sake.

JUSTICE
Justice is often regarded as the sovereign virtue, and ‘neither evening nor morning star is such a wonder.'

MAGNANIMITY
It is proper to a magnanimous person not to nurse memories, especially not of evils, but to overlook them.

RIGHTEOUSNESS
The man who gets angry at the right things and with the right people, and also in the right way and at the right time and for the right length of time, is commended; so this person will be patient … because a patient person tends to be unperturbed and not carried away by feelings.

MAGNIFICENCE
The magnificent man is like an artist; for he can see what is fitting and spend large sums tastefully.

AMBITION
We blame both the ambitious man as aiming at honour more than is right and from wrong sources, and the unambitious man as not willing to be honoured even for noble reasons.

WIT
Wit is cultured insolence.

The ultimate test of leadership is not the polls you take, but the risks you take … The greatest defeat of all would be to live without courage, for that would hardly be living at all.
Gerald Ford

America demands and deserves big things from us, and nothing big ever came from being small.
Bill Clinton

The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one who gets the people to do the greatest things.
Ronald Reagan

A self-respecting man must insist on his rights; otherwise he neither deserves nor receives the respect of others.
Theodore Roosevelt

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
Barack Obama

A good leader can’t get too far ahead of his followers.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Two commanders on the same field are always one too many.
Ulysses S. Grant

Our real luck lies within ourselves. It is a question of character. It depends on whether we follow the inward light of conscience. Such men rise above the realm of temporary circumstance. They are great even in defeat.
Calvin Coolidge

For courage, not complacency, is our need today. Leadership, not salesmanship. And the only valid test of leadership is the ability to lead and lead vigorously.
John F. Kennedy

The job of getting people really wanting to do something is the essence of leadership. And one of the things a leader needs occasionally is the inspiration he gets from the people he leads.
Dwight D. Eisenhower

Leadership to me means duty, honor, country. It means character, and it means listening from time to time.
George W. Bush

We have to inspire our children and grandchildren to take on challenges and risks that at first may seem to be overwhelming or even impossible. They need to understand that the only failure is not trying.
Jimmy Carter

Do you covet honor? You will never get it by serving yourself. Do you covet distinction? You will get it only as the servant of mankind … You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.
Woodrow Wilson

These don't seem as easy to interpret in terms of biology. 

"Love is a serious mental disease." 

"When the mind is thinking it is talking to itself." 

"Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion and knowledge." 

"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." 

"Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything." 

"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors." 

"Man-a being in search of meaning." 

"Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of lover, everyone becomes a poet." 

"There are two things a person should never be angry at: What they can help, and what they cannot." 

"People are like dirt. They can either nourish you and help you grow as a person or they can stunt your growth and make you wilt and die." 

A Unique Army Creed That Helps You Put A Chaotic World Into Order
Sua Sponte: fixing things around you by your own accord
https://medium.com/mind-cafe/a-unique-army-creed-that-helps-you-put-a-chaotic-world-into-order-842b9622e33

Admiral William McRaven shared some life lessons he’s learned over his military career. One of which is enshrined in the Army Ranger’s motto: Sua Sponte. Its Latin translation is "of your own accord." #

McRaven says it means to do what needs to be done without waiting to be told. 


***

If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters.
Colin Powell

Humans are creatures of habit. If you quit when things get tough, it gets that much easier to quit the next time. On the other hand, if you force yourself to push through it, the grit begins to grow in you.
Travis Bradberry, author

We can use decision-making to choose the habits that we want to form, use willpower to get the habit started, then — and this is the best part — we can allow the extraordinary power of habit to take over.
Gretchen Rubin, author

'Tis easier to prevent bad habits than to break them.
Benjamin Franklin

Good habits can be developed through repetition. By incorporating behaviors, tasks, and attitude to the regular routines, they usually become a habit, thus becoming natural and virtually effortless.
Kellie Sullivan, author

It takes time and patience, but if you develop the habit of using forceful, positive Self-Talk rebuttals to your negative Mind Chatter you will soon see a shift in your Mind Chatter, how you feel, and what you do.
Mark Snyder, author

You shouldn't be challenging yourself to change a habit for just a short period of time. The point of habits is to change behavior over the long term.
Richard D. Rawlings, author

Sow an act and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and reap a character. Sow a character and you reap a destiny.
Charles Reade, novelist

Success leads to success. But here’s something that may surprise you. The size of the success doesn’t seem to matter very much. When you feel successful at something, even if it’s tiny, your confidence grows quickly, and your motivation increases to do that habit again.
BJ Fogg, behavior scientist

Do not count the number of times you failed and believe it is impossible to eliminate bad habits. It is possible to change bad habits into positive ones and live a more productive life.
Henry A. Dabo, author

In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It’s not what we do that shapes our identity, but what we do consistently.
Tony Robbins, author and speaker

According to Chinese folklore, the Jade Emperor, who ruled the heavens and earth, created the Chinese zodiac by assigning 12 animals to represent different years in the Chinese calendar. Among those animals was the Dragon, which the Emperor placed fifth in the 12-year cycle.

The Dragon is the only mythological creature in the Chinese zodiac. The official color of the Dragon has varied depending on the ruling dynasty of the time, but the Dragon has always symbolized the emperor of China and is considered a lucky year in which to be born.

People born in the Year of the Dragon are typically considered to have an abundance of charisma, confidence, power, and intelligence. They may also be a bit perfectionistic, holding themselves (and others) to high standards. Celebrities born in the Year of the Dragon include Bruce Lee, John Lennon, and Rihanna.

In the past century, "Dragon years" have fallen in 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, and 2024. According to the Chinese elemental theory, each animalic zodiac sign is also linked to one of the five main elements: metal, wood, water, fire, or earth. Each of the elemental Dragons appears in the Chinese zodiac every 60 years and is associated with its own character traits. For instance, "Wood Dragons" born in 2024 may grow up to be ambitious and driven, yet humble.

Here are 11 quotes that provide more insight into what it means to be born in the Year of the Dragon, as well as some tidbits of advice for living in the way of the Dragon.

The Dragon represents individuals who are always full of life and enthusiasm, with a reputation for being fun-loving and innovative.
Vivienne Tam

Listen closely as the wind is / blowing. There is something / different in the air. / A cold wind that’s changing / everything. / Far ahead beyond the new horizon, there are dreams you can’t imagine. / It starts with the Year of the Dragon.
Trish Thuy Trang

Shrewd and enthusiastic, the Dragon is the sign with the greatest power and the most powerful influence … Unlike the frightening Dragon of Western mythology, Chinese Dragons are benevolent creatures that live in the heavens and amongst the wind, mist, rain, thunder, and lightning.
Shelly Wu

Clouds separating / Sun and the moon witnessing / The earth is speculating / The Dragon is coming.
Zeynep Premdassi

You’re a Dragon, and of all the signs only a Dragon can tame the fates. Only a Dragon can wear the horns of destiny, duty, and power.
Lisa See

It is difficult to predict the behavior of someone born in the year of the Dragon. Acquaintances can never guess what you are about to do or what you think. Many people are attracted to your charismatic character. You are quiet, serious, and dignified in everything you do.
Man-Ho Kwok

When the Dragon acts in accord with the Way nothing can withstand him. When the Dragon is in conflict with the Way disaster swiftly follows.
Nigel Suckling

In the Year of the Dragon, a little boldness will go a long way — especially if you time it right.
Jill Dearman

In Chinese culture, the Dragon holds a significant place as an auspicious and extraordinary creature, unparalleled in talent and excellence. It symbolizes power, nobility, honor, luck, and success.
Cynthia Li

Whether you like it or not, you are a child of fire. You / descend from the Dragon.
C. Dale Young

I am an unquenchable fire, / the center of all energy, / the stout heroic heart. / I am truth and light, / I hold power and glory in my sway. / My presence / disperses dark clouds. / I have been chosen / to tame the Fates. / I AM THE DRAGON.
Theodora Lau

A little bit of unexpected kindness can go a long way amid the bustle of a busy day or the stress of a difficult time. Odds are, we’ve all been the recipient of at least one random act of kindness, whether from a close friend or a complete stranger.

Our gratitude for those kindnesses might prompt us to pass it on, in one way or another. For example, in 2020, more than 900 cars at a Minnesota drive-thru took part in what’s referred to as a pay-it-forward chain, in which each customer pays for the order of the car behind them. Studies have shown that even children as young as 4 years old get the urge to pass on the kindnesses they’re shown.

One may wonder why we don’t just directly repay the person who initially showed us generosity. It’s totally reasonable and warranted to show our gratitude to that person, but science shows that paying it forward can cause a ripple effect of positive actions.

For one, it’s likely that paying it forward will inspire the people we help to help others in turn — making a bigger impact than a pair of favorable actions between two people. It also helps strengthen our ties to other people, decreasing our risks of anxiety and depression. The bottom line here is that being kind to others is good for our own well-being and the well-being of those around us.

To inspire you, we’ve gathered 11 quotes about the value of paying forward the goodwill shown to us. You never know the positive impact your choices may have on someone else’s life!

I have a theory about the assists we get in life. Only rarely can we repay those people who helped us, but we can pass that help along to others.
Lucille Ball

Have you had a kindness shown? / Pass it on; / 'Twas not given for thee alone, / Pass it on.
Henry Burton

Try to be kind, because there is such a lack of kindness everywhere, and if you could generate just a little, it would mean everything to someone else. You may never know how much it would help … Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can change someone else’s life forever.
Margaret Cho

It’s important in this world we’re living in now, to give back. We can’t forget about the people who live in it. How can we make it a better world?
Paula Patton

Learning to pay it forward can add a tremendous sense of meaning and dignity to our lives. Simply put, it feels good to give to others, whether we get back or not.
Greg Epstein

Here’s what I want you to do. Do a very big favor for three people … And when they try to pay you back, tell them instead to pay it forward. Give your time, if you have to, or your compassion.
Catherine Ryan Hyde

I always liked telling my students: "Go out and do for others what somebody did for you."
Randy Pausch

We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindnesses there is at least one which makes the heart run over.
Ray Bradbury

Every small, unselfish action nudges the world into a better path. An accumulation of small acts can change the world.
Robin Hobb

Friendships … are built of a thousand small kindnesses … swapped back and forth and over again.
Michelle Obama

One can never pay in gratitude, one can only pay "in kind" somewhere else in life.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh

The book is divided into chapters with each title representing one of the following twelve specific rules for life as explained through an essay.

"Stand up straight with your shoulders back."
"Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping."
"Make friends with people who want the best for you."
"Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today."
"Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them."
"Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world."
"Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient)."
"Tell the truth – or, at least, don't lie."
"Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don't."
"Be precise in your speech."
"Do not bother children when they are skateboarding."
"Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street."

Sermon on the Mount

People who live rightously.
How to do right?
Torah - 613 laws. Teachings - First 5 books of the Bible. Need to be meditated on.
Followed by the Prophets. They had failed, but God was going to fix it.
The Sermon on the Mount was the story of how to interpret the laws of the Torah, how to be rightous.
He gave 6 case studies of how to be rightous.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: To be "poor in spirit" means to be humble and teachable. Jesus encourages us to acknowledge our need for Him and approach life with humility. In doing so, we can receive the blessings of the kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: Life brings challenges and trials. When we face loss or difficulties, we can find comfort in knowing that God will send His Holy Spirit to console us. Our mourning can lead to blessings as we endure and seek solace.

Blessed are the meek: Meekness involves gentleness, kindness, patience, and tolerance. Jesus exemplified meekness by submitting to God’s will, even in moments of extreme agony. By cultivating meekness, we can inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness: Seeking knowledge and striving to follow God’s teachings bring us closer to Him. The more we hunger for righteousness, the more He will bless us with understanding and fulfillment.

Blessed are the merciful: Jesus demonstrated forgiveness and mercy, even while suffering on the cross. As recipients of God’s mercy, we are called to show mercy to others. Compassion and forgiveness lead to blessings.

Blessed are the pure in heart: A pure heart allows us to see God. When our motives and actions align with godliness, we become receptive to divine revelation. Striving for purity of heart opens the way to a deeper connection with God.

A man who chases two rabbits, catches neither. Confucious.

Epictetus added, “There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” And, “Circumstances don’t make the man, they only reveal him to himself.”

Situations themselves often can’t be controlled, but how we face them is up to us. “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing, Viktor E. Frankl said, “the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

Epictetus and Viktor E. Frankl discovered that that’s a choice no one can take away from us. It’s the last choice once everything has been stripped away, but it’s perhaps the most powerful one of all.

Envy is one of the stupidest things you can do.
2. “Comparison is the thief of joy.” — Theodore Roosevelt

Socrates said something that’s lasted the test of time: “He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.”

2,500 years later, Naval Ravikant put it in a more modern context: “If you can’t be happy with a coffee, you won’t be happy with a yacht.”

According to Carl Jung, happiness is not associated with things or the result of blind luck; it’s more a process built on intentional living, psychological balance, and the acceptance of life’s paradoxes. He believed that happiness is a byproduct of a meaningful life rather than a goal to be pursued directly. “The more you deliberately seek happiness,” He famously said, “the more sure you are not to find it.”

It was Carl Jung’s next line that really pushed me over the edge. “Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.”

Advice from An Old Farmer:
Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.
Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.
Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
Words that soak into your ears are whispered… not yelled.
Meanness doesn’t just happen overnight.
Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.
Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
It doesn’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.
You cannot unsay a cruel word.
Every path has a few puddles.
When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
The best sermons are lived, not preached.
Most of the stuff people worry about ain’t never gonna happen anyway.
Don’t judge folks by their relatives.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Live a good, honorable life… then when you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a second time.
Don't interfere with somethin’ that ain’t bothering you none.
Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a Rain dance.
If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.
Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
The biggest troublemaker you’ll probably ever have to deal with watches you from the mirror every mornin’.
Always drink upstream from the herd.
Good judgment comes from experience and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.
If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around..
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.
Most times, it just gets down to common sense.

After becoming deaf and blind at age two, Helen Keller faced her challenges with a singular optimism and strength. She became a trailblazing advocate for disability rights, and the first person who was deaf and blind to earn a college degree in the United States. She graduated in 1904, at a time when women were significantly outnumbered by men in higher education, special education was in its infancy, and the disability rights movement was just beginning to pick up steam.

Keller’s mastery of multiple forms of communication, and lifelong activism on behalf of people with disabilities, women, Black people, and other socially sidelined groups, brought her international celebrity. She lectured throughout the U.S. and abroad, and authored 14 books, including a famous memoir published in 1905, The Story of My Life, which was translated into 50 languages and remains in print.

13 Quotes on the Power of Positive Thinking 

While Keller embraced the limelight, she did so in order to campaign for fair treatment and equal rights for everyone, regardless of gender, race, or disability. She supported the growth of several major U.S. institutions, including Helen Keller International, the ACLU, and the NAACP. She believed true happiness came from helping and working in partnership with others, aligning oneself with a higher purpose, and from within oneself.

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us," she wrote in 1929. Helen Keller was a passionate proponent of hope and courage in the face of adversity, and her words continue to inspire. Here are 10 of her most well-known and poignant statements.

A happy life consists not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships.

Keller was born in 1880 in Alabama. When she was two years old, she became deaf and blind due to a fever. Her early childhood was reportedly filled with tantrums and disruptive behaviors. But when Keller was seven years old, her parents hired Anne Sullivan, a recent graduate from the Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston, Massachusetts, to work with their daughter. Sullivan’s arrival and her persistent and creative instruction were a turning point in Keller’s life.

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope.

After initial struggles, a breakthrough occurred when Sullivan repeatedly ran water over one of Keller’s palms while finger spelling the word "water" into the other. After many tries, Keller was able to connect the tactile experience of flowing water with the letter signals.

After comprehending the sign for water, she was able to learn 30 more signs that same day. Working with Sullivan stoked her ambitions to pursue an education and learn to speak. Keller was eventually able to communicate through finger spelling, typing, Braille, touch-lip reading, and speech.

I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light.

The friendship that developed between Keller and her mentor, Sullivan, spanned decades, and the pair lived together during different periods of their lives. Like Keller, Sullivan was a member of the disability community — she had vision impairments that increased as she aged.

One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.

During her teenage years and young adulthood, Keller painstakingly learned to speak in a way that could be understood by people who could hear. She went to multiple schools for people who were deaf and a preparatory school for women before setting her sights on a new goal: attending college.

Meanwhile, Keller’s advancements became publicly known and drew the attention of influential people including Mark Twain, Alexander Graham Bell, and Henry H. Rogers, an oil magnate who offered to pay Keller’s tuition for Radcliffe College. In 1899, when she passed her entrance exams, only 36% of college students were women.

Sullivan accompanied Keller at Radcliffe, interpreting in classes, until Keller graduated cum laude in 1904 at age 24. She was the first individual who was blind and deaf to earn a higher education degree in the U.S. Her autobiography, The Story of My Life, was published a year later in 1905 and was widely read.


After graduation, Keller set out to share what she had learned and to advocate for people with disabilities. From universities to the halls of Congress, she lectured and testified on her experiences in support of blind and deaf communities. She is considered an early pioneer of the disability rights movement, which began to pick up steam in the early 1900s.

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.

Keller participated in numerous social movements of her era, including women's suffrage. In 1915, she cofounded Helen Keller International to address blindness and malnutrition around the world. She also helped found the ACLU and was an active member in the American Federation for the Blind, the Socialist Party, and other organizations. Despite being raised in the post-Reconstruction era South, she supported the recently founded NAACP advocating for civil rights for Black people.

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
Helen Keller

Keller was an intrepid world traveler and activist. In 1946, she became the counselor of international relations for the American Foundation for Overseas Blind. During the next 11 years, she spread her message across five continents and 35 countries. For her efforts, Keller was awarded several honorary degrees and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her autobiography inspired the 1957 television drama The Miracle Worker, as well as a Broadway play and film of the same title.

No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted island, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.

Despite facing many challenges, Keller lived a life full of meaning and happiness before her death in 1968 at age 87. Sullivan died in 1936 at the age of 70, after becoming nearly blind. She spent much of her life by Keller’s side. Beginning with a single hand sign, the impact of these two women’s accomplishments rippled throughout the global disability rights community, and beyond. Through the words Keller worked so hard to impart, their story endures today as a beacon of hope and possibility.

From semi-anthropomorphic desk lamps to talking toys and personified emotions, Pixar Animation Studios has never shied away from creativity and the awesome power of the imagination. As Pixar’s co-founder Ed Catmull said, "You’ll never stumble upon the unexpected if you stick only to the familiar."

Through 24 feature films made to date, the studio has introduced us to a huge variety of colorful and lovable characters — including Woody and Buzz, WALL-E and EVE, Mike and Sulley, and Marlin and Dory, to name just a few. These characters have also given us their fair share of catchphrases and memorable lines, none more famous than Buzz Lightyear’s "To infinity and beyond!"

Pixar movies cover many themes, but growth is key to all of them. Whether the protagonists are cars, bugs, monsters, or fish, they have an arc that sees them grow to become kinder, wiser, and stronger. Even the antagonists often end up as better versions of themselves by the end of the movie. This gives Pixar films the heart to go along with the laughs, and provides many inspirational moments that stick with us long after the credits roll. These nine quotes capture some of the best moments. (Warning: Spoilers ahead.)

When life gets you down, do you know what you've gotta do? Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.
Dory, "Finding Nemo"

Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres) is a regal blue tang and — according to Disney — the friendliest fish in the ocean. So when life gets tough, Dory is always a good fish to turn to.

You must be imaginative, strong-hearted. You must try things that may not work, and you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul.
Auguste Gusteau, "Ratatouille"

Auguste Gusteau was the renowned chef who inspired the movie’s hero, Remy, to take up cooking. Remy took Gusteau's motto, "Anyone can cook," to heart, despite the slightly problematic issue of being a rat.

Sometimes you got to get through your fear to see the beauty on the other side.
Poppa Henry, "The Good Dinosaur"

There are many good dinosaurs in Pixar’s 2015 movie, and Poppa certainly ranks among the best of them. A devoted husband and father, he takes particular care of his small and fearful son, Arlo.

There are those who say fate is something beyond our command. That destiny is not our own. But I know better. Our fate lives within us; you only have to be brave enough to see it.
Princess Merida, "Brave"

When we first meet Merida, she’s a headstrong and free-spirited Scottish princess who wants to control her own destiny. By the end of the film, well, she’s still headstrong and free-spirited, but she has realized that her destiny really is in her own hands.

You and I are a team. Nothing is more important than our friendship.
Mike Wazowski, "Monsters, Inc."

Mike and Sulley, the two monster protagonists in Monsters, Inc., get themselves into all kinds of trouble during the course of the movie. But they manage to pull through thanks to their unshakable friendship.

Don't fear failure. Be afraid of not having the chance. You have the chance!
Sally Carrera, "Cars 3"

Only in a Pixar movie could such excellent advice come from the mouth of a Porsche 911 Carrera. Sally is charming, intelligent, and witty, making her the perfect girlfriend for the movie’s main character, Lightning McQueen.

I don't want to survive. I want to live!
Captain B. McCrea, "Wall-E"

Like all of the humans in Wall-E, Captain B. McCrea is not quite operating at 100% for most of the movie. But when he does start to get a grasp on things, he finds his inner strength with this impassioned cry.

Take her to the moon for me. OK?
Bing Bong, "Inside Out"

Pixar movies often deal with loss, whether it’s the loss of childhood innocence or the loss of a loved one. When Bing Bong fades away in the Memory Dump, his last thoughts are for Riley, the girl who first created him as her imaginary friend. Not a dry eye in the house…

Now, you might not feel like you can do much now, but that's just because, well, you're not a tree yet. You just have to give yourself some time. You're still a seed.
Flik, "A Bug's Life"

When Flik tries to tell his young friend Dot — one of the few people who listens to his ideas — about patience and growth, his metaphors don’t quite get the message across. Dot doesn’t really understand what he’s on about, but nonetheless concludes, "You're weird, but I like you."

Outer beauty attracts, but inner beauty captivates.
Kate Angell

You are beautiful no matter what they say / Words can’t bring you down, oh no / You are beautiful in every single way.
Christina Aguilera

When you’re tempted to get down on yourself because of the way you look on the outside, remember that your true beauty comes from who you are on the inside.
Mandy Hale

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Exterior beauty without the depth of a kind soul is merely decoration.
Unknown

That’s always seemed so ridiculous to me, that people want to be around someone because they’re pretty. It’s like picking your breakfast cereals based on color instead of taste.
John Green

If you retain nothing else, always remember the most important Rule of Beauty. "Who cares?"
Tina Fey

True beauty is not related to what color your hair is or what color your eyes are. True beauty is about who you are as a human being, your principles, your moral compass.
Ellen DeGeneres

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth.
1 Peter 3:3-4

True beauty is about celebrating authenticity.
Pamela Anderson

A thing of beauty is a joy forever: / Its loveliness increases; it will never / Pass into nothingness.
John Keats

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen nor even touched, but just felt in the heart.
Helen Keller

My number one beauty tip is happiness.
Bobbi Brown

A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.
Roald Dahl

Author Brooke Robinson

Heroes have made poets, and poets heroes.

All see, and most admire, the glare which hovers round the external trappings of elevated office. To me there is nothing in it, beyond the lustre which may be reflected from its connection with a power of promoting human felicity.

It is infinitely better to have a few good men than many indifferent ones.

A slender acquaintance with the world must convince every man, that actions, not words, are the true criterion of the attachment of his friends.

I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is the best policy.

It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.

For the sake of humanity it is devoutly to be wished, that the manly employment of agriculture and the humanizing benefits of commerce, would supersede the waste of war and the rage of conquest.

Happiness depends more upon the internal frame of a person's own mind than on the externals in the world.

We are either a united people, or we are not. If the former, let us, in all matters of general concern act as a Nation… If we are not, let us no longer act a farce by pretending to it.

Remember that it is the actions, and not the commission, that make the officer, and that there is more expected from him, than the title.

Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.

If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known, that we are at all times ready for War.

I had always hoped that this land might become a safe and agreeable asylum to the virtuous and persecuted part of mankind, to whatever nation they might belong.

Observe good faith and justice towards all Nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all.

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.
You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them. Just read it straight through, and you'll get the point.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies.
Awards tarnish ...
Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier?
The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money ... or the most awards. They simply are the ones who care the most.

Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.
William James

Perfect as is the wing of a bird, it never could raise the bird up without resting on air. Facts are the air of a scientist. Without them you never can fly.
Ivan Pavlov

Where love rules, there is no will to power; and where power predominates, there love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other.
Carl Jung

The voice of the intellect is a soft one, but it does not rest until it has gained a hearing. Ultimately, after endlessly repeated rebuffs, it succeeds.
Sigmund Freud

Education, for most people, means trying to lead the child to resemble the typical adult of his society… But for me, education means making creators… You have to make inventors, innovators, not conformists.
Jean Piaget

Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.
B.F. Skinner

I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.
Abraham Maslow

Through others, we become ourselves.
Lev Vygotsky

No one needs to paint himself into a corner; no one needs to be completely hemmed in by circumstances; no one needs to be the victim of his biography.
George Kelly

Immature love says: "I love you because I need you." Mature love says: "I need you because I love you."
Erich Fromm

When people focus on not seeing color, they may also fail to see discrimination.
Jennifer L. Eberhardt

It may be that we are puppets — puppets controlled by the strings of society. But at least we are puppets with perception, with awareness. And perhaps our awareness is the first step to our liberation.
Stanley Milgram

Author Tony Dunnell

Anything can happen, child, / ANYTHING can be.
Shel Silverstein, "Where the Sidewalk Ends"

You must never feel badly about making mistakes … as long as you take the trouble to learn from them. For you often learn more by being wrong for the right reasons than you do by being right for the wrong reasons.
Norton Juster, "The Phantom Tollbooth"

You have been my friend … That in itself is a tremendous thing.
E.B. White, "Charlotte’s Web"

Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.
Lucy Maud Montgomery, "Anne of Green Gables"

At first people refuse to believe that a strange new thing can be done, then they begin to hope it can be done, then they see it can be done — then it is done and all the world wonders why it was not done centuries ago.
Frances Hodgson Burnett, "The Secret Garden"

All shall be done … But it may be harder than you think.
C.S. Lewis, "The Chronicles of Narnia"

Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous.
Roald Dahl, "Matilda"

I could tell you my adventures — beginning from this morning … but it’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.
Lewis Carroll, "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland"

One day you’ll see how hard it was and how brave you were.
Charlie Mackesy, "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse"

I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.
Louisa May Alcott, "Little Women"

One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, "The Little Prince"

Life’s got to be lived, no matter how long or short … You got to take what comes.
Natalie Babbitt, "Tuck Everlasting"

Maybe if you aren’t unhappy sometimes you don’t know how to be happy.
Madeleine L’Engle, "A Wrinkle in Time"

Would you like an adventure now … or would you like to have your tea first?
J.M. Barrie, "Peter Pan"

“If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favourable.”
— Seneca the Younger, "Moral Letters to Lucilius"

“It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.” – William James

“Traveling—it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”
—Ibn Battuta, "The Travels of Ibn Battuta"

“The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.”
—René Descartes

“Every no takes me closer to a yes.”
– BESSIE COLEMAN

“Wise men learn more from fools than fools from the wise.”
—Cato the Elder

“In my view, the composer, just as the poet, the sculptor or the painter, is in duty bound to serve Man, the people. He must beautify human life and defend it.”
—Sergei Prokofiev

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”
– MAYA ANGELOU

“One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.”
—A. A. Milne

“Friendships born on the field of athletic strife are the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust.”
– JESSE OWENS

“Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys.”
—Sun Tzu, "The Art of War"

“We are all one.”
– BAYARD RUSTIN

“The misfortune of the wise is better than the prosperity of the fool.”
—Epicurus

“All dreams are within reach. All you have to do is keep moving towards them.” [Huh?]
​– VIOLA DAVIS

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
—Eleanor Roosevelt

“Well done is better than well said.”
—Benjamin Franklin

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards, so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”
​– STEVE JOBS

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”
—Theodore Roosevelt

“Love is the most vital and necessary tool we have for our future, for our bettering.”
​– AJA MONET

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
—Mark Twain

“It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well.”
—René Descartes

“We must have ideals and try to live up to them, even if we never quite succeed. Life would be a sorry business without them.”
—Lucy Maud Montgomery

“In twenty years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.” — Mary Schmich

“One day, you’ll do something for the very last time — and you won’t even know it. The last time you hug your mum without realizing it’s the final one. The last late-night drive with your best friend before life pulls you in different directions. The last meal at your favourite place before it quietly closes its doors. The last time you laugh until you can’t breathe with people who will slowly become memories.
It won’t feel important in the moment. It’ll feel like any ordinary day… until one day, it isn’t.” (Unknown)
Try not to wait until it’s too late. The ordinary things today will one day be looked upon as great luxuries tomorrow.

“You’re under no obligation to be the same person you were 5 minutes ago.” — Alan Watts
“You are allowed to outgrow people, versions of yourself, and entire timelines.” Growth literally means expansion. Identity is not fixed.

Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment; cleverness is mere opinion, bewilderment intuition.
Rumi

The highest endeavor of the mind, and the highest virtue, is to understand things by the intuitive kind of knowledge.
Baruch Spinoza

Logic, which alone can give certainty, is the instrument of demonstration; intuition is the instrument of invention.
Henri Poincaré

All human knowledge begins with intuitions, proceeds from thence to concepts, and ends with ideas.
Immanuel Kant

Intuition comes very close to clairvoyance; it appears to be the extrasensory perception of reality.
Alexis Carrel

The activity of the intuition consists in making spontaneous judgments which are not the result of conscious trains of reasoning. These judgments are often but by no means invariably correct.
Alan Turing

All great achievements of science must start from intuitive knowledge. I believe in intuition and inspiration… At times I feel certain I am right while not knowing the reason.
Albert Einstein

Women observe subconsciously a thousand little details without knowing that they are doing so. Their subconscious mind adds these little things together — and they call the result intuition.
Agatha Christie

A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.
Frank Capra

You must train your intuition — you must trust the small voice inside you which tells you exactly what to say, what to decide.
Ingrid Bergman

Intuition is the key to everything, in painting, filmmaking, business — everything. I think you could have an intellectual ability, but if you can sharpen your intuition, which they say is emotion and intellect joining together, then a knowingness occurs.
David Lynch

Intuition is a very powerful thing, more powerful than intellect.
Steve Jobs

Intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life.
Paulo Coelho

For the most important decisions in your life, trust your intuition, and then work with everything you have to prove it right.
Tim Cook

You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition… What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover will be yourself.
Alan Alda

Intuition is the wisdom formed by feeling and instinct — a gift of knowing without reasoning.
Angela Ahrendts

I've trusted the still, small voice of intuition my entire life. And the only time I've made mistakes is when I didn't listen.
Oprah Winfrey

I feel there are two people inside me — me and my intuition. If I go against her, she'll screw me every time, and if I follow her, we get along quite nicely.
Kim Basinger

The more you trust your intuition, the more empowered you become, the stronger you become, and the happier you become.
Gisele Bündchen

When you have the intuition that there is something which is there, but out of the reach of your physical world, art and religion are the only means to get to it.
Guillermo del Toro

Practice listening to your intuition, your inner voice; ask questions; be curious; see what you see; hear what you hear; and then act upon what you know to be true. These intuitive powers were given to your soul at birth.
Clarissa Pinkola Estés

Some philosophical theories are so powerful, they shape the way we think and act without us even noticing. Yet understanding the different philosophies can be daunting. Over the past two millennia, there have been dozens of movements, doctrines, and various "isms," often described in dense and complex academic texts. Here, we’ve broken down six major Western philosophical ideas that still resonate today, from Nietzsche’s nihilism to Platonic metaphysics.

NIETZSCHE'S NIHILISM AND ÜBERMENSCH
One of the most misunderstood and misappropriated philosophers, Friedrich Nietszche is most often associated with nihilism — essentially, the rejection of societal values and the belief that life is meaningless. Yet in reality, Nietzsche’s work comes from a place of optimism: The philosopher found himself staring into the headlights of a social crisis, and wanted to find a way to help humanity through it.

In his 1882 book The Gay Science, Nietzsche famously wrote that "God is dead." But the philosopher wasn’t advocating for atheism; he was pointing out that Christianity had lost much of its power in Europe. By the late 19th century, science and scholarship had chipped away at people’s faith. Nietzsche saw two possible outcomes: Either people would despair into nihilism and drift away from any moral principles, or they would try to find new "religious" convictions elsewhere, namely in mass political movements such as communism or fascism.

Nietszche shuddered at the thought of the second option, which would later become frighteningly real in his home country of Germany. He argued that people had no choice but to forge ahead through nihilism instead. But rather than embrace a meaningless life — and fall into corrosive despair — he offered a solution: the Übermensch, or "superman," a concept he championed in his 1883 book Thus Spoke Zarathustra.

In Nietszche’s philosophy, the Übermensch is a person who rises above the conventional notions of morality and creates new values that embrace the beauty and suffering of existence. "Our way is upward, from the species across to the super-species," he wrote, maintaining that this new moral code could guide people to a higher purpose.

Nietszche felt the ideal human was within reach of any person who worked for and achieved self-mastery. He was also no fan of Christianity, and believed people could only reach their full potential as individuals after eschewing the conventional herd morality of religion. He wondered, "Is man one of God's blunders? Or is God one of man's blunders?"

Though it’s often misunderstood, Nietszche’s philosophy was hardly just the stuff of gloom and doom, and indeed aimed to be life-affirming. In fact, alternate translations of his book The Gay Science call it The Joyful Wisdom.

SARTRE’S EXISTENTIALISM
French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre’s declaration that "existence precedes essence" forms the very starting point of existentialism. This complex philosophy suggests that our values, identity, and purpose on Earth are not inherent or predetermined by some cosmic blueprint, but rather created by ourselves via the choices we make through our own free will.

Sartre argued that "man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does." As he put it, "There is no traced-out path to lead man to his salvation; he must constantly invent his own path."

This belief in self-determination was furthered by Sartre's contemporaries Simone de Beauvoir and Albert Camus, who were frequently known to meet in Parisian cafés throughout the mid-20th century. Camus delved deeper into the concept of absurdity, believing it was inherently absurd to search for meaning in a meaningless world; de Beauvoir, meanwhile, penned the The Second Sex, a seminal work of feminist literature that exposed society’s history of gender inequality.

Though existentialist philosophy has taken many different forms through the years, at its core it tackles one difficult and fundamental question: What is the meaning of life? This school of thought doesn’t answer the question, but asks us to consider it, by exploring the purpose and value of human existence. The existentialists argue it is up to each of us to define ourselves and find our own individual meaning. As Sartre wrote, "Life is nothing until it is lived… the value of it is nothing else but the sense that you choose."

ROUSSEAU’S GENERAL WILL
An influential figure of Europe’s Enlightenment era, Jean Jacques Rousseau never viewed himself as a mere philosopher; he was also a musician, playwright, and composer. But his political philosophy of the "general will" — a collective will that aims at the common good — had a more lasting influence than any aria, shaping governments across the world.

In the 1760s, Rousseau was in his 50s and monarchs were still ruling Europe. But the Genevan thinker believed that kings and queens had no divine right to legislate the masses. He outlined these beliefs in his 1762 book The Social Contract, which envisioned a world governed by free and equal people. "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains," Rousseau wrote. When the book was promptly banned in France, it proved the philosopher’s central thesis: Individual freedom was easily hampered by the authority of the state.

In The Social Contract, Rousseau spent a lot of time exploring the contradictions of freedom. Society was expanding at the time, and people were growing more dependent on others for survival. A strong state was necessary to help ensure equality and justice — but how could you build strong political institutions, endowed with the power and authority needed to maintain order, while still protecting individual freedoms?

Rousseau’s solution was his theory of "general will." He believed that under a monarchy or dictatorship, laws routinely impinged on freedoms because the rulers knew or cared little about what was best for the common people. He argued that in order to protect the freedoms of the public, laws had to be determined by the collective will (or general will) of the citizenry, based on the common good. And the best tool to interpret the general will was democracy — a state governed by the people.

Rousseau believed that a democratic system was the only way to serve the collective will, but he admitted that this form of government was difficult to pull off in practicality. He quipped, "If there were a nation of Gods, it would govern itself democratically. A government so perfect is not suited to men." Nonetheless, his political theory is credited with sparking the French Revolution and possibly inspiring the Founding Fathers of the United States. Today, many of society’s political issues continue to revolve around the fundamental tension Rousseau identified: How best to balance personal freedoms with state power?

SCHOPENHAUER’S THEORY OF AESTHETICS
German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer was a famous curmudgeon, a wild-haired pessimist who notably helped introduce Western intellectuals to Indian philosophy in the 19th century. His writings, however, would forever change the way we think about art.  

Before Schopenhauer, most artwork — from music to painting to dance — was considered a frivolous diversion, akin to a decorative craft, rather than an expression of creative genius or a person’s innermost feelings. Schopenhauer helped change those attitudes with his theory about the human will. The essence of his philosophy is that we are held captive by our wills — our strivings, desires, and urges — and are thus doomed to suffer. He observed, "A man can surely do what he wills to do, but cannot determine what he wills."

One way to escape this suffering, Schopenhauer argued, was through aesthetic experiences. He believed art can function as a quasi-religious experience, freeing us from the suffering of our own desires and serving as a source of inspiration. In his essay On the Suffering of the World, Schopenhauer wrote, "The true work of art leads us from that which exists only once and never again, i.e. the individual, to that which exists perpetually and time and time again in innumerable manifestations, the pure form or Idea."

Schopenhauer argued that great art was the product not of mere craftsmen, but of genius. Naturally, a lot of artists were fans of Schopenhauer’s thoughts on aesthetics. Composer Richard Wagner, novelist Leo Tolstoy, and reams of other creatives trumpeted his work, which elevated art to a higher plane. Tolstoy himself stated, "Art lifts man from his personal life into the universal life."

Thanks to Schopenhauer’s theories, artists and artwork started being lauded as vital and necessary to the health of society. A canon of famous masterpieces was created, as people viewed creators with a growing God-like reverence. This attitude toward art helped define the 19th-century Romanticism movement, and it still persists today.

DESCARTES’ DUALISM AND RATIONALISM
[Basically pushed skepticism, a foundation of science.]
"I think, therefore I am." More than a catchy quote, the famous declaration by the French philosopher René Descartes continues to shape the way we think about knowledge. And it all started in the 17th century with Descartes’ method of "radical doubt," which he saw as the only way to be certain that the things we think we know are in fact undeniable truths.

At the time, it was a common belief that we acquire knowledge through senses such as touch and sight. The skeptical Descartes, however, pointed out the senses could be deceiving. (A person, after all, could be hallucinating or dreaming.) That begged the question: If the senses aren’t trustworthy, what’s stopping us from doubting everything, including our own existence? Descartes eventually concluded, "Cogito, ergo sum" — "I think, therefore I am." The fact that you can doubt your own existence, the philosopher said, is proof that you exist.

Descartes argued that the conscious mind is not part of the senses, or the physical world at all, but that the mind and body are distinct and separate entities. He said, "When I was examining what I was, I realized that I could pretend that I had no body… but I could not pretend in the same way that I did not exist." This theory, dubbed Cartesian dualism, was widely adopted by thinkers across the West.

To Descartes, trusting the mind was of the utmost importance, as the philosopher valued human logic and reason above all else. One of the founders of modern rationalism, he believed knowledge could only be attained by individual reason (versus, say, faith or experience), and that answers to the most perplexing questions could be found simply by exercising doubt and critical thought. His idea that beliefs must be methodically tested by logic and skepticism led to a flourishing of scientific thought, laying the groundwork for Enlightenment thinking and debate throughout the 17th and 18th centuries.

PLATO’S THEORY OF FORMS
It’s easy to close our eyes and imagine a perfect circle, but if we open our eyes and try to draw one, it’s a very different story. That’s Plato’s metaphysics in a nutshell: While most of us can conceive of a perfect circle, none of us can recreate one.

The ancient Greek philosopher posited that every object on Earth is imperfect (like the circle we draw) but possesses an ideal "form" or "essence" (like the perfect circle in our mind). While forms are unchangeable, pure, and ideal, the objects on Earth are mere "shadows" — or blemished imitations — of those forms.

While it may sound overly abstract, Plato’s Theory of Forms proved to be a useful way to think about the world. Recognizing a thing’s ideal form can help us understand how it falls short in reality, and thus what needs to be changed or improved. In other words, the ideal can serve as a goal to better both society and ourselves. As Plato said, "For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories."

For example, replace the idea of the perfect circle with the perfect justice system. Many people believe that a truly fair, ideal system of justice exists, but that the current system falls short of that vision. Our belief that a standard, fixed, and ideal justice system is out there as a goal to aim toward is fundamentally Platonic.

Though essentialism — the belief that all things possess inherent, discoverable qualities — has long been controversial, Plato’s Theory of Forms helped shape Western philosophy. His work influenced the theories of many thinkers over the following centuries who built on, or challenged, Plato’s ideas, forming schools of thought that continue to impact how we understand the nature of our reality, and our own existence in the world.

What is the meaning of life? What is my fundamental purpose? Why do I exist? If you’ve ever found yourself pondering such questions, you’ve been dabbling in existentialist philosophy. The concept, however, is not easy to define. It can take diverse and sometimes contrasting directions — and many of the major names in existentialism, including Albert Camus and Martin Heidegger, didn’t even accept the label.

Existentialism has its roots in the 19th century, with the philosophers Søren Kierkegaard in Denmark and Friedrich Nietzsche in Germany, as well as the Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky. These great thinkers were critical of rationalism and its adherence to pure reason, and instead focused on the question of meaning. One of the earliest statements of existentialist thought comes from a journal entry written by Kierkegaard in 1835: "What I really need is to get clear about what I must do, not what I must know… the crucial thing is to find a truth which is truth for me, to find the idea for which I am willing to live and die."

Existentialism flourished in Europe from around 1930 to the mid-20th century, championed by the likes of Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Simone de Beauvoir, a trio whose frequent meetings in Parisian cafés have become the stuff of literary legend. And while many of the leading existentialists of the 20th century disagreed about its tenets, there are certain shared elements that form the foundation of existentialism today.

We determine our own lives
Existentialism argues that we are defined by our existence as humans, and are responsible for finding meaning in our own individual lives. In existentialism, no omnipotent being or force determines a person’s life; rather, it’s up to each individual to set the course through our actions and decisions. We can see how this idea has been passed down through decades of existential thought in this quote, which first appeared in Dostoevsky’s ​​philosophical novel The Brothers Karamazov in 1880 and, in 1945, was used as an epigraph by Simone de Beauvoir: "Each of us is responsible for everything and to every human being." Or, as Sartre put it: "There is no traced-out path to lead man to his salvation; he must constantly invent his own path. But, to invent it, he is free, responsible, without excuse, and every hope lies within him."

Existential dread
The flip side of all this individual freedom and responsibility is that it can easily give rise to existential dread, also known as existential angst, anxiety, or anguish — or, in a modern psychological sense, an existential crisis. This arises from the search for meaning in life and confusion around our personal purpose. "Man is condemned to be free," wrote Sartre, "because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does." This freedom can give rise to the dreaded questions of whether life actually has meaning at all, and, if not, why do we go on living? In his 1942 essay The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus posed the disconcerting notion that "judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy."

The absurd
Another central tenet of existentialism is absurdity — specifically, the absurdity of searching for answers in an answerless world. Take one of the most famous opening sentences in literature: "As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect." The line is fantastic and surreal, but beneath the strangeness of Franz Kafka’s famous short story, "The Metamorphosis," lies an exploration of alienation and existential anxiety. For Kafka, the human condition is beyond tragic or depressed: It is absurd. Camus, meanwhile, argued that absurdity arises when an individual’s search for order clashes with the world’s inherent lack of order. This is not necessarily a bad thing if we have the courage to accept it, Camus suggested: "Accepting the absurdity of everything around us is one step, a necessary experience: it should not become a dead end. It arouses a revolt that can become fruitful."

What about God?
Existentialism can be atheistic, theological, or agnostic. Kierkegaard was intensely religious, despite at times struggling with what that meant, and Paul Tillich was a devout Christian existentialist philosopher. Nietzsche, on the other hand, famously proclaimed that "God is dead," while Sartre and De Beauvoir were radical humanist atheists. For the existentialists, the freedom of choice to believe or not to believe was more important than faith itself. Sartre saw belief in God as a non-issue: "Existentialism isn’t so atheistic that it wears itself out showing that God doesn’t exist. Rather, it declares that even if God did exist, that would change nothing."

What is the meaning of life?
Existentialism cannot tell us the meaning of life. But if, as they say, we have been thrown into an absurd world, then the existentialists ask us to consider why, by exploring the meaning, purpose, and value of human existence. The philosophy also challenges us to strive for authenticity — to be true to ourselves. The concept of authenticity can vary from one existential philosopher to the next but, generally speaking, inauthenticity involves a form of social conformism and "bad faith," whereas authenticity requires the individual to own up to their own existence, to accept it and take responsibility for it. This can lead to angst and alienation, but these are accepted as an integral part of authentic living.

As for the conclusions of the existentialist philosophers? Well, they are rarely set in stone, like existentialism itself. In Sartre’s Nausea, the main theme is that "existence precedes essence" — that humans do not possess any inherent identity or value, but rather create it themselves as individuals. In Camus’ The Stranger, we see the nakedness of man faced with the absurd. And in Either/Or, Kierkegaard concludes that "there are two possible situations — one can either do this or that. My honest opinion and my friendly advice is this: do it or do not do it — you will regret both." So, again, don’t expect concrete answers from the existentialists. But perhaps we can take Kafka’s words here as a guidepost for how to think about life, by finding meaning in the simple fact of existence itself. In a heartbreaking letter to his abusive father — a letter his father never even read — Kafka wrote, "It is, after all, not necessary to fly right into the middle of the sun, but it is necessary to crawl to a clean little spot on Earth where the sun sometimes shines and one can warm oneself a little."

Author Tony Dunnell

Chi, the yin-yang, Lao Tzu — these are all important elements of the Tao. Both a religion and a philosophy, Taoism (also spelled Daoism) formed in China around 500 BCE and existed for millennia alongside other ancient belief systems, such as Buddhism and Confucianism. Although China’s communist turn in 1949 led to a ban on Taoism, the philosophy flourished in Taiwan and is now even returning to China.

Some 20 million people follow the Tao and the teachings of its ancient master, Lao Tzu. But many millions more simply find inspiration and wisdom in Taoism’s ideas, and its message has found its way into some of the most popular Western art and literature. Understanding Taoism starts with the elusive but essential concept at the core of the philosophy: the Tao, roughly translated as "the Way."

THE TAO
The Tao was first described in texts by the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu (or Laozi). Scholars aren’t certain that Lao Tzu existed or if he is a personification of ancient wisdom, but what can’t be debated is the existence of his attributed masterwork, the Tao Te Ching, which means "The scripture of the Way and Its Virtue." This book is one of the fundamental texts of Taoism, along with Zhuangzi, a compilation of writings from the philosopher Zhuangzi, an influential Taoist master from the fourth century BCE.

In the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu attempts to illuminate the truth at the heart of his new philosophy, the Tao. The master described it as "undefined and complete" and "reaching everywhere." He wrote, "It may be regarded as the Mother of all things. I do not know its name, and I give it the designation of the Tao."

Taoism’s entire goal is to live in harmony with the Tao, or in other words, the natural balance of the universe. Taoists don’t believe in a single god, though they do venerate Lao Tzu as a personification of Tao. Instead, the religion features a host of gods, mostly borrowed from other cultures, and these beings are subject to the Tao just like humans. Because the Tao is the "mother of all things," Taoists also believe the soul returns to the universe after death.

WUWEI AND CHI
Lao Tzu wished for his adherents to follow the "way" of the universe — but what exactly does that mean? That’s where a few of Taoism’s most famous principles come in handy.

The first is a concept known as "wuwei," which literally means "inexertion," as is described in the Tao Te Ching: "The Way does nothing, and yet nothing remains unaccomplished." This is similar to the idea of letting go, or not trying too hard. It is perhaps best described in this quote attributed to Zhuangzi: "Happiness is the absence of the striving for happiness." It’s this paradoxical idea of action through inaction that lies at the heart of wuwei.

"Chi," which means "vital energy," is defined as a primordial substance that animates the universe; examples can be found in wind blowing through trees or waves crashing upon the shore. Because Taoists believe they are of the universe, this chi also flows through them. The concept of chi has been used in medicinal and alchemical applications throughout Chinese history by Taoist sages who practiced influencing their chi for physical and spiritual wellness.

Many Taoists texts concern themselves with ways to live in harmony with this universal energy, which often manifests in the ideas of living simply, gaining wisdom through flexibility, and staying true to yourself. # As Lao Tzu wrote, "Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power." Benjamin Hoff, who analyzed Taoism through the character of Winnie the Pooh in his book The Tao of Pooh, also emphasizes this strong sense of self. "When you know and respect your Inner Nature, you know where you belong," he wrote. "You also know where you don’t belong."

THE YIN-YANG
The most recognizable symbol of Taoism is the yin-yang, which literally means "dark-bright" or "positive-negative." This concept is famously depicted as a black and white swirl that forms a circle, each containing a small "seed" of the other color. The yang (black) is often associated with the concepts of soft, positive, warm, dry, active, day, and masculine, while the yin (white) is hard, negative, cold, wet, passive, night, and feminine.

Neither yin nor yang is good or bad — according to Taoism, both are amoral if taken alone. Unlike monotheistic relations which depict a god as all good and a devil as all evil, Taoism, as symbolized in the yin-yang, teaches that both aspects of our nature can be great teachers, and only together can one truly be in accordance with the Tao. Lao Tzu only mentions the yin-yang once in the Tao Te Ching, but the work encapsulates the singular importance of this world-famous symbol: "A yin (with) a yang is called Tao."

For millennia, Taoism has taught lessons of humility, gratefulness, and self-love while also probing the deeper meaning of our existence. However it’s explored, the ancient wisdom has many lessons to teach us, by following Zhuangzi’s simple-yet-difficult advice: "Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free. Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate."

12 Quotes That Get to the Heart of Taoism
Nothing on earth is so weak and yielding as water, but for breaking down the firm and strong it has no equal.
Lao Tzu (translated by Sepharial in 1904)

My greatest happiness consists precisely in doing nothing whatever that is calculated to obtain happiness.
Chuang Tzu (Zhuang Zhou), Taoist philosopher

When you know and respect your own Inner Nature, you know where you belong.
Benjamin Hoff, author

Peace: to accept what must be, to know what endures. In that knowledge is wisdom. To know what endures is to be openhearted, magnanimous, regal, blessed, following the Tao, the way that endures forever.
Ursula K. Le Guin, author

Seeing your own smallness is called insight / Honoring your own tenderness is called strength
Lao Tzu

The Tao Te Ching teaches of three jewels, or characteristics, that man should cherish. They are Compassion, which leads to courage, Moderation, which leads to generosity, and Humility, which leads to leadership.
RZA, rapper

To know others is wisdom; to know oneself is enlightenment. To conquer others is to prove one’s force; to conquer oneself is to prove one’s strength.
Yuan Zhiming, scholar

Tao is the flow of the universe. Tao is the Mysterious. Tao is balance.
Deng Ming-Dao, author

While the operating principle of the universe is to let everything be, Tao does not allow overgrowth or overdevelopment to go unchecked — whenever something becomes too strong, the opposite arises to maintain balance.
Hsiao-Lan Hu and William Cully Allen, authors

Seeing the small is called clarity; keeping flexible is called strength.
Lao Tzu (translated by Takuan Soho)

Be at peace with your place and cherish kindness.
Deng Ming-Dao, author

To know practical goodness is called knowledge, to love practical goodness is called humaneness, to honor practical goodness is called justice, to respect practical goodness is called courtesy, and to enjoy practical goodness is called music.
Lao Tzu (translated by Thomas Cleary)

CHILDHOOD
Children see magic because they look for it.
Christopher Moore

TEENS
on a succession of masks in the hope of finding the one which suits them — the one, in fact, which is not a mask.
W.H. Auden

20S
Happiness comes out of being willing to do your work in your 20s to find out who you are, what you love.
Candace Bushnell, author

30S
Thirty was so strange for me. There was no turning back. I’ve really had to come to terms with the fact that I’m a walking and talking adult.
Matt Dillon

40S
It was only in my 40s that I really began to feel young. By then I was ready for it.
Henry Miller

50S
The process of maturing is an art to be learned, an effort to be sustained. By the age of 50 you have made yourself what you are, and if it is good, it is better than your youth.
Marya Mannes, author

60S
When you’re 16, 30 seems ancient. When you’re 30, 45 seems ancient. When you’re 45, 60 seems ancient. When you’re 60, nothing seems ancient.
Helen Mirren

70S
I mean, you must take living so seriously that even at 70, for example, you’ll plant olive trees —
and not for your children, either,
but because although you fear death you don’t believe it,
because living, I mean, weighs heavier.
Nâzim Hikmet, poet

80S
The advantage of being 80 years old is that one has many people to love.
Jean Renoir, filmmaker

90S
If you are still functioning and not in pain, gratitude should be the name of the game.
Betty White

100 AND BEYOND
May you live to be a hundred years. With one extra year to repent.

You must be very polite with yourself when you are learning something new.
Elizabeth Gilbert

Those parts of yourself that you desperately want to hide and destroy will gain power over you. The best thing to do is face and own them, because they are forever a part of you.
Janet Mock

I have never felt that anything really mattered but the satisfaction of knowing that you stood for the things in which you believed and had done the very best you could.
Eleanor Roosevelt

It’s like a mother: When the baby is crying, she picks up the baby and she holds the baby tenderly in her arms. Your pain, your anxiety is your baby. You have to take care of it. You have to go back to yourself, recognize the suffering in you, embrace the suffering, and you get relief.
Thích Nhất Hạnh

Don’t sabotage yourself. There are enough people out there who’ll do it for you.
Adam Gnade

You don’t have to be good at everything in your life but it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy new experiences even if you are not good at them.
Steven Aitchison

You can’t build joy on a feeling of self-loathing.
Ram Dass


Remember, you have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.
Louise Hay

Talk to yourself as you would someone you love.
Brené Brown

Life — with its many successes, failures, and periods of stagnancy — is a careful balancing act between uncontrollable circumstances, our own actions, and the fleeting, fickle nature of "the odds." Despite our best efforts, the process of achieving our goals can be thwarted by any number of factors: environmental, social, political, cultural, and just about anything in between.

When we find ourselves struggling against the hands of fate, it can help to reflect on the advice of those who found themselves in similar battles and won — or, at the very least, made it to the other side relatively unscathed and reasonably enlightened. From refugees fleeing their war-ravaged homelands to courageous individuals who overcame near-debilitating medical ailments, these brave souls have helped forge paths for the rest of us.

Beating the odds is a testament to the human spirit: We have an indomitable desire to push ahead in the pursuit of happiness, even when it defies all logic or reason to do so. May these quotes about beating the odds help you muster the strength to leap over the next hurdle life throws your way.

Success is not measured by what you accomplish but by the opposition you have encountered and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.
Orison Swett Marden

Freedom is not just the absence of chains; it’s overcoming the brutality of reality and, despite it all, daring to be happy.
Mario Escobar

Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.
Helen Keller

We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or fight like hell.
Lance Armstrong

Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes; and adversity is not without comforts and hopes.
Francis Bacon

Failure is temporary. Giving up is permanent.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds against them.
Nigel Paine

The bird rises against a strong head wind, not only in spite of the wind, but because of it. The opposing forces become a lifting force if faced at the right angle.
L.B. Cowman

I wanted you to see what real courage is … It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway, and you see it through no matter what.
Harper Lee

It is not only in the rose, / It is not only in the bird / Not only where the rainbow glows / Nor in the song of woman heard, / But in the darkest, meanest things /  There alway, alway something sings.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

About the Author
Melanie Davis-McAfee
M. Davis-McAfee is a freelance writer, musician, and devoted cat mom of three living in southwest Kentucky.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be.

Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.
William S. Burroughs

What have you failed at? What did you learn from it? Did you go on?

Find out what you are good at nd will be paid for and that the world needs and that you love, and do it. Ikigai - A Reason For Being.

Marriage is like the lottery. You usually don't win, but if you do...

Accept that some people are just bad people. Don't try to fix them.

People don't care what you're doing or what you look like nearly as much as you might worry they do. Most people are worried about themselves and their own issues;

"Good things don't really come to those who wait. Good things come to those who work their asses off and never give up."

"Become financially literate and keep learning!

Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better.

The most wonderful thing about Tiggers is that I’m the only one.
A.A. Milne

The way to get kindness with(in) yourself is spending time being nice to yourself, spending time getting to know and (dare I say it!) getting to love yourself … Loving yourself helps you love other people.
Jeffrey Marsh

You cannot wait for an untroubled world to have an untroubled moment … In the meantime, it is best to grab what wonderful moments you find lying around.
Lemony Snicket

That's all you can do in this world, no matter how strong the current beats against you, or how heavy your burden … You keep going.
Robyn Schneider

I realized that I don't have to be perfect. All I have to do is show up and enjoy the messy, imperfect, and beautiful journey of my life.
Kerry Washington



"Life isn't a competition in so many ways. Don't compare where you are with where other people your age are, and don't listen to people who try to compare you and your life with other people, either. Life isn't a competition, and just because someone else may seem more successful, nobody but them knows the details of their life. They may seem more successful in one area of life, but they could be completely miserable in another."

Always pay attention to your instincts, because you'll most likely always be right."

"Don't wait to be happy — just be happy. Don't wait until you have the perfect job, the perfect partner, the perfect body, the perfect house, etc. You can be happy now."

If you're 'different,' don't despair! Eventually, you will find your people.

The essence of religon is to not change anything. Carl Sagan

Twenty years after my own graduation, I have come gradually to understand that the liberal arts cliché about teaching you how to think is actually shorthand for a much deeper, more serious idea: learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed.

You can't do it alone. As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people's ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life. 

You discovered a talent, recognized your ambition and developed a passion. When you feel that you can’t fight it, you just go with it. When it comes to the arts, passion should always trump common sense. You aren’t just following dreams, you’re reaching for your destiny. You’re a dancer, a singer, a choreographer, a musician, a filmmaker, a writer, a photographer, a director, a producer, an actor, an artist. Yeah, you’re fucked!
Robert De Niro

"The problem with life is that we think we have too much time." — Alan Watts
"There is no separation between you and the world. You are an intrinsic part of the universe." — Alan Watts.
The universe that you perceive only develops within you. 
"You cannot travel the road until you yourself become the road." — Alan Watts.
"To be always looking beyond is to remain blind to what is closest to you." — Alan Watts.
"Instant coffee…is a deserved punishment for being in a hurry to get to the future." — Alan Watts.
"It is often as important to know what is not as it is to know what is." — Alan Watts.

That is the meaning of life: to experience, process, accept, and share what we have learned for those who come after us, to become the path that others will walk when we are no longer there.

And it is that today, everything goes so fast that we sacrifice life’s pleasures to pursue a future that is a mirage that never materializes.

Imagine taking a break on the road, enjoying half an hour of tranquility, and watching people pass by behind the window of your special coffee shop on a rainy day.

If Carl Jung’s teachings could be reduced to five simple steps, they would read something like this:
1. Befriend your shadow
2. Follow meaning, not pleasure
3. Become whole, not perfect
4. Get to know your persona
5. Integrate your opposites

“The decisive question for man is: Is he related to something infinite or not?” 
[Maybe not infinite, which sounds too much like Plato's futile quest for perfection, but far more than ourselves. Is that humanity in all our potential of life, creativity and evolution? Would that be enough?]

This is arguably the most important question to ask in life because how we answer it shapes what we think, what we do, and the way we live our lives.
[Just an acknowledgment of how much more humanity and its potential is, than just our individual selves, could do that.]

"When I first experienced that I was a part of something much bigger than myself, I started living more slowly and intentionally, and I was more able to share and serve honestly and authentically. I didn’t work as much, but I was more aligned with my values, and I was perfectly ok with that. Infinity and all its difficulties would not be necessary."

“In such awareness we experience ourselves concurrently as limited and eternal, as both the one and the other.” — Carl Jung
[Humanity as a species, is far more than our individual part in it and potentially immortal, but we are still a part of that.

It’s one of the great paradoxes in life: to know that something is up, we must first know what is down. To know that something is big, we must first have an idea of what is small. To know that we are infinite, we must first be aware that we are limited.

https://andycmurphy1.medium.com/the-most-important-question-to-ask-in-life-according-to-carl-jung-d4b3c8faf631

Carl Jung described archetypes as natural manifestations of human existence, inherited ideas, or images 
present in everyone’s subconscious mind, derived from shared ancestral experiences. 
Archetypes are dry river systems in our mind that automatically fill and connect anytime it rains.
Archetypes are a system of readiness for action. An emotional framework that tells us how to 
behave even if it isn’t spelled out.
Those instincts are woven into us through thousands of years of survival.

**
Key aspects of Jungian archetypes include:
Source: They are derived from the collective unconscious, a shared reservoir of experiences.
Function: Archetypes act as structural elements, or "templates," for human experiences, often appearing in myths, religions, and dreams.
Nature: They are considered the "psychic counterpart to instinct," shaping how humans perceive and react to the world.
Examples: Prominent archetypes include the Mother, the Shadow (repressed, darker aspects), the Wise Old Man, and the Anima/Animus (inner feminine/masculine).
Manifestation: They are not directly inherited ideas but rather inherited tendencies or patterns to form similar images (often compared to the structure of a crystal). 
Jung believed that recognizing and integrating these archetypes is crucial for the process of individuation, or achieving psychological wholeness. 

Quotes
It’s safe to say that the great Swiss psychologist Carl Jung is a ridiculously interesting human being.
He certainly has a way with words, that’s for sure!
Many of Jung’s quotes have forced me to rethink and reassess everything I thought I knew about myself and other people.
In many respects, Jung has made me approach personal growth and improvement in a radically different way.
So, without further ado, let’s get into it…

1. "Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people."
Everyone has some form of darkness lurking underneath the surface, a side we’re not proud of.

We should remember it and acknowledge it rather than denying and locking it away.

Understanding our darkness helps us not only personally but also to be less judgmental and more compassionate with others.

2. “Life really does begin at 40. Up until then you are just doing research.”
Hopefully, by the time we reach 40, we’ve lived, learned a lot, maybe even lost, and started to understand who we truly are.

Life, in many ways, is a never-ending journey of discovery.

When we reframe things, we will probably live till 80.

That’s only halfway through the journey.

Granted, time goes quicker as we get older, and we will undoubtedly have more commitments, but life, in many ways, is only just starting.

3. “The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”
Maybe the main goal in life is to discover who we are?

Maybe the point of life is to be the person we’re supposed to be?

Maybe the end destination is to be courageous and unapologetically be ourselves?

4. “If a man knows more than others, he becomes lonely.”
A tremendous amount of knowledge often leads to a tremendous amount of loneliness and disconnect.

It’s rough when you can see things other people don’t, especially when you have nobody else to relate to or understand you.

Some of the smartest, greatest people to ever grace the earth have notoriously been some of the loneliest.

It’s something to bear in mind before you start judging and thinking you want to live someone else’s life.

5. “In each of us there is another whom we do not know.”
We’re not as in control of ourselves as we like to think we are.

Every human being is made up of different layers, and not all of them are visible on the surface.

Some layers will peel off right away, some layers are impossible to peel off, and some layers… some layers we don’t even know they exist until they eventually come to the fore when we least expect.

6. “No tree, it is said, can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell.”
Personal growth isn’t all light sunshine and rainbows.

More often than not, personal growth is about stepping into the dark and confronting the ugliest part of ourselves to bring out our best.

The truth is, we can’t reach our highest selves until we reach our lowest.

7. “Show me a sane man and I will cure him for you.”
In reality, are any of us sane?

Nobody is ever truly perfectly balanced. We all have our personal faults, wear many different masks, and have our own personal problems.

Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. Karl Jung
People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls. Karl Jung
This is a quintessential Jungian quote. It highlights the lengths to which individuals can go to avoid confronting their inner selves, unresolved issues, and true feelings.
***

“We meet ourselves time and again in a thousand disguises on the path of life.”
—Carl Jung

In 1960, a journalist called Gordon Young asked Carl Jung, “What do you consider to be more or less basic factors making for happiness in the human mind?”

Carl Jung answered in this order:
1. Good physical and mental health
2. Good personal and intimate relationships, such as those of marriage, the family, and friendships
3. The faculty for perceiving beauty in art and nature
4. Reasonable standards of living and satisfactory work
5. A philosophic or religious point of view capable of coping successfully with the vicissitudes of life

But in true Carl Jung fashion, he also balanced this with recommending six things not to do.

1. Avoid Identification with the Persona
Carl Jung often warned against confusing our persona (the social mask we wear) with our true self.

Boy, have I paid the price for this in my life. For two decades, I was the perfect chameleon. Always adapting to other people’s needs. Always able to fit in. But it came at the cost of never allowing myself to be myself.

I had built up a reputation of being the nice guy, the polite guy, the always available guy, so to not be those things was terrifying.

“The persona is that which in reality one is not, but which oneself as well as others think one is.”

Of course, I am all of those things. I love with a big open heart, I adore the world and the people in it, and I have an insatiable curiosity for things outside and inside of myself. But I’m not always that way, and that’s what I failed to accept for so many years.

If we live only to please social expectations or roles, we risk losing contact with our authentic self. And that’s a big price to pay.

2. Avoid Repressing the Shadow
Carl Jung believed that denying or repressing the darker aspects of our personality leads to neurosis and/or projection.

In my case, it led to chronic anxiety and an inflamed gut.

My shadow was a bucket load of rage that burned a hole in my heart and a deep well of shame that threatened to drown me. I repressed the hell out of both of those things for as long as possible until they started manifesting in other ways.

“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”

It was only when I stopped pretending I was only “good” that I could integrate these harder aspects of myself and work on them with compassion and love.

3. Avoid Imitating Others or Following Dogma Blindly
Carl Jung cautioned against letting religion, ideology, or teachers replace our own inner experience.

When I didn’t know who I was, I found it exciting and relieving to be told what to think, say, and do, especially when what I was being taught aligned with my values in life.

The trouble came when those people were no longer around and I couldn’t rely on them anymore. I had to fend for myself but I didn’t know what I was fending for. That’s the cost of imitating others. It’s scary to be alone. Silence is loud. And there’s a sense of not belonging because we don’t belong to ourselves.

“If the path before you is clear, you’re probably on someone else’s.” ― Joseph Campbell

4. Avoid One-Sidedness
Carl Jung often spoke about the danger of overdeveloping one function of ourselves (like intellect) at the expense of others (like feeling).

I’ve done this so many times in my life it’s not even funny. Growing up, it was dangerous to feel so I started philosophising. Then when I started meditating, I forgot about looking after my body.

One-sidedness ultimately leads to imbalance.

To find wholeness, I learned I had to feel and philosophise, meditate and workout.

This is true in my romantic relationships, resolving conflicts, and work-life balance, too.

“Every psychic extreme is followed by a compensation; hence the wise man avoids the extremes of his own nature.” — Carl Jung

5. Avoid Disconnection from the Unconscious
Carl Jung saw the unconscious as a vital source of creativity, wisdom, and renewal. Ignoring it can lead to spiritual emptiness.

“People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls.” — Carl Jung

The trouble with the unconscious mind is that it will start to do more and more extreme things to get noticed. At first, it might disturb sleep by using dreams to convey a message it wants to express. If that doesn’t work, it will try and create events outside in waking life that reflect what’s happening inside. Lastly, if all of that fails, it will use the body to create illness and disease.

I learned too late (after all of those things happened) that it’s far scarier and more unpredictable than doing the work on myself voluntarily.

6. Avoid Living Without Meaning
For Carl Jung, the greatest danger in life was living without a purpose. This looks very different for everyone, and it can change throughout life.

When I was growing up, football was my life. Then I fell in love with the ocean and travelled the world scuba diving. Then I started meditating and practicing breathwork and became fascinated by my inner world and with my connection to the divine. Now, one of my main passions is writing.

“The lack of meaning in life is a soul sickness whose full extent and import our age has not yet begun to comprehend.” — Carl Jung

Meaning and purpose can come through material or external goals – but I found those to be more fleeting.

A meaningful life for me now echoes what Carl Jung told the young journalist in 1960.

Good physical and mental health
Good relationships with others and myself
An appreciation and curiosity of the world and life itself
Reasonable standards of living and satisfactory work
A philosophical or spiritual point of view that’s able to hold the paradoxes of life.
Throw in a little adventure and play, and it doesn't get much better than that!

"The world is full of people suffering from the effects of their own unlived life. They become bitter, critical, or rigid, not because the world is cruel to them, but because they have betrayed their own inner possibilities. 
The artist who never makes art becomes cynical about those who do. 
The lover who never risks loving mocks romance. 
The thinker who never commits to a philosophy sneers at belief itself. 
And yet, all of them suffer, because deep down they know: the life they mock is the life they were meant to live."
—Carl Jung

The Ego was built for survival — not joy
Psychologically, the ego is your constructed identity. The story you tell yourself about who you are.
Carl Jung described the social mask we wear as “the persona”.
Beneath that mask lies the shadow — the parts of us we suppress to be accepted.

What’s left after the Ego dissolves? [Ego Death]
Here’s the question that scares most people:
If I’m not my roles, trauma, labels, or achievements… then who am I?

Jung called this deeper organizing center the Self — not the ego, but the fuller psyche beneath it.
Ego death isn’t destruction. It’s decentralization.
But this is where many people get lost.
Because dissolving the ego is only half the journey. The second half is integration.
Jung called that process individuation — becoming whole rather than socially acceptable.

Jung warned that dismantling the ego without rebuilding it consciously can lead to confusion. But when integrated properly, ego death becomes psychological rebirth.
Not an escape from self, but the return to something more real.

https://fractalwisdom.medium.com/what-ego-death-really-does-to-your-brain-carl-jungs-psychology-explains-3f713f6168a7

Jung wrote that once a person is set on the pursuit of external things, they’re never satisfied with the mere necessities. They always want more, and they always look for it outside. They’ve learned no other direction to look. The tragic part is that “he forgets entirely,” Jung wrote, “that in spite of all external success, inwardly he remains the same.”

There’s a part of you that external success simply cannot reach. Jung called it the inner man. Your psychological self: your values, your grief, your longing, your unlived life, the parts of yourself you’ve buried because you are too busy building the house of life. That part of you never shuts up until you listen.

[He may be talking about religion.]

From a mother’s nurturing love for her child to the companionship between best friends to the enduring bond of a longtime couple, love is a complex emotion that can be experienced and expressed in innumerable ways. While there’s no universally agreed-upon classification of love "types," it’s a topic that philosophers, poets, and scholars have contemplated for more than two millennia.

Throughout history, various frameworks and theories have been proposed to distinguish between the different manifestations of love and their distinctive attributes. The ancient Greeks notably recognized several varieties of love, many of which you can read about below. Those categories have persisted for hundreds of years, although they’ve been adapted and reinterpreted to align with evolving philosophies about relationships.

As William Shakespeare’s star-crossed Juliet said, "What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." And so it is with love. Whatever we call it or whatever words we use to describe it, love is love. Here are some illuminating quotes to remind us that love, in all its myriad forms, remains a timeless and essential emotion that unites us all.

EROS (ROMANTIC LOVE)
Named for the Greek god of love, eros represents the most passionate form of love. The words "erotic" and "erogenous" are derived from eros, so as you might guess, this kind of love also extends to physical intimacy.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. / I love thee to the depth and breadth and height / My soul can reach.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning

I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, / in secret, between the shadow and the soul.
Pablo Neruda

STORGE (FAMILIAL LOVE)
Storge is the affection felt between family members, particularly by parents for their children and vice versa. This type of familiar love occurs naturally and spontaneously.

I sustain myself with the love of family.
Maya Angelou

Parents were the only ones obligated to love you; from the rest of the world you had to earn it.
Ann Brashares

PHILIA (BROTHERLY LOVE)
Philia is the affectionate love experienced between friends. Plato philosophized that physical attraction wasn’t a necessary element for experiencing love, which is why platonic relationships are named for him. Though they have often gotten short shrift compared to romantic love, friendships are essential to our well-being.

If we would build on a sure foundation in friendship, we must love friends for their sake rather than for our own.
Charlotte Brontë

There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.
Thomas Aquinas

AGAPE (UNCONDITIONAL LOVE)
Agape is the type of selfless, altruistic love that inspires compassion and generosity. In Christian scripture, it is the highest form of love — transcendent and spiritual, marked by charity toward others and a love for the divine.

Unconditional love is an illogical notion, but such a great and powerful one.
A.J. Jacobs

The ultimate lesson is learning how to love and be loved unconditionally.
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

PHILAUTIA (SELF-LOVE)
Philautia is the love of self, the type of love related to our self-esteem and self-confidence, which can ultimately lead to healthier relationships with others. The ancient Greeks recognized that philautia can also have a darker side when it manifests as narcissism.

How you love yourself is / how you teach others / to love you.
Rupi Kaur


PRAGMA (ENDURING LOVE)
As the word suggests, pragma is a pragmatic, or practical, love based on a sense of duty, commitment, and shared goals. This is the type of love found in marriages and life partnerships that have matured and developed over a long period of time.

Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction.

What greater thing is there for two human souls, than to feel that they are joined for life — to strengthen each other in all labour, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent unspeakable memories at the moment of the last parting?
George Eliot

Picture it: You’ve reached the pinnacle of your career and are leading a ferociously hungry group of elite athletes to do the same, with millions of people watching you. Millions more will continue to talk about the strengths and weaknesses of your performance for years to come. Millions of dollars and an eternal legacy are on the line for everyone involved.

For most of us, this pressure may be too much to bear. But for football coaches who lead their team to the Super Bowl, it’s just part of the job.

Super Bowl coaches know a thing or two about how to excel under pressure — and how to guide others in the same endeavor. And since we’ll rarely, if ever, find ourselves on the receiving end of a rousing locker room pep talk, we’ve gathered some of the most motivational and inspiring quotes from Super Bowl-winning coaches to make you feel energized and ready to tackle the fields of life, love, work, or whatever other goals await you in your personal end zone.

I’ve always believed that luck is when preparation meets opportunity.
Tom Coughlin
Tom Coughlin led the New York Giants to victory against the New England Patriots in 2008 and 2012.

One of the reasons I’ve been able to keep level through the good times and the bad times [is] knowing that, hey, tough times don’t last, tough people do, and you just gotta keep on persevering and working. If you do that, good things usually happen.
Mike Shanahan
Mike Shanahan led the Denver Broncos to consecutive Super Bowl victories in 1998 and 1999.

The culture precedes positive results. It doesn’t get tacked on as an afterthought on your way to the victory stand. Champions behave like champions before they’re champions; they have a winning standard of performance before they are winners.
Bill Walsh
Bill Walsh won three Super Bowl titles with the San Francisco 49ers in 1982, 1985, and 1989.

I can’t tell you how much you can gain, progress you can make by working together as a team by helping one another. You can get much more done that way.
Chuck Noll
Chuck Noll, longtime Pittsburgh Steelers coach, led his team to Super Bowl victories in 1975, 1976, 1979, and 1980.

I trust my players, I trust the coaches, and I trust my instincts. I trust everything that I’m doing, and I want to maintain that aggressiveness.
Doug Pederson
Doug Pedersen achieved his first Super Bowl coaching win with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018.

If you made a triangle, you put confidence in one corner. That’s where it starts. Then we’ve got to develop the trust in ourselves and those around us so that we can focus, which is really at the top of the triangle in my mind.
Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll led the Seattle Seahawks to their first Super Bowl victory in 2014 using this triangle method of player- and team-building.

Sometimes in life, maybe some of the best things happen to you after you have been kind of crushed.
Joe Gibbs
Joe Gibbs served as the Washington Commanders’ coach from 1981 to 1992 and again from 2004 to 2007, during which the team won three Super Bowls in 1983, 1988, and 1992.

There’s a level of expectation — all it is is your best. You ain’t got to be the guy you replace. [It’s] your best and nothing less.
Bruce Arians
Bruce "No Risk It, No Biscuit" Arians became the oldest head coach to win a Super Bowl after leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to victory in 2021.

There was a real love for each other, and those things, you know, they carry you through. You know, love is the only thing that’s really stronger than that fear that we talk about all the time.
Sean McVay
In this quote, Sean McVay, the youngest NFL head coach in modern history, speaks on leading the Los Angeles Rams to their first Super Bowl win since 2000 in 2022.

I never really dreamed. I wasn’t a dreamer. Dreaming is hoping. I believed. I really believed.
Jimmy Johnson
Jimmy Johnson led the Dallas Cowboys to two consecutive Super Bowl wins in 1993 and 1994.

It’s not about the destination; it’s about the journey.
Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher led the Pittsburgh Steelers to their first Super Bowl win in more than two decades in 2006.

It always gets down to winning and being successful, and that’s all we care about week in and week out, regardless of what’s going on. Another disappointment yesterday, but another opportunity this week.
Gary Kubiak
Gary Kubiak won his first Super Bowl as head coach with the Denver Broncos in 2016.

Things will go wrong at times. You can’t always control circumstances. However, you can always control your attitude.
Tony Dungy
As leader of the Indianapolis Colts in 2007, Tony Dungy became the first Black head coach to win the Super Bowl.

To the winner, there is 100% laughter; there is 100% fun; there is 100% elation. To the loser, no reason, really, is adequate enough for having lost. The only thing left is determination and resolution.
Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers won the first two Super Bowls ever played in 1967 and 1968.

In the TV drama The West Wing, Leo McGarry (John Spencer) tells a story to a struggling Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford): A man falls in a hole and calls out to multiple people up above for help. The passersby briefly offer some unhelpful solutions and move along.

Then the man’s friend walks by, McGarry says, "and the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, ‘Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.’ The friend says, ‘Yeah, but I've been down here before, and I know the way out.’" It’s a touching moment, and it drives home the fact that community is crucial in tough times.

When we’re going through something difficult — whether it’s something personal, such as divorce or the loss of a loved one, or collective, such as a natural disaster — our first instinct might be to shut down or withdraw. In fact, a 2021 study showed that stress can cause us to minimize our social interactions.

But finding community in those moments can actually do us a world of good: Additional research suggests that social support makes us more resilient to stress and trauma. In other words, being part of a supportive community can be life-changing, both for those giving the help and those receiving it.

If you’re feeling lonely or you’re hoping to rally some like-minded people to support you through your struggles, we hope these quotes help you muster the strength to reach out.

Maybe it isn’t that we’re supposed to find the pieces and put them back together. Maybe we’re the pieces … Maybe what we’re supposed to do is come together. That’s how we stop the breaking.
David Levithan and Rachel Cohn

There are few things more powerful than people united. What they unite over is not what matters … The most important aspect is remembering our existing connection, and, through that, allowing ourselves to feel at peace.
Vironika Tugaleva

We learn to live, we learn to give each other / What we need to survive together alive.
Paul McCartney

Individual commitment to a group effort is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work. The success of the individual is completely subjected to the satisfaction that he receives in being part of the successful whole.
Vince Lombardi

We cannot be separated in interest or divided in purpose. We stand together until the end.
Woodrow Wilson

If there is a load you have to bear / That you can't carry / I'm right up the road / I'll share your load / If you just call me.
Bill Withers

The commitments we make to each other … do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us.
Barack Obama

We are each other's / Harvest: / We are each other's / Business / We are each other's / Magnitude and bond.
Gwendolyn Brooks

Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.
bell hooks

People who are hurting … [need] patient, loving witnesses. People to sit quietly and hold space for us. People to stand in helpful vigil to our pain.
Glennon Doyle

We are not always aware of the help we may give by accepting aid, that in this way we may establish a foothold for contact.
Erving Goffman

In 1445, Johannes Gutenberg invented movable type, individual letters that could be moved around a printing press to change what words were transferred to the blank page. Empowered by this revolutionary technology, he printed the very first book ever published: the Bible.

Before the printing press, monks painstakingly hand-copied every edition of the Bible, often taking three years or more to complete the task. Gutenberg could produce 180 copies of the book in the same amount of time.

After Arabic movable type was produced, the first printed edition of the Quran rolled off the presses in Venice, Italy, and was exported to the Ottoman Empire in 1538. By the early 1800s, Hindu scripts were likewise being mass-produced. As religions the world over embraced Gutenberg’s invention, sacred books became more available, and less expensive, than ever before.

For centuries, religious texts were often the only books in a household. Children learned to read by tracing their fingers down the pages, and in the evenings families would convene to hear stories of faith, love, and devotion.

Collected here from a variety of religious texts are words of deep wisdom from cultures around the world, made ubiquitously available online through technology that Gutenberg never could have dreamed possible.

How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!
The Bible, Proverbs 16:16

Do what is beautiful. God loves those who do what is beautiful.
Quran, 2:195

When there is harmony between the mind, heart, and resolution, then nothing is impossible.
Rig Veda

There is no birth or death, no ebbing or arising. Neither is there present existence and subsequent extinction, substantial reality or fictitious imagination, same or different.
Lotus Sutra, 16:1.10

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
The Bible, James 3:13

The wise who knows the Self as bodiless within the bodies, as unchanging among changing things, as great and omnipresent, does never grieve.
Katha Upanishad

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
Tao Te Ching

God does not burden any soul beyond its capacity.
Quran, 2:286

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
The Bible, Proverbs 11:2

Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.
Tao Te Ching

So verily, with the hardship, there is relief. Verily, with the hardship, there is relief.
Quran, 94:5-6

The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.
The Bible, Proverbs 19:8

A person can achieve everything by being simple and humble.
Rig Veda

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Tao Te Ching


And God would not punish them while they seek forgiveness.
Quran, 8:33

Just as the past is a projection, so are the future and the present.
Lankavatara Sutra

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
The Bible, Proverbs 4:7

Work for work’s sake, not for yourself. Act but do not be attached to your actions. Be in the world, but not of it.
Bhagavad Gita

The person who is always involved in good deeds experiences incessant Divine happiness.
Rig Veda

People-pleasing is a habit that can sneak up on us. We may start out with good intentions, pitching in when someone needs help or trying to mediate an argument. But when we find ourselves feeling unable to say "no" or suppressing our gut feelings to keep the peace, we’ve crossed over into the type of people-pleasing that can prevent us from living authentically.

It’s perfectly normal to want the approval of the people around us. And if we’ve become accustomed to yielding to others’ expectations, it can feel impossible to start unraveling that pattern. Building a foundation of self-confidence is a crucial first step; this is what will allow us to live according to our own beliefs, even when those around us want us to do otherwise.

If you’ve found yourself feeling more doormat-esque than you’d prefer, here are 12 quotes to help you start seeking more approval from the most important source: yourself.

Do your thing and don’t care if they like it.
Tina Fey

You will never gain anyone's approval by begging for it. When you stand confident in your own worth, respect follows.
Mandy Hale

If you try to please all, you please none.
Aesop

I surrendered myself to the cages of others' expectations, cultural mandates, and institutional allegiances … I buried who I was in order to become what I should be. I lost myself when I learned how to please.
Glennon Doyle

If I approve of myself, that’s all I need. That confidence really reverberates.
JoJo

Listen to your instincts. Don't be a people-pleaser.
Drew Barrymore

If you do not take control over your time and your life, other people will gobble it up. If you don’t prioritize yourself, you constantly start falling lower and lower on your list.
Michelle Obama

Confidence is not "They will like me." Confidence instead is "I’ll be fine if they don’t."
Christina Grimmie

I'm done living for other people. I'm done being a people-pleaser. I'm done thinking about what people think about me.
Shailene Woodley

Each time you set a healthy boundary, you say yes to more freedom.
Nancy Levin

Power for me is "no." No is very powerful. Because if you’re always available — and this goes for relationships, too — just keep saying no. That’s when you know your worth, when you know your value.
Taraji P. Henson

We cannot think of being acceptable to others until we have first proven acceptable to ourselves.
Malcolm X

15 Empathy Quotes to Inspire Kindness

Empathy is a human quality that makes us better partners, relatives, colleagues, and friends. Defined loosely as the ability to understand and share in someone else’s feelings, empathy is one way we can connect with others, particularly those who have different identities or circumstances than us.

Empathy can be cultivated and exercised in a number of ways, perhaps most simply by holding space, listening, and extending grace toward others. Tuning in to people’s emotions helps us understand them more clearly, which strengthens and deepens our relationships. Not only that, but empathy helps us get to know ourselves better as well. By putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes and imagining how they must feel , we are given the opportunity to view life from a different angle, and to expand our capacity to hold other people’s struggles alongside our own.

Below, we’ve rounded up 15 quotes that speak to the importance and beauty of empathy in making us more compassionate, whole-hearted human beings.

The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy; we can all sense a mysterious connection to each other.
Meryl Streep

Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?
Henry David Thoreau


Sterling K. Brown, actor

Empathy comes from the Greek "empatheia" — "em" (into) and "pathos" (feeling) — a penetration, a kind of travel. It suggests you enter another person’s pain as you’d enter another country…
Leslie Jamison, novelist

Whenever you feel like criticizing any one… just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.
F. Scott Fitzgerald

I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it.
Maya Angelou

Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor

This capacity for empathy leads to a genuine encounter — we have to progress toward this culture of encounter — in which heart speaks to heart.
Pope Francis

Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.
Dalai Lama


All I ever wanted was to reach out and touch another human being not just with my hands but with my heart.
Tahereh Mafi, author

Judge tenderly, if you must. There is usually a side you have not heard, a story you know nothing about, and a battle waged that you do not have to fight.
Traci Lea Larussa, writer and illustrator

I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person.
Walt Whitman

Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins. And it’s up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world.
Barack Obama

Hendrick's main idea in "The Big Leap" is that the majority of us have an "upper limit problem" that keeps us from experiencing as much love, success and abundance as we could experience without it. 

You can think of this upper limit as an internal setting, like a thermostat... every time you go above a certain level of love/success/abundance, you'll subconsciously do something to bring yourself back down to your usual level. 

If this is true, it means that we can't achieve higher levels of success until we break through our upper limit settings! 

Hendricks goes on to say that most successful people are stuck in their "Zone of Excellence", where they're doing things that they're good at but don't really lead to fulfillment and higher levels of success. 

The goal for these people is to break free from the "Zone of Excellence" into the "Zone of Genius"! 

This last zone is where you get to experience massive amounts of love, abundance and success, as you're focusing on activities and work that you truly enjoy and that also improve the lives of others around you. 
Hendricks offers 4 questions to help you discover your "Zone of Genius"... let's go through them now. 

->> Genius Question #1: What do I love to do?
This is a pretty easy question to start with... just think of current activities that you really enjoy or certain aspects of work that you really enjoy. 

Start with general ideas, and we'll whittle them down with the following questions...

->> Genius Question #2: What work do I do that doesn't seem like work?

This is pretty similar to the first question but has a slightly different angle to it.

As you go about your day, it's probably fairly easy to identify certain things that you really don't enjoy doing... things that tend to irritate you for taking up your time.

On the flip side, there are probably a few things that you enjoy doing to the extent that they don't actually feel like work. 

Start identifying what those things are...

->> Genius Question #3: In my work, what produces the highest ratio of abundance and satisfaction to amount of time spent?

I really like this question, because the word "leverage" pops into my mind.

If you can start to identify activities and types of work that you really enjoy AND that also yield large amounts of results, then we're moving in the right direction! 

->> Genius Question #4: What is my unique ability?

This question is a little harder to pin down than those first three, at least in my opinion. 

When you start to think about what you really enjoy doing AND what you're uniquely good at, try not to overthink it. 

Your unique ability doesn't have to be unique to just you... in other words, other people can have the same unique ability as you have. 

Hendricks describes the process of discovering your unique ability by using the Russian nesting dolls as a metaphor (you know, those dolls that have several smaller dolls inside them... I loved those when I was a kid!). 

So, if you start to think about certain aspects of your day-to-day work that you really enjoy and are good at, try to go a little deeper to figure out what activities are actually giving you the most enjoyment and fulfillment. 

Hendricks offers three more fill-in-the-blank ideas to help  you dive a bit deeper:

I'm at my best when I'm ____________
When I'm at my best, the exact thing I'm doing is ____________
When I'm doing that, the thing I love most about it is ____________

Our lives take shape according to how we interact with other people, from our family and friends to co-workers and even strangers. By building a mutual channel of kindness and support, we can make a difference and develop fulfilling relationships that not only enrich our existence but also help to sustain it. In fact, according to one 85-year Harvard study, positive relationships are the biggest key to a happy life. And other research indicates that strong social support may even help us live longer. Sometimes, though, we may feel like we’re giving someone or something — a friendship, a job, a project — a lot of our time or energy without getting the same back. In those situations, how can we start to rebalance the scales?

First and foremost, we need to find the courage to ask for what we feel is lacking — whether it’s a raise at work or more consistent communication with a loved one. After all, we each deserve to be heard and seen. It may also help to build our own confidence: Looking inward and being able to validate ourselves, rather than looking to other people for their opinions, means we’ll always have a solid foundation. With that in mind, here are 13 quotes about self-belief and speaking up to remind you that you’re always enough — whether other people see it or not.

Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
H. Jackson Brown Jr.

I will go on adventuring, changing, opening my mind and my eyes, refusing to be stamped and stereotyped. The thing is to free one's self: to let it find its dimensions, not be impeded.
Virginia Woolf



You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody.
Maya Angelou

Sometimes you don't see the millions of people who accept you for what you are. All you notice is the person who doesn't.
Jodi Picoult

Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as a means of escape.
bell hooks

Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared with our own private opinion.
Henry David Thoreau

When we don't ask for what we want and need, we discount ourselves.
Melody Beattie

You have no control over other people's taste, so focus on staying true to your own.
Tim Gunn

Confidence is not, "They will like me." Confidence instead is, "I’ll be fine if they don’t."
Christina Grimmie

And you will find you have fallen in love with your own vision, which you may never have realized you had. And you will lose some friends and lovers, and realize you don't miss them. And new ones will find you and cherish you.
Audre Lorde

You are a very special person. There is only one like you in the whole world. There’s never been anyone exactly like you before, and there never will be again.
Fred Rogers

If the only thing you know about Bob Ross is his signature permed hair and the phrase "happy little trees," you’re not alone. The TV personality, best known for his 1980s PBS series The Joy of Painting, didn’t sit for many interviews, though his soothing voice and casual life wisdom have stood the test of time.

Born Robert Norman Ross in 1942, Ross first encountered painting when he was serving in the United States Air Force. While based in Alaska, he would squirrel away pockets of time to paint after attending a class at the Anchorage USO club. He took particular interest in German painter Bill Alexander, the host of The Magic of Oil Painting, who used a technique called "wet-on-wet." This technique allowed an artist to complete a painting in 30 minutes or less.

Ross studied with Alexander in Florida after he retired from the Air Force in 1981, and soon began dreaming up the creation of his own company, Bob Ross Inc. It took off with the premiere of The Joy of Painting in 1983. Each half-hour episode featured Ross instructing viewers on a different scenic painting, often depicting snow, mountains, and yes, happy little trees.

Curiously, none of Ross’s paintings ever included humans; even cabins he painted into the scenery didn’t have any smoke coming out of the chimneys. In all, the series ran for 11 years, with the final episode airing about a year before Ross’ death in July 1995.

Ross’ legacy as a gentle lover of art and nature has found new life in recent years. His likeness has been spotted on TV shows like Family Guy, The Simpsons, and The Boondocks, and videos of his show have garnered huge followings on Twitch, where users have found a relaxation benefit (not unlike ASMR) to his calm voice and simple words.

Here are 25 quotes that encapsulate Ross’ gentle spirit, and his belief that you "can make this world as happy as [you] want it."

We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.

There’s nothing wrong with having a tree as a friend.

I can’t think of anything more rewarding than being able to express yourself to others through painting. Exercising the imagination, experimenting with talents, being creative; these things, to me, are truly the windows to your soul.



Now then, let’s come right down in here and put some nice, big, strong arms on these trees. Tree needs an arm too. It’ll hold up the weight of the forest. Little bird has to have a place to sit. There he goes.

There’s nothing in the world that breeds success like success.

I guess I’m a little weird. I like to talk to trees and animals. That’s okay though; I have more fun than most people.

You, too, can paint almighty pictures.

Find freedom on this canvas.

We artists are a different breed of people. We’re a happy bunch.

Every day is a good day when you paint.

They say everything looks better with odd numbers of things. But sometimes I put even numbers — just to upset the critics.

Water’s like me. It’s lazy. Boy, it always looks for the easiest way to do things.

In painting, you have unlimited power. You have the ability to move mountains. You can bend rivers. But when I get home, the only thing I have power over is the garbage.

Be so very light. Be a gentle whisper.

If we’re going to have animals around, we all have to be concerned about them and take care of them.

Go out on a limb — that’s where the fruit is.

Let's build us a happy, little cloud that floats around the sky.

No pressure. Just relax and watch it happen.

It’s so important to do something every day that will make you happy.

Just let go — and fall like a little waterfall.

You have to allow the paint to break to make it beautiful.

However you think it should be, that’s exactly how it should be.

We don’t really know where this goes — and I’m not sure we really care.

I did not write half of what I saw, for I knew I would not be believed.
Marco Polo, Venetian merchant who explored parts of Asia from 1271 to 1295

If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.
David Livingstone, Scottish physician and anti-slavery crusader who explored parts of Africa in the 19th century in search of the source of the Nile River

I have found a dream of beauty at which one might look all one's life and sigh.
Isabella Bird, 19th-century English explorer, writer, and naturalist whose adventures took her all over the world, from Hawaii to India and China

I think I'm the first man to sit on top of the world.
Matthew Henson, African American explorer who was part of the 1908–1909 expedition that claimed to have reached the geographic North Pole for the first time

Victory awaits him who has everything in order — luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck.
Roald Amundsen, Norwegian polar explorer who led the first expedition to reach the South Pole in 1911

To be brave cheerily, to be patient with a glad heart, to stand the agonies of thirst with laughter and song, to walk beside death for months and never be sad – that's the spirit that makes courage worth having.
Ernest Shackleton, Anglo Irish Antarctic explorer and leader of the unsuccessful Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, one of the most epic feats of endurance in human history

To awaken quite alone in a strange town, is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.
Freya Stark, British Italian explorer and travel writer who traveled extensively in the Middle East and Afghanistan during the 20th century

From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free.
Jacques Cousteau, French ocean explorer who led numerous underseas investigations

I am doing this for many reasons, some of which I don’t fully understand. That there is an inner urge is undeniable.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes, English explorer whose many accomplishments include becoming the first person to completely cross Antarctica on foot

The narrative has always been that the explorer looks a certain way, and that’s never like me, but I want to change that. I hope people will see me and think, "Yes, I can do it too."
Mario Rigby, a Black explorer and adventurer who completed a two-year-long walk across Africa, from Cape Town to Cairo, in 2018

Perception influences how we move through the world and how we engage with others. Education, experience, family, and community all help us develop our core beliefs — but perception is not the same as reality. Our perception can be skewed by everything from our physical abilities to our social identities. Knowing that, it is important to consider different perspectives, even when they contain ideas that conflict with our own interpretation of the world.

Science fiction author Philip K. Dick posited, "Maybe each human being lives in a unique world, a private world, a world different from those inhabited and experienced by all other humans… If reality differs from person to person, can we speak of reality singular, or shouldn’t we be talking about plural realities?" In those moments when we’re confronted with a different perspective, one that conflicts with our own understanding of reality, we can be quick to dismiss it because it challenges our long-held beliefs — or we can reexamine the conventional wisdom we have accepted as fundamental truth and make room for a new perspective.

Here are 14 intriguing quotes — from world leaders, leading scientists, gifted artists, and other experts — that encourage us to challenge our perception of the world.

Everything you see or hear or experience in any way at all is specific to you.
Douglas Adams, author



You can change in an instant. You can change your mind. You can change your timing. You can change your approach. You can change your words.
Karen Maezen Miller, Zen teacher

Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.
Kahlil Gibran, writer



Turn off your logical brain that says 1 + 1 = 2. Open up your mind to the possibility that 1 + 1 can equal 48, a Mercedes-Benz, an apple pie, a blue horse.
Natalie Goldberg, writer

As soon as you stop wanting something, you get it.
Andy Warhol, artist

Habit is necessary; it is the habit of having habits, of turning a trail into a rut, that must be incessantly fought against if one is to remain alive.
Edith Wharton

Stuckness shouldn’t be avoided. It’s the psychic predecessor of all real understanding.
Robert M. Pirsig

I am the master of my fate: / I am the captain of my soul.
William Ernest Henley

Dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change. #
Shonda Rhimes

True life is lived when tiny changes occur.
Leo Tolstoy

People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.
Paulo Coelho

"We’ve always done it this way" is not a good enough reason to keep doing it if it isn’t working. When an otherwise smart habit or ritual loses its potency and you continue doing it, you’re in a rut.
Twyla Tharp

Things may get a little odd at times, but they work out. You don’t have to try very hard to make them work out; you just let them.
Benjamin Hoff

Whatever you want to accomplish, stop overthinking it. You don’t need to have it all together. You just need to get on with it. You change your life by doing, not by thinking about doing.
Gary John Bishop

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
Samuel Beckett

We imagine that when we are thrown out of our usual ruts all is lost, but it is only then that what is new and good begins.
Leo Tolstoy

Stress is an unavoidable part of the human experience, but learning how to manage our stress can ensure that we don’t get swept away in a current of anxiety on a regular basis.

In medical circles, stress has been linked to negative physical conditions such as high blood pressure, increased heart rate, and high blood sugar levels, as well as mental health issues such as anger, depression, and anxiety. In short, managing our stress is the sort of critical life skill that only gets more necessary over time.

Stress can feel overwhelming when you’re in the thick of it, trying to juggle too many things at work or attempting to care for others while disregarding your own needs. That's why it's so important to be reminded that this too shall pass, and that your worries are temporary, and your own resilience and fortitude will outlast them.

In fact, one major way to combat stress is to choose not to engage with it. As motivational speaker Mark Black said, "Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax." Here, we’ve rounded up 15 other quotes that may be helpful to refer to in times of tension and strain, offering up reassurances that no matter how stressful a moment is, the next may just bring calm and certitude.

Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.
Anne Lamott

The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.
Stephen Covey

Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.
Kahlil Gibran

When one door closes, another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.
Alexander Graham Bell

A good way to overcome stress is to help others out of theirs.
Dada Vaswani

Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.
Mary Oliver

All the suffering, stress, and addiction comes from not realizing you already are what you are looking for.
Jon Kabat-Zinn

Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.
Oprah Winfrey

Rule number one is, don’t sweat the small stuff. Rule number two is, it’s all small stuff.
Robert Eliot

I think that we have to realize that times of stress are also times that are signals for growth, and if we use adversity properly, we can grow through adversity.
Abraham J. Twerski

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
Albert Einstein

These mountains that you are carrying, you were only supposed to climb.
Najwa Zebian

Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears great calamities with cheerfulness. Not through insensibility but through greatness of mind.
Aristotle

Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.
Thích Nhất Hạnh

If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.
Amit Ray

The seismic shift caused by a separation or divorce can be incredibly challenging, both in our day-to-day lives and for our big-picture plans and goals. For some people, the end of a long-term commitment can be as traumatic as a death, so it’s important to allow ourselves the time and grace we need to grieve the loss of the future we’d planned, to understand and process our emotions, and to reframe our lives moving forward.

It can be especially tricky to make the leap from being part of a couple to being single when it feels as though everyone around us is paired off and thriving. It’s important to remind ourselves that, no matter how hard it might be in the moment, the end of a romantic relationship can mark the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in our lives.

Still, pivoting to an unfamiliar and unexpected stage can bring on a roller coaster of emotions. We may experience intense shock and grief over our loss, or anger and fear at having to start over and face the unknown — all alongside feelings of hope and even joy at the possibilities that have opened up for us.

If you’re ready to move forward after a separation or divorce, these 17 insightful quotes can help you gain some refreshing perspective on your tangled feelings and your new life.

When one of you wanted one life, and the other wanted something completely different, there was a technical term for that: irreconcilable.
Anna Quindlen

Laying blame is so easy. I don’t have time for hate or negativity in my life. There’s no room for it.
Reese Witherspoon

It’s hard to admit that a marriage might be over when the love is still there. People are led to believe that a marriage ends only when the love has been lost. When anger replaces happiness. When contempt replaces bliss. But … we’re just not the same people we used to be.
Colleen Hoover

No matter how painful, divorce, like all endings, opens the door to new beginnings.
Jonathan Lockwood Huie


All divorce does is divert you, taking you away from everything you thought you knew and everything you thought you wanted and steering you into all kinds of other stuff.
Mitch Albom

There ain’t no way you can hold on to something that wants to go, you understand? You can only love what you got while you got it.
Kate DiCamillo

I do not believe that there were more happy marriages before divorce became socially acceptable, that people tried harder, got through their rough times, and were better off. I believe that more people suffered.
Ann Patchett

Moving on isn’t always about speeding enthusiastically forward so much as it’s about having one foot on the gas and the other on the brakes — releasing and accelerating in turn.
Heidi Priebe

Heartbreak is loss. Divorce is a piece of paper.
Taylor Jenkins Reid

Taking a thing apart is always faster than putting something together. This is true of everything except marriage.
Joe Hill

Freeing yourself was one thing; claiming ownership of that freed self was another.
Toni Morrison

I’m movin’ on / At last I can see / Life has been patiently waiting for me / And I know / There’s no guarantees, but I’m not alone.
Rascal Flatts

Divorce isn’t such a tragedy. A tragedy’s staying in an unhappy marriage, teaching your children the wrong things about love. Nobody ever died of divorce.
Jennifer Weiner

All discarded lovers should be given a second chance, but with somebody else.
Mae West

Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.
Ann Landers

There are some trajectories you cannot change, no matter what you do.
Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

What is happiness? It’s a subject that has intrigued humans for millennia. Ask a dozen people what makes them happy and you’re likely to get a dozen different answers. Yet elusive as it may be, happiness is so important to life that Thomas Jefferson even incorporated it into the U.S. Declaration of Independence, naming the "pursuit of happiness" an "unalienable right" along with life and liberty.  

What it takes to create a happy life isn’t just a philosophical question, though. It’s one behavioral scientists are equally interested in exploring. "Positive psychology" is a relatively recent field of study focused on understanding the positive emotions and healthy character traits necessary for humans to flourish, and some universities now offer courses in the science of happiness.

Of course, you don’t need to be a scholar to consider what happiness means to you. The quotes below offer an abundance of advice and insight about cultivating joy, and living a happy and meaningful life.

Things look different when seen in a different light. So look at them in the light of happiness. Don’t confuse good and bad.
Baltasar Gracián, writer and philosopher (source: "The Art of Worldly Wisdom")

I never will believe that our youngest days are our happiest. What a miserable augury for the progress of the race and the destination of the individual, if the more matured and enlightened state is the less happy one!
George Eliot, author

Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it.
Elizabeth Gilbert

Be happy for this moment — it is all life is.
Omar Khayyam, Islamic scholar

There are only two roads that lead to something like human happiness. They are marked by the words: love and achievement.
Theodor Reik, psychoanalyst

I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be.
Joseph Campbell, author

I shall take the heart… for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.
L. Frank Baum

Enjoy life. Accentuate the positive, not the negative. It sounds so trite, but a lot of people will pick out something to complain about, rather than say, "Hey, that was great!" It’s not hard to find great stuff if you look.
Betty White


Happiness is not an end — it is only a means, and adjunct, a consequence.
Dinah Craik

Whatever creates or increases happiness or some part of happiness, we ought to do; whatever destroys or hampers happiness, or gives rise to its opposite, we ought not to do.
Aristotle

Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.
Anne Frank


Reason, Observation, and Experience — the Holy Trinity of Science — have taught us that happiness is the only good; that the time to be happy is now, and the way to be happy is to make others so.
Robert Green Ingersoll, writer and orator

There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.
George Sand, author

Here’s a little song I wrote / You might want to sing it note for note / Don’t worry, be happy
Bobby McFerrin



I believe that if, at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do.
Roger Ebert

The bottom line is that becoming happy is up to you. No one else can make you happy. And true happiness can never be built at the expense of others.
Tina Turner

The human urge to categorize and classify directly contradicts our inherently complex and nuanced nature, but that doesn’t stop us from trying anyway. When it comes to the concept of identity, we tend to assign singular, clear-cut labels — when in reality, we all "contain multitudes," as the saying goes. Our environment, race, class, ability, gender, sexuality, and religion all play a role in creating our unique "portfolio."

Columbia Law School professor and civil rights advocate Kimberlé Crenshaw was the first to coin a term for this overarching sense of personal identity in a 1989 issue of the University of Chicago Legal Forum. In a paper titled "Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory, and Antiracist Politics," Crenshaw introduced the concept of "intersectionality."

Intersectionality has since come to be defined as "the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage." But due to intersectionality’s innately intermingled nature, it can be difficult to fully grasp the meaning of the term — and why its acknowledgment is crucial for developing a truly equitable society.

We’ve gathered quotes from scholars, activists, and authors that not only define and exemplify intersectionality, but also argue for its critical benefits in today’s world.

[Intersectionality is] basically a lens, a prism, for seeing the way in which various forms of inequality often operate together and exacerbate each other. We tend to talk about race inequality as separate from inequality based on gender, class, sexuality, or immigrant status. What’s often missing is how some people are subject to all of these, and the experience is not just the sum of its parts.
Kimberlé Crenshaw

Movements and communities involve people, people are complex and it’s not a complexity that needs to be apologized, hidden, or ashamed about. It’s a complexity that we have the responsibility to address and understand; I think it’s critical that intersectionality is utilized to preserve the health of any community and society.
Sandy Ho

We should be judging the effectiveness and value of any of our solutions by how well they’d work for people with the least institutional power.
Zoë Quinn

One of the lessons I take from intersectionality is the multiple and discontinuous ways that gender, race, sexuality, ability, nationality, etc., are fundamentally inter-constituted. They aren’t separate systems that cross at a particular place or in particular people.
Ashley Bohrer

The reality [is] that you have people like myself, who are Black, disabled, and women, and so many other things. And when you live at the intersections of all three of those, then you can’t split your political and social dynamics between these different groups. It doesn’t produce real results.
Keri Gray

We all sit at the intersection of multiple identities and multiple systems of power, and that fact has real implications for our everyday experiences and well-being.
Dr. Skyler Jackson

Intersectionality means the same for all of us: changing the way we’ve been addressing discrimination and inequalities to make it more inclusive and effective. Instead of treating symptoms, we need to tackle the root causes of inequalities … Fighting on one front at the expense of another will lead to a decrease of rights for both in the long run.
Emilia Roig

You gotta dig a little on the ground you think you’re standing on so you can actually see that much of what you take for granted in society is actually layers upon layers of inequalities that have allowed for a baseline that’s fundamentally unequal.
Kimberlé Crenshaw

Intersectionality is super important, because … if you get your own freedom or liberation, that’s cool. But if somebody else is still struggling and being held captive or being oppressed in certain ways, do you really have liberation? Is that really what liberation is?
Mahkyra Gaines

Michel de Montaigne was among the most influential minds of the French Renaissance, though his writing style was quite unusual compared to that of many of his contemporaries. As displayed in his famous work Essais, a collection of essays, Montaigne expressed his skepticism through a free-flowing and somewhat conversational style.

He was known for infusing his philosophical works with personal ruminations and informal anecdotes, rather than relying solely on complex vocabulary and eloquent wordsmithing. Many of these writings were criticized at the time for defying conventional scholarly norms, but over the years, Montaigne has gained a reputation for offering one of the most honest and forthright approaches of any Renaissance thinker.

Montaigne maintained that people can only live a full life through experience, and thus he promoted an active learning process reliant on trial, error, and human interaction. He was also a firm believer in the idea that doubt is ever-present, and that the quest to achieve true certainty is futile. Montaigne’s humanist beliefs went on to inspire many other influential figures, including Francis Bacon, Voltaire, and William Shakespeare.

Here are 13 quotes from Montaigne on what it means to live a full and honest life to the best of our ability. His teachings serve as a reminder to practice self-awareness, to know our limits, and to continually learn through experience.

I speak truth, not so much as I would, but as much as I dare; and I dare a little the more as I grow older.

Whatever can be done another day can be done today.

Let us give Nature a chance; she knows her business better than we do.

No matter that we may mount on stilts, we still must walk on our own legs. And on the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom.

He who does not give himself leisure to be thirsty cannot take pleasure in drinking.

They who have compared our lives to a dream were, perhaps, more in the right than they were aware of.

The thing I fear most is fear.

The easy, gentle, and sloping path that guides the footsteps of a good natural disposition is not the path of true virtue.

I do not speak the minds of others except to speak my own mind better.

The utility of living consists not in the length of days, but in the use of time; a man may have lived long, and yet lived but a little. Make use of time while it is present with you. It depends upon your will, and not upon the number of days, to have a sufficient length of life.

I will follow the good side right to the fire, but not into it if I can help it.

A man must be a little mad if he does not want to be even more stupid.

Every other knowledge is harmful to him who does not have knowledge of goodness.

About the Author
Bennett is a staff writer at Optimism as well as a freelance comedy writer. He's based in New York City.

Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time, and the accompanying fear, worry, and uncertainty can be overwhelming. Though some nervous feelings are perfectly normal, and even energizing, too much anxiety can have a negative impact on our physical and mental well-being — as important a reason as any to practice cultivating peace in our inner and outer lives.

When those uneasy, anxious feelings arise, it’s helpful to pause, breathe, and remember that — as the saying goes — this too shall pass. In the meantime, these quotes can offer a fresh perspective, a moment of calm, and some hopeful reassurance.

You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.
Maya Angelou

Anxiety’s like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you very far.
Jodi Picoult

Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.
Benjamin Franklin

Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.
Thích Nhất Hạnh

Don’t believe every worried thought you have. Worried thoughts are notoriously inaccurate.
Renee Jain

Rule number one is, don't sweat the small stuff. Rule number two is, it's all small stuff.
Robert Eliot

If you can't fly, run; if you can't run, walk; if you can't walk, crawl; but by all means keep moving.
Martin Luther King Jr.

Whatever happens to you belongs to you. Make it yours. Feed it to yourself even if it feels impossible to swallow. Let it nurture you, because it will.
Cheryl Strayed

Many of us feel stressed and overwhelmed not because we're taking on too much, but too little of what strengthens us.
Marcus Buckingham

There must be quite a few things a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them.
Sylvia Plath

You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.
Jon Kabat-Zinn

About the Author
Nicole Villeneuve is a writer, thrift store lover, and group-chat meme spammer based in Ontario, Canada.

A lifelong creative who dabbled in cartooning, songwriting, and performing, Shel Silverstein is best known for his whimsical poetry for children. His writing strikes a clever balance between mischief and sincerity, often using bizarre characters as cautionary tales.

In one of Silverstein’s most well-known poems, a girl named Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout refuses to take out the trash, and eventually meets "an awful fate" in the garbage she neglected. But many of his poems aren’t ominous at all, and instead turn real life on its head in delightful ways.

In beloved books such as Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic, Silverstein often returned to themes of dreaming big, taking life one day at a time, and the importance of being yourself — things you don’t need to be a young reader to appreciate.

Here, we’ve assembled some of his most heartening quotes — some playful, some serious — for when you’re in need of some reflection, encouragement, or just looking to kick off your day with a smile.

On taking risks
All the magic I have known / I’ve had to make myself.
"Magic" from "Where the Sidewalk Ends"

On possibility
Listen to the MUSTN’TS, child / Listen to the DON’TS / Listen to the Shouldn'ts / The IMPOSSIBLES, the WONT’S / Listen to the NEVER HAVESthen listen close to me — / Anything can happen, child, / ANYTHING can be.
"Listen to the Mustn'ts" from "Where the Sidewalk Ends"

On recognizing your uniqueness
All the colors I am inside / Have not been invented yet.
"Colors" from "Where the Sidewalk Ends"

On savoring the moment
There are no happy endings. / Endings are the saddest part, / So just give me a happy middle / And a very happy start.
"Every Thing On It"

On trusting your intuition
No teacher, preacher, parent, friend / Or wise man can decide / What's right for you — just listen to / The voice that speaks inside.
"The Voice" from "Falling Up"

On independence
I can be somebody's and still be my own.
"The Missing Piece"

On tackling the impossible
Just 'cause somethin' ain't been done / Don't mean it can't be did.
"Every Thing On It"

On letting loose
Draw a crazy picture, / Write a nutty poem, / Sing a mumble-gumble song, / Whistle through your comb. / Do a loony-goony dance / Cross the kitchen floor, / Put something silly in the world / That ain't been there before.
"Put Something In" from "A Light in the Attic"

On getting what you give
How much good inside a day? / Depends how good you live ‘em. / How much love inside a friend? / Depends how much you give ‘em.
"How Many, How Much" from "A Light in the Attic"

About the Author
Paola Bennet is a writer based in Brooklyn, NY. She writes a fortnightly newsletter that treasures the mundane, called Small Histories. Find her on Instagram @paolafbennet.

Our fears can be divided into two categories: innate and learned. Innate fear requires no prior life experience, though there’s some debate as to which fears are truly instinctive. Some studies suggest that we are born with only two innate fears, the fear of falling and the fear of loud sounds, while others suggest we might also be born with an innate fear of creatures such as spiders and snakes.

Learned fears are those fears we obtain through directly experiencing a threat or through social means, such as verbal warnings or observing others. We don’t have an innate fear of dogs, but if a child is bitten by a dog, they may carry that learned fear for years if not forever. And while most of us have never had a fearful encounter with a shark — and possibly haven’t even seen one — we often grow up thinking that sharks are dangerous because that’s what people say, or because we watched Jaws.

Fear itself, whether innate or learned, is not necessarily a bad thing. Fear is a survival mechanism and has helped keep humans safe since we first walked the Earth. It is part of our evolution: Fight-or-flight is better than doing nothing — and far better than paralysis — in a dangerous situation.

At the same time, however, fear can hold us back or stop us from achieving our goals. Sometimes, it’s a barrier to happiness. When that happens, we must try to overcome our fears and find courage. It may not be easy, but help is on hand: Over the centuries, many famous figures have given us their sage advice about how to conquer the fears that stand in our way.

Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.
Bertrand Russell

Let children read whatever they want and then talk about it with them. If parents and kids can talk together, we won't have as much censorship because we won't have as much fear.

Oprah Winfrey is, for many people, a beacon of inspiration and hope; she’s a media mogul with a storied past and a spirit of generosity and wonder that is nothing short of infectious. Winfrey’s drive and strength allowed her to overcome an incredibly difficult youth, and her characteristic empathy and message of empowerment have made her a role model throughout her remarkable rise to fame.

Growing up, Winfrey had an unstable home life, enduring abuse from a young age and living in extreme poverty for much of her childhood. She was raised by her grandmother, Hattie Mae Lee, who taught her how to read and write, skills that would help catapult her toward success.

Winfrey has recalled setting her sights high from an early age: "I remember a specific moment, watching my grandmother hang the clothes on the line, and her saying to me, ‘You are going to have to learn to do this,’ and me being in that space of awareness and knowing that my life would not be the same as my grandmother’s life."

Since then, Winfrey has worked hard to create a life for herself that might have been unimaginable to her grandmother: She hosted the hit daytime talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show for 25 years, launched her own production company (Harpo Productions) in 1986, founded a school for underprivileged girls in South Africa in 2007, created a whole new television channel (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network) in 2011, and she's published multiple books. She was also the only Black billionaire for a time, and she's donated millions of dollars to charitable causes around the globe.

Through it all, Winfrey has managed to stay focused on the humanity driving her efforts, and draws strength from the challenges she’s had to overcome. Here, we highlight 18 motivational quotes from Lady O herself, in hopes that they will inspire you to similarly tackle life’s obstacles with grace, wit, and humor.

Know what sparks the light in you. Then use that light to illuminate the world.

No gesture is too small when done with gratitude.

The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but on significance — and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.

Create the highest, grandest vision possible for your life, because you become what you believe.

Follow your passion. It will lead you to your purpose.

The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.

Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.

Often we don’t even realize who we’re meant to be because we’re so busy trying to live out someone else’s ideas. But other people and their opinions hold no power in defining our destiny.

Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possibility.

What material success does is provide you with the ability to concentrate on other things that really matter. And that is being able to make a difference, not only in your own life but in other people's lives.

Every time you state what you want or believe, you're the first to hear it. It's a message to both you and others about what you think is possible. Don't put a ceiling on yourself.

Wherever you are in your journey, I hope you, too, will keep encountering challenges. It is a blessing to be able to survive them, to be able to keep putting one foot in front of the other — to be in a position to make the climb up life’s mountain, knowing that the summit still lies ahead. And every experience is a valuable teacher.

The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams.

Whatever our dreams, ideas, or projects, we plant a seed, nurture it — and then reap the fruits of our labors.

Your calling isn’t something that somebody can tell you about. It’s what you feel. It is the thing that gives you juice. The thing that you are supposed to do. And nobody can tell you what that is. You know it inside yourself.

Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.

The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you're willing to work.

Your life is big. Keep reaching.

You know what they say: Hindsight is 20/20. In other words, we tend to look back on things that have happened with far more clarity than we had in the moment.

Hindsight is what we call "learned wisdom" — a mechanism that allows us to glean lessons from just about anything we’ve experienced, whether good or bad. It’s what gives us perspective after a breakup or understanding in the aftermath of a career change. It’s how we begin to piece together a narrative that makes sense of our current situation.

If we’re not careful, though, hindsight can also become a roadblock in our lives going forward. For instance, we might be warier of new acquaintances as a result of falling out with a friend. This sort of hindsight-based distortion can hinder our willingness to remain open to possibilities.

So how do we strike a balance between learning from our past and not allowing our negative experiences too much power? These 13 quotes offer some wisdom on the double-edged sword of hindsight and how best to wield it as we continue navigating the ups and downs of learning and living.

Hindsight is wonderful. It’s always very easy to second-guess after the fact.
Helen Reddy

If we were able to live at the level of the soul all the time, there would be no need for hindsight to appreciate the great truths of life.
Deepak Chopra

The real trick in life is to turn hindsight into foresight that reveals insight.
Robin Sharma

Hindsight is illuminating but not always what we want to see.
Kylie Minogue

When I was younger, I made some decisions that I shouldn’t have. And, in hindsight, I’ve almost always been wrong when I haven’t listened to myself.
Daniel Day-Lewis

Art is made in hindsight.
Virgil Abloh

History changes with each tiny event, shaping an outcome that we can only fully grasp in hindsight. And that view changes as we move farther downstream.
Lynn E. Noel

I think it is only in hindsight that you can determine whether something is a mistake or not.
Scott D. Anthony

The historian is a prophet facing backwards.
Friedrich von Schlegel

Hindsight, usually looked down upon, is probably as valuable as foresight, since it does include a few facts.
Grace Paley

But then, I suppose, when with the benefit of hindsight one begins to search one’s past for such "turning points," one is apt to start seeing them everywhere.
Kazuo Ishiguro

It has been a mistake living my life in the past. One cannot ride a horse backwards and still hold its reins.
Richard Paul Evans

It's so difficult, isn't it? To see what's going on when you're in the absolute middle of something? It's only with hindsight we can see things for what they are.
S.J. Watson

I asked a friend who has crossed 70 & is heading towards 80 what sort of changes he is feeling in himself?  He sent me the following:
1.  After loving my parents, my siblings, my spouse, my children and my friends, I have now started loving myself.
2.  I have realized that I am not "Atlas". The world does not rest on my shoulders.
3.  I have stopped bargaining with vegetable & fruit vendors. A few pennies more is not going to break me, but it might help the poor fellow save for his daughter’s school fees.
4.  I leave my waitress a big tip. The extra money might bring a smile to her face. She is toiling much harder for a living than I am.
5.  I stopped telling the elderly that they've already told that story many times. The story makes them walk down memory lane & relive their past.
6.  I have learned not to correct people even when I know they are wrong. The onus of making everyone perfect is not on me. Peace is more precious than perfection.
7.  I give compliments freely & generously. Compliments are a mood enhancer not only for the recipient, but also for me.  And a small tip for the recipient of a compliment, never, NEVER turn it down, just say "Thank You."
8.  I have learned not to bother about a crease or a spot on my shirt. Personality speaks louder than appearances.
9.  I walk away from people who don't value me. They might not know my worth, but I do.
10.  I remain cool when someone plays dirty to outrun me in the rat race. I am not a rat & neither am I in any race.
11.  I am learning not to be embarrassed by my emotions. It’s my emotions that make me human.
12.  I have learned that it's better to drop the ego than to break a relationship. My ego will keep me aloof, whereas with relationships, I will never be alone.
13.  I have learned to live each day as if it's the last. After all, it might be the last.
14.  I am doing what makes me happy. I am responsible for my happiness, and I owe it to myself. Happiness is a choice. You can be happy at any time, just choose to be!

Every one of us, inevitably, encounters the occasional downswing in life. Sadness can manifest so differently for each of us — sometimes we want to get through it quickly, by pushing the feelings down, while other times we may not even see a way out. So how do we move through the gray-skied moments in life without ignoring the emotion behind them?

While it might be uncomfortable in the moment, sadness isn’t altogether a bad thing. It’s normal — part of the human experience, really — to feel low or melancholy for a while. With time and practice, we can start to accept these moments as they come, and as what they are: temporary, and in some ways, necessary.

Not only can darker times help highlight the sweeter moments that follow, they are also a crucial part of self-growth. Letting ourselves feel sorrow helps us examine and understand the source of the pain, so we can come out the other side of sadness stronger, more self-aware, and better prepared to face whatever comes next.

Here, we’ve gathered wisdom from writers, leaders, and creators to help you move through sadness without judging yourself — and to remind you that this, too, will eventually recede.

If it's a broken part, replace it / If it's a broken arm, then brace it / If it's a broken heart, then face it
Jason Mraz

Don't be ashamed to weep; 'tis right to grieve. Tears are only water, and flowers, trees, and fruit cannot grow without water. But there must be sunlight also. A wounded heart will heal in time.
Brian Jacques

You are allowed to feel messed up inside and out. It doesn’t mean you’re defective — it just means you’re human.
David Mitchell

Grief is like the ocean; it comes on waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim.
Vicki Harrison

To weep is to make less the depth of grief.
William Shakespeare

Someone I loved once / gave me a box full of darkness. / It took me years to understand that / this, too, was a gift.
Mary Oliver

Sadness is more or less like a head cold — with patience, it passes.
Barbara Kingsolver


It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.
Lena Horne

There is no despair so absolute as that which comes with the first moments of our first great sorrow, when we have not yet known what it is to have suffered and be healed, to have despaired and have recovered hope.
George Eliot

There you go … let it all slide out. Unhappiness can't stick in a person's soul when it's slick with tears.
Shannon Hale

You can't keep the birds of sadness from flying over your head, but you can keep them from nesting in your hair.
Sharon Creech

Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.
Denis Waitley

The place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning.
Ivy Baker Priest

Night has always pushed up day / You must know life to see decay / But I won't rot / Not this mind and not this heart, I won't rot
Marcus Mumford

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul - and sings the tunes without the words - and never stops at all.
Emily Dickinson

"Passion" is a word that often comes up when discussing our life’s meaning. It’s the driving force that fuels much of our creativity, determination, and fulfillment.

Whether it pertains to love, our hobbies, or our careers, finding our passion — that intangible thing that lights us up — can truly make all the difference. It can transform ordinary moments of romance into breathless memories, or it can motivate us to hone our skills and unlock our full potential.

The relentless drive required to overcome challenges and transform dreams into reality is often powered by passion — it’s the antidote to a mundane life, a path to purpose.

In short, passion is many things, but ultimately, it’s the secret ingredient that elevates the human experience. This selection of quotes about passion serves as a reminder to stop and consider what it is that stokes our internal fire — and how we can include more of that in our lives.

Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Passion acts like a magnet that attracts us to its source. We are drawn to people who radiate with passion, who live with passion, who breathe with passion … The more you discover and express your passion for life, the more irresistible you will become to others.
Barbara de Angelis

[I] wish you to know with what a sudden mastery you kindled me, heap of ashes that I am, into fire.
Charles Dickens


The saddest people I've ever met in life are the ones who don't care deeply about anything at all. Passion and satisfaction go hand in hand, and without them, any happiness is only temporary, because there's nothing to make it last.
Nicholas Sparks

A great leader’s courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.
John C. Maxwell

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.
Steve Jobs

If you really want to fly, harness your power to your passion. Honor your calling. Everybody has one. Trust your heart, and success will come to you.
Oprah Winfrey

It is a fact often observed, that men have written good verses under the inspiration of passion, who cannot write well under any other circumstances.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Passion begins where your bodies unite and ends where your souls dance. When your spirits can join together at the same time … There will be nothing left between you that is not love.
Barbara De Angelis

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.
Maya Angelou

As one must die, I would rather die of passion than boredom!
Émila Zola

Passion is the source of our finest moments: the joy of love, the clarity of hatred, and the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion, maybe we’d know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow: empty rooms, shuttered and dank. Without passion, we’d be truly dead.
Angelus (David Boreanaz) in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"

Those who have had great passions are happy all their lives and would be unhappy to have been cured of them.
François de La Rochefoucauld

Unforgettable Quotes From Award Show Acceptance Speeches

The acceptance speeches are often the highlight of any televised award ceremony. After a name is called, the winner has just a short amount of time to thank everyone they want to thank, and, potentially, to say something impactful. Adrenaline is often running high, and the outcome can be emotional, inspiring, funny, and more often than not, a little bit awkward.

Ever since the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929 (which was held at a private banquet and was not broadcast), speeches have been a major part of the evening. Many actors have used the time to make statements about politics or current issues, while others have gone off the cuff and simply reveled in the moment. Some have kept it short and sweet, such as Patty Duke’s two-word "Thank you" in 1963 when, looking overwhelmed, she accepted the Best Supporting Actress trophy for The Miracle Worker. Others, however, have ignored the timed speech slot: In 1943, actress Greer Garson set a world record for the longest Oscars speech when she accepted her Best Actress award for Mrs. Miniver and spoke for almost six minutes.

From the Oscars to the Golden Globes to the Emmys and more, here are some quick quips and heartfelt outpourings that have made for some of the most unforgettable moments in award show history.

I want any kid who is watching to know that your biggest obstacle may turn into your purpose.
Ari’el Stachel accepting the Tony Award for Featured Actor in a Musical for "The Band’s Visit," 2018

If you have a dream, fight for it. It's not about how many times you get rejected or thought you’ve fallen down or you're beaten up. It's about how many times you stand up and are brave and you keep on going.
Lady Gaga accepting the Oscar for Best Original Song for "Shallow" from "A Star Is Born," 2019

This moment is so much bigger than me … It's for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened. Thank you.
Halle Berry accepting the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for "Monster’s Ball," 2001

Never once in my life did my parents ever say, "What you're doing is a waste of time." Never. I know there are kids out there that don't have that support system, so if you're out there and you're listening, listen to me: If you want to be creative, get out there and do it; it's not a waste of time. Do it.
Michael Giacchino accepting the Oscar for Best Original Score for "Up," 2010

Why don't you sit, 'cause I may never be here again.
Julia Roberts accepting the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for "Erin Brockovich," 2001

Thanks so much. Thank you so much. Um, I've got to go. Bye.
Merritt Wever accepting the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for "Nurse Jackie," 2013

My LGBTQIA family. I see each and every one of you. The things that make us different, those are our superpowers … The world would not be as beautiful as it is if we weren’t in it.
Lena Waithe accepting the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for "Master of None," 2017

This show is proof that history remembers. We live through times when hate and fear seem stronger. We rise and fall and light from dying embers. Remembrances that hope and love live longer. And love is love is love is love is love is love is love cannot be killed or swept aside.
Lin-Manuel Miranda accepting the Tony Award for Best Original Score for "Hamilton," 2016

It’s important to me to show images to my children that reflect their beauty so they can grow up in a world where they look in the mirror … and see themselves, and have no doubt that they’re beautiful, intelligent, and capable.
Beyoncé accepting the Grammy for Best Urban Contemporary Album for "Lemonade," 2017

I don’t know whether to be happy or ashamed because I thought we made a comedy.
Jack Nicholson accepting the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for "About Schmidt," 2003

I want all the girls watching here and now, to know that a new day is on the horizon! And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say "Me too" again.
Oprah Winfrey receiving the Cecil B. deMille Award at the Golden Globes, 2018

Nothing says "cozy night in" quite like a proper romantic comedy. Though the rom-com genre has evolved quite a bit over the years, the basic tenets have largely stayed the same since the time of Shakespeare, who is often credited with introducing romantic comedy to the theater — his play "The Merchant of Venice," written in 1600, is sometimes referred to as the very first rom-com.

Romantic comedies are stories that tackle the complex topic of love in playful, often humorous ways. Think: Pretty Woman, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, You’ve Got Mail, and Love Actually. Over the years, rom-coms have shifted to give more of a platform for different forms of love as well, with films like Saving Face, Love and Basketball, and The Happiest Season presenting a broader scope of non-white, non-heteronormative love stories. The beauty of the genre is that it can and will continue to change as more perspectives and more creatives join the conversation. Because after all, who doesn’t love love?

A big part of the appeal of rom-coms is that they give us just the right dose of dopamine with their balance of sappy, relatable characters and often over-the-top storylines. So grab your favorite beverage, settle in, and enjoy these 15 funny and sweet quotes from some of the best rom-coms of all time.

I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.
Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) to Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) in "When Harry Met Sally"

I hate it when you're not around, and the fact that you didn't call. But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you. Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.
Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles) to Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger) in "10 Things I Hate About You"

Gosh, she’s so badass. You know, I bet if you told her you’d leave Nick for a million dollars, she will write that check. They do that around here.
Peik Lin Goh (Awkwafina) to Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) in "Crazy Rich Asians"

What I really want to do with my life — what I want to do for a living — is I want to be with your daughter. I’m good at it.
Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) in "Say Anything"

In my opinion, the best thing you can do is find someone who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you.
Mac MacGuff (J.K. Simmons) to Juno MacGuff (Elliot Page) in "Juno"

I’ll play you. For what?
Your heart.
Monica (Sanaa Lathan) to Quincy McCall (Omar Epps) in "Love and Basketball"

You had me at hello.
Dorothy Boyd (Renée Zellweger) to Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) in "Jerry Maguire"

You want the moon? Just say the word, and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down.
George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) to Mary Hatch Bailey (Donna Reed) in "It’s a Wonderful Life"

I'd rather fight with you than make love with anyone else.
Nick Mercer (Dermot Mulroney) to Kat Ellis (Debra Messing) in "The Wedding Date"

Thank you. I love you. I knew it the minute I met you. I'm sorry it took so long for me to catch up. I just got stuck.
Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) to Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) in "Silver Linings Playbook"

I knew I’d never be able to remember what Nina wore that day. But I also knew I’d never forget the way she looked.
George Banks (Steve Martin) in "Father of the Bride"

It’s not about owning her. It’s about building a life with her. She is my person, and I really want everyone to know that.
Abby (Kristen Stewart) in "The Happiest Season"

Matt, stop being so nice to me. I don't deserve it. Do you know what kind of person I am now, I mean — do you know who I am right now? I don't have any real friends. I did something bad with a married guy. I don't talk to my mom and dad. I'm not a nice person. And the thing is — I'm not 13 anymore.
Jenna Rink (Jennifer Garner) in "13 Going On 30"

And don't forget: I'm also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.
Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) to William Thacker (Hugh Grant) in "Notting Hill"

I would have asked for your number, and I wouldn't have been able to wait 24 hours before calling you and saying, "Hey, how about... oh, how about some coffee or, you know, drinks or dinner or a movie... for as long as we both shall live?"
Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) to Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) in "You've Got Mail"

About the Author
Joyce Chen is a writer, editor, and community builder based in Seattle, Washington.

Who said, "The older I get, the greater power I seem to have to help the world"?

The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.

Richard Bach
Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something.#

Henry David Thoreau

Miyamoto Musashi
Never be so focused on what you’re looking for that you overlook the thing you actually find.

Ann Patchett
The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been.

Madeleine L'Engle
I change myself, I change the world.

Gloria Anzaldúa
Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.

Bertrand Russell
Maybe who we are isn't so much about what we do, but rather what we're capable of when we least expect it.

Jodi Picoult
The best way to lift one's self up is to help someone else.

Booker T. Washington
Love yourself first and everything else falls into line.

Lucille Ball
Life engenders life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich.

It can come on slowly, building up like smoke in a kitchen, or all at once, like a kettle screaming. However it reaches us, anger is an inevitable part of life. Most of us are probably familiar with concepts like "anger management" and "road rage," and we’ve likely seen images of red-faced cartoon characters with steam coming out of their ears.

Despite its negative reputation, anger can be a helpful emotion. It may act as an alert when our boundaries have been crossed, when we’ve been hurt by someone, or when we’ve just flat-out had enough. If we continually repress our anger, it may crystallize into resentment.

That said, it’s important for us to release our anger in healthy ways, rather than to lash out and let it control us. Studies have shown that excessive anger can make us more impulsive, negatively impact our memory, and even render us more vulnerable to chronic illness. Instead of "venting" our anger through aggression — such as yelling or breaking things — it’s better, scientifically speaking, to give ourselves space through something such as meditation, journaling, or yoga. If we sit with our anger and hone in on its source, we’ll likely be able to manage it more easily and effectively.

And for those of us who are unsure where to start, these quotes can help us approach and channel our anger differently.

Anger is just anger. It isn’t good. It isn’t bad. It just is. What you do with it is what matters … You can use it to build or to destroy. You just have to make the choice.
Jim Butcher

Anger is a valid emotion. It's only bad when it takes control and makes you do things you don't want to do.
Ellen Hopkins

Your anger is like a flower. In the beginning you may not understand the nature of your anger, or why it has come up. But if you know how to embrace it with the energy of mindfulness, it will begin to open.
Thích Nhất Hạnh

If we can stay with the anger long enough, we will see it change into something else — hurt, sadness, some other feeling — or even dissolve. What had seemed so solid breaks down, is transformed. The key lies in staying with the experience through all its changes.
Tara Bennett-Goleman

You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer; it eats upon the host … So use that anger. You write it. You paint it. You dance it. You march it. You vote it. You do everything about it You talk it. Never stop talking it.
Maya Angelou

Expressing anger is necessary.
Jenny Holzer

It is wise to direct your anger towards problems — not people; to focus your energies on answers — not excuses.
William Arthur Ward

When angry, count four; when very angry, swear.
Mark Twain

The thing to do is to grab the broom of anger and drive off the beast of fear.
Zora Neale Hurston

When anger spreads in your breast, guard against an idly barking tongue.
Sappho

Where there is anger, there is always pain underneath.
Eckhart Tolle

My anger is trying to tell me something. Anger always carries information, but its message is seldom immediately clear. Befriending anger includes finding ways to retrieve this message.
Evelyn Eaton Whitehead and James D. Whitehead

Anger is like / A full-hot horse, who being allow’d his way, / Self-mettle tires him.
William Shakespeare

On April 15, 1947, spectators at Ebbets Field — then home to the Brooklyn Dodgers — witnessed history in the making. Among the ranks of the Dodgers was a 28-year-old rookie named Jackie Robinson, the first Black baseball player to play in the American major leagues.

When Robinson stepped out onto Ebbets Field that day, he broke baseball’s "color line," the long-existing but unofficial form of racial segregation that excluded players of Black African descent from Major League Baseball and its affiliated minor leagues. It was a historic day, but Robinson wasn’t there just to break racial barriers — he was there to win.

That same year, Robinson led the league in stolen bases and was named Rookie of the Year. Just two years later, he was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player. He went on to lead the Dodgers to six league championships and one World Series victory. As legendary manager Leo Durocher once said, "This guy didn’t just come to play. This guy comes to beat you."

However, Robinson was up against more than just the opposing team. He had to overcome racist abuse from opposing players, spectators and, initially, from his own teammates.

Robinson’s experience with discrimination — combined with his resolute nature and rising status in baseball — drove him to become an important voice in the civil rights movement. He made appearances with Martin Luther King Jr., and politician and civil rights activist John Lewis said Robinson "gave the Black community a sense of hope, a sense of pride."

Jackie Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962 and, after his death in 1972, was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He also left us with many wise and inspiring quotes, whether talking about baseball, personal integrity, or the ongoing pursuit of a free and just society.

A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.

I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me … All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.

In order for America to be 100% strong — economically, defensively, and morally — we cannot afford the waste of having second- and third-class citizens.

Plenty of times I wanted to haul off when somebody insulted me for the color of my skin, but I had to hold to myself. I knew I was kind of an experiment. The whole thing was bigger than me.

When I am playing baseball, I give it all that I have on the ball field. When the ball game is over, I certainly don’t take it home. My little girl who is sitting out there wouldn’t know the difference between a third strike and a foul ball.

I believe in the goodness of a free society. And I believe that society can remain good only as long as we are willing to fight for it — and to fight against whatever imperfections may exist.

The most luxurious possession, the richest treasure anybody has, is his personal dignity.

If I had to choose between baseball's Hall of Fame and first-class citizenship, I would say first-class citizenship to all of my people.

I’m grateful for all the breaks and honors and opportunities I’ve had, but I always believe I won’t have it made until the humblest Black kid in the most remote backwoods of America has it made.

It kills me to lose. If I'm a troublemaker, and I don't think that my temper makes me one, then it's because I can't stand losing. That's the way I am about winning. All I ever wanted to do was finish first.

Many people resented my impatience and honesty, but I never cared about acceptance as much as I cared about respect.

The way I figured it, I was even with baseball and baseball was even with me. The game had done much for me, and I had done much for it.

There's not an American in this country free until every one of us is free.

I do believe that what I was able to attain came to be because we put behind us ( no matter how slowly) the dogmas of the past to discover the truth of today, and perhaps the greatness of tomorrow.

Optimism is the commitment to an attitude of hopefulness and a belief in the potential of positive outcomes, whether brought about naturally or through effort and determination. We’ve all been encouraged to be optimistic and to "look on the bright side" during hard times — and for good reason.

Research shows that people with an optimistic outlook on life are more resilient to stress and are able to develop better coping strategies compared to those with a more negative perspective. However, in a world that can often feel  uncertain, scary, and overwhelming, it can be difficult to focus on (or even find) the bright side.

Maintaining an optimistic outlook doesn’t mean fixating on the positive while turning a blind eye to the realities of life or forcefully suppressing our negative feelings. In fact, that kind of toxic positivity can harm our emotional well-being. True, healthy optimism entails acknowledging our more unpleasant and uncomfortable feelings while believing in and working toward better days ahead.

Meditation is one of the most accessible ways to instantly boost our moods and clear our minds. To call it one of the easiest ways, though, would not be entirely true — given our busy lives and the constant buzz of social media, achieving total stillness can feel downright difficult. Somewhat paradoxically, this is all the more reason for us to practice meditation on a regular basis.

Whether it’s sitting cross-legged for 10 to 15 minutes each morning or taking a slow walk around the neighborhood each evening, the point of meditation is less about which physical activity we engage in than our mental state during that time. It’s the practice of slowing down and training our minds toward silence and calm that matters most, as we can then carry this stillness into other aspects of our lives.

In addition to alleviating anxiety, meditation can also help us improve our cognitive function and even give us a fresher, clearer lens through which to view our lives. Meditation can even be something as simple as focusing on a mantra or a quote. These 11 quotes could be a great addition to anyone’s practice, and they may inspire us to find ourselves on the cushion more often (either literally or figuratively).

It is indeed a radical act of love just to sit down and be quiet for a time by yourself.
Jon Kabat-Zinn

The thing about meditation is, you become more and more you.
David Lynch

Meditation is not about stopping thoughts, but recognizing that we are more than our thoughts and our feelings.
Arianna Huffington

Meditation is a vital way to purify and quiet the mind, thus rejuvenating the body.
Deepak Chopra

Meditation is like a gym in which you develop the powerful mental muscles of calm and insight.
Ajahn Brahm

Meditation is choosing not to engage in the drama of the mind but elevating the mind to its highest potential.
Amit Ray

Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.
Bruce Lee

Meditation is the ultimate mobile device; you can use it anywhere, anytime, unobtrusively.
Sharon Salzberg

When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a candle in a windless place.
Bhagavad Gita

Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality.
Thích Nhất Hạnh

The mind is definitely something that can be transformed, and meditation is a means to transform it.
Dalai Lama

Getting older is inevitable, but in a world where the word "aging" is usually prefaced with "anti," it can be difficult to enjoy the process, as normal and natural as it is. Yet there are many benefits to getting older: With age come experience, wisdom, and an opportunity to live more intentionally and enjoy every day.

"As I go on in life and I feel more and more myself and less judgmental about myself, my values become clearer to me," Gwyneth Paltrow once said, highlighting a hopeful way to think about aging. "I can be in integrity all the time, which is much harder when you’re younger."

With a slight shift in perspective, it’s possible to see all the positives that come along with moving up in years. It can be helpful to remember that not everyone gets the chance to age as far into life as others, and that we should cherish the time as we have it. Here are 10 selected quotes that will help you to appreciate the beauty in life and embrace getting older.

Know that you are the perfect age. Each year is special and precious, for you shall only live it once.
Louise Hay, author

Your wrinkles reflect the roads you have taken; they form the map of your life… My face carries all my memories. Why should I erase them?
Diane von Fürstenberg, fashion designer

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Max Ehrmann, writer

I don’t believe in aging. I believe in forever altering one’s aspect to the sun.
Virginia Woolf

The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes.
Frank Lloyd Wright

Every year brings you closer to expressing your whole and healed self. I celebrate that. Honor it. Hold it in reverence. And I'm grateful for every age I'm blessed to become.
Oprah Winfrey

You die young, or you get older. There is nothing in between. You may as well enjoy it.
Helen Mirren

One day, you will look back and see that all along, you were blooming.
Morgan Harper Nichols, artist and writer

Madeleine L'Engle, author

If wrinkles must be written upon our brows, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should never grow old.
James A. Garfield

We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.
Elie Wiesel

Elie Wiesel was a Holocaust survivor whose parents and sister tragically died in Nazi concentration camps, though he himself was liberated in 1945. Upon being freed, Wiesel went on to become an inspirational political activist and author, detailing his harrowing experiences in the critically acclaimed 1956 memoir Night. For many decades after, Wiesel made it his life’s mission to travel the globe and deliver speeches in defense of human rights and the Jewish people.

We are imperfect mortal beings, aware of that mortality even as we push it away, failed by our very complication, so wired that when we mourn our losses we also mourn, for better or for worse, ourselves. As we were. As we are no longer.
Joan Didion

Author Joan Didion endured deep personal tragedy in 2003, when her husband died suddenly of a heart attack just days after her only child was hospitalized in a comatose state. Part of Didion’s emotional recovery came through writing, when she penned her monumental 2005 work The Year of Magical Thinking as her account of these tragic events and the year that followed. This work is considered to be a literary masterpiece in dealing with the topics of loss and mourning.

One must not let oneself be overwhelmed by sadness.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

The former First Lady of the United States experienced tragedy after tragedy in her life, including the death of her 2-day-old son Patrick and the assassination of her husband John F. Kennedy. Despite suffering such incidents, Kennedy refused to let sadness and grief hold her back from living a full life. She eventually moved to New York City, becoming an accomplished book editor and patron of the arts.

Saying farewell is also a bold and powerful beginning.
Aron Ralston

Aron Ralston is a motivational speaker whose arm became trapped under a heavy boulder during a climbing expedition in 2003. Ralston was left with no choice but to personally amputate his arm in order to escape, enduring unimaginable pain in the process. However, Ralston still managed to successfully hike to safety, and his perseverance and courage went on to inspire countless others in the forms of his 2004 book Between a Rock and a Hard Place and the Oscar-nominated movie 127 Hours.

I raise up my voice — not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.
Malala Yousafzai

At the age of just 15, a young Malala Yousafzai was shot on her way home from school by Taliban extremists in her home country of Pakistan. She was targeted as an outspoken advocate for girls living under the oppressive Taliban regime, though the attack failed and only emboldened Malala to grow into an even more inspirational force. Yousafzai overcame this great personal tragedy en route to becoming the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate, earning the distinction in 2014 at the age of 17.

When Americans lend a hand to one another, nothing is impossible. We’re not about what happened on 9/11. We’re about what happened on 9/12.
Jeff Parness

Jeff Parness was a software venture capitalist in Manhattan on the day of September 11, 2001. Though Parness was lucky enough to survive the cataclysmic terrorist attacks that day, thousands of other Americans were less fortunate. In the wake of these tragic events, Parness — who went on to start the "New York Says Thank You" foundation — noted just how inspiring it was to see Americans come together as a community to support one another.

Many brave things were done that night but none more brave than by those few men playing minute after minute as the ship settled quietly lower and lower in the sea … the music they played serving alike as their own immortal requiem and their right to be recorded on the rulls of undying fame.
Lawrence Beesley

Beesley was an Englishman who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912. The event was among the most shocking catastrophes of the early 20th century, as the "unsinkable" ship suddenly descended to the ocean floor mere hours after colliding with an iceberg. Beesley, and the many others who survived the event, always made sure to acknowledge the courage of those who didn’t.

I wish to preach … that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph.
Theodore Roosevelt

Long before he became President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt suffered two incredible losses on February 14, 1884, losing both his mother Mittie and wife Alice. That day, Roosevelt wrote in his diary, "The light has gone out of my life." Despite these incredible losses, Roosevelt overcame adversity and went on to achieve the highest of highs in the world of American politics.

Forgiveness has to be complete. If you hate somebody, it’s like a boomerang that misses its target and comes back and hits you in the head. The one who hates is the one who hurts.
Louis Zamperini

Zamperini was a veteran of World War II whose plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean in 1943 while searching for a downed aircraft. He then drifted on a life raft for 47 days before being captured and taken to a Japanese POW camp. Upon his release, Zamperini cast aside resentment and embraced the idea of forgiveness, even for his captors. Zamperini went on to preach this message for the rest of his life.

Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.
Wilma Rudolph

Rudolph was a four-time Olympic medalist, winning three gold medals in track and field at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. But it took a long time for Rudolph to reach that moment, as she suffered from pneumonia, scarlet fever, and infantile paralysis as the result of polio in her childhood.

Rudolph even wore a leg brace until she was 12, as her family — like many other Black residents — struggled to receive health care in rural Tennessee. After years of treatments and with a determined attitude, Rudolph overcame these early ailments to become one of the greatest athletes in history.

Ernest Hemingway was one of America’s most influential writers, known for 20th-century classics such as The Old Man and the Sea and For Whom the Bell Tolls. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize for Literature, Hemingway wrote in an understated and deceptively simple style that belies considerable depth and meaning. That’s why so many people quote — and often misquote — Hemingway to this day.

The author and larger-than-life figure penned a host of relevant musings, including "The way to make people trust-worthy is to trust them," and "Courage is grace under pressure." But many Hemingway fans mistakenly put words in his mouth, such as "Write drunk, edit sober," a famous quote attributed to the author — despite the fact that he never said it.

Now, it’s not that Hemingway was against alcohol; in fact, he imbibed everything from daiquiris to champagne to rice wine to whiskey — but he wasn’t a fan of writing while inebriated.

Why is Hemingway the victim of so many misattributed quotes? According to the Hemingway Society, the problem may stem from either the desire to popularize lesser-known writers, meme creators seeking to create something new and catchy, or the simple fact that separating a quote from its original source sometimes makes it more positive. It "decontextualizes" the quote, giving it the chance for a new, positive spin — especially with "Hemingway’s" stamp of approval.

"Write drunk, edit sober" merely scratches the surface of the vast library of misattributed Hemingway quotes. Here are 10 additional quotes the beloved author never said.

For sale, baby shoes, never worn.

There is no evidence Hemingway actually wrote this quote, but experts also can’t pinpoint its origin. The likeliest explanation is early-1900s newspaper advertisements, where phrases such as "for sale, baby carriage; never been used" were printed regularly.

It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.

This simple but relevant quote reads like a Hemingway musing, but he didn’t write this phrase, either. Renowned fantasy and science-fiction author Ursula K. Le Guin penned this popular phrase in her 1969 novel The Left Hand of Darkness.

We are all broken — that’s how the light gets in.

Hemingway did write about how to be strong during broken phases ("The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places"), but he’s not the author of this particular quote. It’s likely a merging of Hemingway’s words and singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen’s song "Anthem," which features the lyrics: "There is a crack, a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in."

The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.

Some say this one came from Hemingway’s short-story collection Men Without Women, but that’s another false quote to the author’s name. It’s believed to have originated from writer Marc Chernoff’s 2011 blog post, "30 things to stop doing to yourself."

There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.

This quote actually surfaced two years before Hemingway’s 1899 birth, which means there’s no way the author could have popularized this phrase. Lecturer W.L. Sheldon penned this one in his collection of Ethical Addresses in 1897.

There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.

Like most writers, Hemingway enjoyed the final product much more than the writing process, but he’s not the true author of this relatable quote. It’s believed to be an adaptation of sportswriter Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith’s 1949 quote, "You simply sit down at the typewriter, open your veins, and bleed." Writer Paul Gallico uttered a similar sentiment with this metaphor in 1946: "It is only when you open your veins and bleed onto the page a little that you establish contact with your reader."

Before you act, listen.

This simple but striking quote has all the makings of a Hemingway maxim, but yet again, the words aren’t his. Experts believe the quote originated from motivational writer William Arthur Ward’s poem, which reads: "Before you speak, listen. Before you write, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you invest, investigate. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try. Before you retire, save. Before you die, give."

I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know?

The self-deprecating realness in this quote definitely sounds right up Hemingway’s alley, but this one is also misattributed. The true source has yet to be confirmed.

Humans need two years to learn to speak and sixty years to learn to shut up.

This Hemingway misquote originated in the early 1900s. A 1909 editorial in the Wenatchee, Washington, local newspaper included a similar phrase: "It takes a person two years to learn how to talk and all the rest of his life to learn to keep from talking too much." Newspapers republished variations of this phrase for years after.

People are dying that have never died before.

While Hemingway did write this phrase in the mid-1900s, it’s not his original work — and he didn’t try to mask that fact. Hemingway attributed this phrase to his friend and boat captain Edward "Bra" Saunders, the phrase’s originator. Almost 100 years later, a viral meme also incorrectly attributed the quote to U.S. President Joe Biden.

You can't talk about women in TV or comedy without talking about Carol Burnett. She’s a trailblazer who inspired generations after her, thanks to her eponymous series for CBS, The Carol Burnett Show. Launched in 1967, when television executives were sure no one would watch a women-led variety sketch show, it became a blockbuster hit — winning 23 Emmys over 10 seasons and entering the pantheon among the greatest TV shows of all time.

Texas-born but raised in Hollywood, Burnett started down the journalism path at UCLA but ended up in theater. She made her first splash on Broadway in Once Upon a Mattress in 1959, earning her first Tony nomination before moving on to TV. Her Emmy-winning physical comedy bits on The Garry Moore Show led to appearances alongside Lucille Ball and Julie Andrews and, finally, The Carol Burnett Show, which cemented her stardom.

Burnett went on to play a host of interesting roles in film and TV, from the villainess Miss Hannigan in Annie, to Helen Hunt’s mom on Mad About You. As testament to her influence, in 2019, the Golden Globes created the Carol Burnett Award for career achievement in television.

All along, Burnett has been an outspoken advocate for women. A supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment, she has been vocal about supporting fellow women in comedy and elevating more women to executive positions in film and TV. So many comedians who have followed — Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Amy Schumer, and many more — have cited Burnett’s influence in creating their own shows and blazing their path. Ahead are just a few of her most memorable words of wisdom.

How would I like to be remembered? I know this is kind of corny, but, ‘she made me laugh.’ Because that's a good feeling.

I wouldn’t be where I am now if I hadn’t had certain setbacks. They made me open different doors and made me stronger.

We all get where we’re going by circuitous journeys, and some of the setbacks are warranted.

I’ve had such a charmed life and I’ve been blessed to be surrounded by people who care and are kind… I sure lucked out.

Funny is funny, even if it’s old and it happened a long time ago.

I taught myself how to fall. I did get bruised occasionally. I never broke anything jumping out of windows, walking into walls, taking pratfalls.

My ear grew. It’s a millimeter or two longer from pulling it on the air.

I heard the laughs and thought, ‘This is it. I want to, the rest of my life, make people laugh.’ So that’s what happened, it was out of the blue.

I knew there was something out there I could do and I was never afraid. I think it was because of the movies, because they weren’t cynical. I had no cynicism.

I had nothing in my mind about fame. All I wanted was to be able to perform and pay my rent and buy clothes and food.

There’s a trick to playing a villain. The villain never thinks they are a villain. They think the world is against them.

I’ll really be happy when there are as many women in power positions as there are men.

I think it’s very important for women to be portrayed in strong roles on TV. Why not? We’re just as strong as the guys.

As for the career, sometimes I catch myself daydreaming about being young again and doing it all over. Then I bring myself up short when I realize how incredibly fortunate I was.

I’ve always believed that kids are great actors. They ‘become’ what they look like.

I'm working on researching what strategies humanity will need to survive into our unknown future. I've been focusing on the most basic lessons of philosophy from Ancient Egypt to modern America. The lessons are wise and useful and necessary, but what I am really looking for are the ideas that will spark personal wisdom and even moral instincts. This might be a good one. 

"It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn’t interest me what planets are
squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched
the center of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shriveled and closed
from fear of further pain.
I want to know
if you can sit with pain mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.
I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own.
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.
It doesn’t interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.
I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."
It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.
It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the center of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.
I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.
Oriah Mountain Dreamer  - The invitation 

On May 25, 1962, President John F. Kennedy stood before a crowd in Houston, Texas, and declared to the world that the United States was going to put a man on the moon. At the time, the Space Race between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R was not going well for America.

The Soviets had put the first satellite in orbit when they launched Sputnik in 1957, and then put the first human in space when Yuri Gagarin was sent up in 1961. There was a fear that the U.S. would forever be playing catchup in the race to the stars.

Yet in his celebrated speech, President Kennedy thrilled the nation with his determination to put an American on the moon. "We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too."

It was a stirring call to action — one that would ultimately help expand humanity’s scientific knowledge and to pinpoint our place in the cosmos. Kennedy did not live to see Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the surface of the moon, but when they did the astronauts brought a message of peace with them: The crew of Apollo 11 carried two medals commemorating Soviet astronauts who had lost their lives on missions to show that this really was "one giant leap for mankind."

To celebrate the anniversary of that stirring speech, here are 10 other presidential speeches that have changed the course of history.

The period for a new election of a citizen to administer the executive government of the United States being not far distant … I should now apprise you of the resolution I have formed, to decline being considered among the number of those out of whom a choice is to be made.
George Washington

George Washington’s "Farewell Address" of 1796 set the standard that U.S. presidents would serve only two terms in office. As the most popular figure of his day, and the first to hold this office, Washington could have served as President for life. Instead, he chose to step down from his position of power, putting the good of the nation before his personal ambition.

Washington had already displayed his selflessness when, in 1783, he gave up his military power to Congress. When King George III of England was told Washington meant to return to private life he declared, "If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world."

"A house divided against itself cannot stand." I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.
Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln delivered his historic "House Divided" speech in 1858 when he was chosen as the Republican nominee for the presidency. The United States was already on the precipice of war over the matter of slavery, and Lincoln told voters that they would not be able to ignore the issue much longer. There would have to be a great reckoning, and it was not one that Lincoln intended to lose.

With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.
Abraham Lincoln

After Lincoln won the presidency in 1861, the United States endured a bloody civil war over the issue of slavery. In his second Inaugural Address in 1865, with the Union at the precipice of  victory and millions of enslaved people freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln set out his bold vision of reconstruction and reconciliation between the North and South.

It is that the world be made fit and safe to live in; and particularly that it be made safe for every peace-loving nation which, like our own, wishes to live its own life, determine its own institutions, be assured of justice and fair dealing by the other peoples of the world as against force and selfish aggression. All the peoples of the world are in effect partners in this interest, and for our own part we see very clearly that unless justice be done to others it will not be done to us.
Woodrow Wilson

Despite campaigning for President on a vow not to enter the First World War, Woodrow Wilson found himself leading the United States into the conflict. In 1918, looking toward the peace that would follow the war, Wilson gave a speech setting out 14 points necessary for a lasting settlement. His plan led to the creation of the League of Nations, which paved the way for the United Nations of today.

Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

In Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first Inaugural Address in 1933, he set out clearly the dire state of the nation amid the Great Depression. Yet he also sought to comfort Americans and promised change. Reflecting that fear itself was the only true obstacle, Roosevelt set out his project to rebuild the United States, the New Deal, telling his audience that "this nation asks for action, and action now.

The United States pledges before you — and therefore before the world, its determination to help solve the fearful atomic dilemma — to devote its entire heart and mind to find the way by which the miraculous inventiveness of man shall not be dedicated to his death, but consecrated to his life.
Dwight Eisenhower

In 1953, the United States and the Soviet Union were facing each other in a Cold War that threatened at any moment to turn into a destructive conflict of atomic warfare. In his "Atoms for Peace" speech, Eisenhower opened up nuclear technology to the world, instead of guarding it secretly.

Trading fear for knowledge, this helped demystify the new science, which paved the way for the development of nuclear energy around the globe.

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy laid down a challenge to Americans and to the world in his Inaugural Address of 1961. His speech set the tone for a government that would bring the nation together and foster a global community. Promoting service over selfishness, he promised the country that no challenge would be too great if people worked together.

We cannot, we must not, refuse to protect the right of every American to vote in every election that he may desire to participate in … It is all of us, who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice. And we shall overcome.
Lyndon Johnson

The United States in 1965 (as it is now) was struggling with issues of racial injustice. After 600 civil rights marchers in Selma, Alabama, were brutally attacked by state troopers, the nation was shocked into action. President Johnson went to Congress and pressed for the passage of the Voting Rights Act. The new law would guarantee equal rights to vote to all U.S. citizens by abolishing discriminatory voting laws.


The Cold War had dragged on for 40 years by the time President Reagan stood to speak beside the Brandenburg Gate in a divided Berlin in 1987. Outlining simple demands, he challenged the Soviet Union to speed up its promises of reform and freedom. It marked the closing chapter of an age of uncertainty, and promised better relations between the two global superpowers.

For when we have faced down impossible odds, when we've been told we're not ready or that we shouldn't try or that we can't, generations of Americans have responded with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can. Yes, we can. Yes, we can.
Barack Obama

In a campaign speech in New Hampshire in 2008, Barack Obama hit on a phrase that channelled the optimism of America. He would later repeat it in his acceptance speech delivered on November 4, 2008 in Chicago after his victory.. He reminded Americans, "A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination … America, we have come so far."

 From Michael McWatters.
"See that bird? It’s a brown-throated thrush, but in Germany it’s called a halzenfugel, and in Chinese they call it a chung ling, and even if you know all those names for it, you still know nothing about the bird. You only know something about people: what they call the bird. Now that thrush sings, and teaches its young to fly, and flies so many miles away during the summer across the country, and nobody knows how it finds its way."—Richard Feynman
"As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble."— Harrington Emerson
"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."— Maria Robinson
"One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes. In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility."—Eleanor Roosevelt

Every day is a new opportunity to begin again. Every day is your birthday.
Dalai Lama

It’s never too late to become who you want to be. I hope you live a life that you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over.
F. Scott Fitzgerald

Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?
L.M. Montgomery

You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down.
Mary Pickford

The beginning is always today.
Mary Shelley

I hope you realize that every day is a fresh start for you. That every sunrise is a new chapter in your life waiting to be written.
Juansen Dizon

I want every day to be a fresh start on expanding what is possible.
Oprah Winfrey

Rock bottom is the end of what wasn’t true enough. Begin again and build something Truer.
Glennon Doyle

There is always an opportunity to start again and again, if the old ways were not working last year, look for better ways of doing it in the new year and start again afresh.
Bamigboye Olurotimi

I love that we get a new day … A new opportunity to move our lives in a positive direction … Let's be unencumbered by yesterday's nonsense … a fresh start … Take a deep breath, smile, and start again.
Steve Maraboli

Begin today. Declare out loud to the universe that you are willing to let go of struggle and eager to learn through joy.
Sarah Ban Breathnach

Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.
Brad Paisley

In her 86 years of life, Maya Angelou experienced and accomplished more than most people would in 10 lifetimes. Early in her career, she worked as a streetcar conductor, cook, and nightclub performer, among other jobs. In the 1960s, she became active in the civil rights movement, working alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. She also acted, wrote, and directed for the stage, TV, and movies, and she gave lectures, composed music, wrote two cookbooks, and recited a poem at Bill Clinton’s presidential inauguration.

Somehow, Angelou also found time to write seven autobiographies, beginning in 1969 with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. These are considered her most important works, dealing with themes such as race, identity, and family. During her incredible career, she received many awards and accolades, including more than 50 honorary degrees, three Grammys, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Writing helped Angelou to find her voice — quite literally in this case. Angelou was raped when she was just a young girl, after which she stopped speaking for several years. "I was a mute from the time I was seven and a half until I was almost 13," she explained in an interview with the Academy of Achievement. "I didn’t speak. I had a voice, but I refused to use it."

Through her poetry and prose — and through reading it aloud — Angelou rediscovered her voice. With the publication of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, she became one of the first Black American women to discuss her personal life in such a public manner. She wrote openly and honestly, both to forgive others and to forgive herself. As Angelou once said, "It is very important for every human being to forgive herself or himself, because if you live you will make mistakes."

Wise words such as these have become a part of Angelou’s legacy. Here are some of her greatest quotes, born of her singular writing ability, life experience, compassion, and wisdom.

I’ve always had the feeling that life loves the liver of it. You must live and life will be good to you, give you experiences.

We have to confront ourselves. Do we like what we see in the mirror? And, according to our light, according to our understanding, according to our courage, we will have to say yea or nay — and rise!

Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option.

When I am writing, I am trying to find out who I am, who we are, what we’re capable of, how we feel, how we lose and stand up, and go on from darkness into darkness.

You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. 

Courage is the most important of the virtues, because without it, no other virtue can be practiced consistently. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.

You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud. Do not complain. Make every effort to change things you do not like. If you cannot make a change, change the way you have been thinking.

I believe that each of us comes from the Creator trailing wisps of glory.

You can never be great at anything unless you love it. Not be in love with it, but love the thing, admire the thing. And it seems that if you love the thing, and you don't just want to possess it, it will find you.

Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.

You did in your 20s what you knew how to do, and when you knew better you did better. And you should not be judged for the person that you were, but for the person that you're trying to be and the woman that you are now.

Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.

There is, I hope, a thesis in my work: We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.

We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.

I not only have the right to stand up for myself, but I have the responsibility. I can't ask somebody else to stand up for me if I won't stand up for myself. And once you stand up for yourself, you'd be surprised that people say, "Can I be of help?"

Jealousy in romance is like salt in food. A little can enhance the savor, but too much can spoil the pleasure and, under certain circumstances, can be life-threatening.


I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels.

If we are bold, love strikes away the chains of fear from our souls.

Pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can't take their eyes off you.

We need much less than we think we need. #

If I am not good to myself, how can I expect anyone else to be good to me? #

Determine to live life with flair and laughter.

I work very hard, and I play very hard. I’m grateful for life. And I live it.

Nothing will work unless you do.

This is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.

The only way out of something is all the way through it.

In all my work what I try to say is that as human beings we are more alike than we are unalike.

Take a day to heal from the lies you’ve told yourself and the ones that have been told to you.

Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, is considered one of the greatest writers in American literature. Born in Missouri in 1835, he became a renowned writer, humorist, and lecturer, much esteemed and treasured by the general public — so much so that his friend, inventor Thomas Edison, once said, "An average American loves his family. If he has any love left over for some other person, he generally selects Mark Twain."

Twain’s influence over American culture and literature has not faded since his passing in 1910. His books, including classics like Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, continue to be read and studied across the nation today.  He also remains one of the most quotable (and misquoted) figures in the history of the English language — a testament to the timeless nature of his words.

To better understand the monumental character of the man, here are a few things you might not know about the magnificent Mark Twain.

TWAIN WAS QUITE A HANDFUL AS A BOY
Twain was born Samuel Clemens on November 30, 1835 in Florida, Missouri. He was two months premature and was quite sickly for the first 10 years of his life. As such, his mother, Jane Clemens, spoiled him to the extent that he became something of a mischief-maker — not unlike the young Tom Sawyer.

When Twain’s mother was in her 80s, he asked her about his early years of ill health and whether she was "uneasy" about him. "Yes, the whole time," she replied. "Afraid I wouldn’t live?" asked Twain. "No," she said, "afraid you would."


TWAIN WAS A STEAMBOAT PILOT
As a teenager, Twain wanted nothing more than to be a steamboat pilot. "Pilot was the grandest position of all," he later wrote. "The pilot, even in those days of trivial wages, had a princely salary—from a hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty dollars a month, and no board to pay."

Twain became an apprentice pilot and, after more than two years, received his pilot's license. He worked as a pilot until the Civil War broke out in 1861.


HE WAS NO STRANGER TO TRAGEDY
Twain's childhood was marked by tragedy. Three of his six siblings died from disease while they were still children, and his father died of pneumonia when Twain was 12.

Later, while training as a steamboat pilot, he invited his younger brother, Henry, to come work with him on the riverboat Pennsylvania. Henry was killed when one of the boat’s boilers exploded; Twain was not on board at the time, but he blamed himself for the rest of his life.


TWAIN’S PEN NAME COMES FROM HIS STEAMBOAT DAYS
Twain used a number of peculiar noms de plume before deciding on "Mark Twain," including W. Epaminondas Adrastus Blab, Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass, Sergeant Fathom, and Josh. His pseudonym Mark Twain first appeared in print in 1863.

Twain himself wrote that his pen name came from his years working on the Mississippi River, where riverboatmen would cry out "mark twain" to indicate a depth of two fathoms (12 feet), which was safe for a steamboat to navigate.


TWAIN ALMOST GOT HIMSELF INTO A DUEL
When he was 28, Twain managed to get himself in such a mess that he ended up challenging the editor of a rival newspaper to a duel. It all started with one of Twain’s satirical articles—written while drunk—about a charity fundraiser was published in Virginia City’s Territorial Enterprise. It caused quite a scandal.

The precise details of the events have been clouded by conflicting accounts and later embellishments, but at least three challenges to duels were issued, one by Twain himself, and two from men demanding a faceoff with Twain. All the bluster eventually died down without a single shot fired.


TWAIN PREFERRED CATS TO PEOPLE
At one point in his life, Twain owned 19 cats, with names ranging from Beelzebub to Blatherskite to Buffalo Bill. He was obsessed with cats — they appear frequently in his stories — and seemed to prefer their company to that of people. "If man could be crossed with the cat," he once wrote, "it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat."


HE WAS A FAN OF INVENTIONS AND INVENTORS
Twain had a great interest in science and innovation. He himself patented three inventions: an elastic strap designed to replace suspenders; a history trivia game about European monarchs; and a self-pasting scrapbook.

Twain also became great friends with inventors like Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. Twain and Tesla  appear in a number of photographs together, and Tesla once cured Twain’s constipation by placing the writer on an electromechanical oscillator.


TWAIN WASN’T THE WORLD’S WISEST INVESTOR
Despite his ingenuity, Twain lost a huge amount of money investing in new inventions and technology. His most disastrous investment was the Paige typesetting machine. He invested around $300,000 on it — around $8 million today — only for the machine to be rendered obsolete before it was finished.

He also famously turned down the investment of a lifetime: Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone. "I declined," Twain later explained. "I said I didn't want anything more to do with wildcat speculation."


HE RAN UP A HUGE AMOUNT OF DEBT — BUT PAID IT ALL BACK
Twain made good money from his writing, but his terrible investments saw him run up a lot of debt and ultimately file for bankruptcy. Being an honorable man, however, he wanted to make things right. In 1895, he set off on a year-long, worldwide lecture tour. It was tough going, but by the end he had earned enough to pay off his creditors in full — even though he was no longer legally obliged to do so.


THE ONLY KNOWN MOVIE FOOTAGE OF TWAIN WAS SHOT BY THOMAS EDISON
In 1909, Thomas Edison visited Twain at Stormfield House, his home in Redding, Connecticut. Edison took his camera and shot what is believed to be the only movie footage of Mark Twain in existence. The short film shows the writer walking outside his home, dressed in his characteristic white suit, and then seated with his two daughters, Clara and Jean. Twain died at Stormfield the following year at the age of 74.

Bruce Lee accomplished an incredible amount in his short life. He died at just 32 years old in 1973, but in that all-too-brief time, he had become a star of both cinema and martial arts. Bridging the gap between Eastern and Western culture, he defied stereotypes and forever changed the nature of martial arts films. Lee became an icon of the 20th century, an instantly recognizable figure who, like Muhammad Ali, could inspire people with both his physical and verbal skills.

Bruce Lee was a philosopher as well as a fighter. He studied Asian and Western schools of thought at the University of Washington, where he developed an eclectic philosophy that influenced all parts of his life. This was reflected in Lee’s hybrid philosophy of martial arts, which he called Jeet Kune Do, or the Way of the Intercepting Fist.

Its basic guiding principles of simplicity, directness, and freedom were core tenets in Lee’s overarching belief system, and he refused to place the same limits on Jeet Kune Do as found in other styles. In doing so, he helped paved the way for modern mixed martial arts.

Whether talking about life or love or martial arts, Lee’s philosophy was all-encompassing and easily transferable from one aspect of life to another. In just 32 years, he left us with a wealth of philosophical quotes that can serve as an inspiration to anyone.

REACHING YOUR POTENTIAL
Ever since I was a child I have had this instinctive urge for expansion and growth. To me, the function and duty of a quality human being is the sincere and honest development of one’s potential.

Bruce Lee was born in Chinatown, San Francisco, on November 27, 1940. Three months later, he and his parents returned to Hong Kong. His father was a famous Cantonese opera star, and at just nine years old Lee landed a starring role in a Hong Kong drama movie called The Kid.

After that, Lee wasted no time developing his potential, appearing in 20 films by the time he was 18. He still managed to get into trouble, including a handful of street fights, so his parents decided he needed to learn how to fight.

LEARNING FROM MISTAKES AND MISFORTUNE
Do not pray for an easy life; pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.

In one of his most famous quotes, Lee is not deriding an easy life, but promoting the development of the tools needed during challenging circumstances. For Lee, mistakes and misfortune were great teachers, and the fear of failure was crippling. In his book Tao of Jeet Kune Do, Lee wrote, "Don’t fear failure. Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts, it is glorious even to fail."

NO LIMITS
I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine … If you always put limit[s] on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.

The concept of being limitless was a core tenet of Lee’s art and his life, both in terms of personal development and personal freedom. And for Lee, limitlessness was a state of mind. He said, "Have a mind that has no dwelling place but continues to flow ceaselessly and ignores our limitations and our distinctions."

SIMPLICITY
Simplicity is the shortest distance between two points. (source)

In Tao of Jeet Kune Do, Lee emphasizes the importance of simplicity in his martial arts philosophy. His concept of simplicity wasn’t limited to physical actions like the famous one-inch punch, but was applicable in daily life. To achieve simplicity, Lee advised stripping things down, writing, "Simplicity is hacking away the unessential — it is not daily increase but daily decrease."

BELIEF SYSTEMS
Man, the living creature, the creating individual, is always more important than any established style or system.

Lee was influenced by Taoism, Jiddu Krishnamurti, and Buddhism. He often spoke of faith, but in connection to his own personal spirituality rather than an established religion. In keeping with his philosophy, he steered away from any belief system or style that was rigid in its nature, and therefore didn’t adhere to any particular religion.

LOVE AND POETRY
Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning, a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep burning and unquenchable.

While still a student at the University of Washington, Lee met his future wife, Linda Emery. Much of his poetry, which he began writing aged 18, expressed his love for her. Lee said, "My wife and I aren’t one and one. We are two halves that make a whole."

And in a 2018 interview, 45 years after Lee’s death, Linda told the Bruce Lee Foundation, "I think the most important thing in Bruce’s life was his family. Before all the stardom and publicity and attention — I think he would have given all of that up for his family."

DEFEAT
Defeat is a state of mind; no one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality. To me, defeat in anything is merely temporary, and its punishment is but an urge for me to greater effort to achieve my goals.

As a martial artist, Lee was more of a teacher than a fighter. He had only a handful of official fights, only one of which was recorded. Because of this, there has been a long running debate about how good Lee would have been in a professional fight — but he was no stranger to defeat. He was bullied as a child, and must have lost his fair share of street fights in Hong Kong, which led him to train in the Wing Chun style of gung fu as a form of self-defense.

BE YOURSELF
Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.

Lee often talked about the power of self-expression, but at the same time he acknowledged that being true to yourself, expressing yourself honestly, was not always easy. As he said in his famous interview with Pierre Berton, "to express oneself honestly, not lying to oneself ... now that, my friend, is very hard to do."

BE WATER
Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless, like water. You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.

Bruce Lee repeated his most famous philosophical quote at least twice on camera, once in an episode of Longstreet and once during the Pierre Berton interview (his only English speaking television interview, which was thought lost until it was rediscovered in 1994). By emptying your mind, Lee believed you could attain a heightened awareness, a neutral state free of judgment, ready to react to anything.

I did not write half of what I saw, for I knew I would not be believed.

People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.
Paulo Coelho

Age is no barrier. It’s a limitation you put on your mind.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee

No star is ever lost we once have seen, / We always may be what we might have been.
Adelaide Anne Procter

Seldom does an individual enter upon highly creative effort in any field of endeavor before the age of forty.
Napoleon Hill

If success comes early, it can mess with you. As rough as my early days were, I wouldn’t change five seconds.
Edie Falco

The time for action is now. It’s never too late to do something.
Carl Sandburg

I’m very grateful at my stage of the game to have all this happen. It makes me laugh and laugh; it’s ridiculous, because underneath I’m the same person I’ve always been.
Iris Apfel

There is a fountain of youth: It is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.
Sophia Loren

It is never too late or too soon. It is when it is supposed to be.
Mitch Albom

There is nothing better in life than being a late bloomer. I believe that success can happen at any time and at any age.
Salma Hayek

All I have done before the age of 70 is not worth bothering with. At 75, I’ll have learned something of the pattern of nature, of animals, of plants, of trees, birds, fish, and insects. When I am 80, you will see real progress.
Hokusai

By being authentically who you are, you might be a little slower in becoming successful, but you’re going to be slowly gathering people who are your tribe, your kinda folks.
Chloé Zhao

Luckily for me — and anyone who’d have to tolerate my antsy early retirement — our research reveals a deeper paradox that offers true hope: We older folks don’t have to assume we’re has-beens. That’s because creativity itself has no age.
Albert-László Barabási

Perhaps I would have preferred to start off at 20 or 30, but I don’t think I would have been anywhere near equipped to know what it takes to be in business.
Vera Wang

Supermodel Cindy Crawford was famously quoted as saying, "I wish I looked like Cindy Crawford." It was a bold admission that in real life, no one looks like the supermodels in magazines or movie stars on screen. With makeup, lighting, and Photoshop, pop culture continues to hold up impossible standards of beauty. How are we, as real-life humans, supposed to measure up? Here’s the secret: We don’t have to.

To love yourself, just as you are, is freedom. Freedom from constantly comparing yourself to others. Freedom from spending your hard-earned money on products aimed at helping you be "better." Freedom from wasting precious time worrying that you’re not enough. You are enough.

From Taylor Swift to Oprah Winfrey, many prominent figures have observed that true beauty — and real happiness — stems not from the outside, but from the inside, starting with self-love, acceptance, and confidence. The following quotes urge us to shift perspective, embrace body positivity, and show ourselves the same kindness and compassion that we extend to those around us

I definitely have body issues, but everybody does. When you come to the realization that everybody does — even the people that I consider flawless — then you can start to live with the way you are.
Taylor Swift

You know you're getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.
Bob Hope

I haven't got the slightest idea how to change people, but still I keep a long list of prospective candidates just in case I should ever figure it out.
David Sedaris

If variety is the spice of life, marriage is the big can of leftover Spam.
Johnny Carson

My timing is so precise, a heckler would have to make an appointment just to get a word in.
Phyllis Diller

Before you marry a person, you should first make them use a computer with slow internet to see who they really are.
Will Ferrell

I like an escalator, man. Because an escalator cannot break. It just becomes stairs.
Mitch Hedberg

When you see the handwriting on the wall, you’re in the toilet.
Redd Foxx

I feel sorry for short people, you know. When it rains, they’re the last to know.
Rodney Dangerfield

Some people have a way with words, and other people … oh, uh, not have way.
Steve Martin

Money can't buy you happiness, but it helps you look for it in a lot more places.
Milton Berle

I hate housework. You make the beds, you do the dishes — and six months later, you have to start all over again.
Joan Rivers

Nice to be here? At my age it's nice to be anywhere.
George Burns

Isn’t it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice"?
George Carlin

Maybe there is no actual place called hell. Maybe hell is just having to listen to our grandparents breathe through their noses when they're eating sandwiches.
Jim Carrey

I used to play sports. Then I realized you can buy trophies. Now I'm good at everything.
Demetri Martin

Obviously, if I was serious about having a relationship with someone long-term, the last people I would introduce him to would be my family.
Chelsea Handler

Why do dogs always race to the door when the doorbell rings? It’s almost never for them.
Norm Macdonald

Please accept my resignation. I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.
Groucho Marx

My grandmother is over 80 and still doesn't need glasses. Drinks right out of the bottle.
Henny Youngman

I once dated an apostrophe. Too possessive.
Aparna Nancherla

I've never been married, but I tell people I'm divorced so they won't think something is wrong with me.
Elayne Boosler

When it comes to raising children, I believe in give and take. I give orders and they take ’em.
Bernie Mac

I don’t deserve this award, but I have arthritis and I don’t deserve that either.
Jack Benny

There’s no business like show business, but there are several businesses like accounting.
David Letterman

I never feel more alone than when I’m trying to put sunscreen on my back.
Jimmy Kimmel

For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.
Lily Tomlin

I’m one of the worst drivers I’ve ever seen, and I just want you all to know that if you’re ever on the highway behind me, I hear you honking, and I also don’t want me to be doing what I’m doing. I don’t like that I’m in that lane either, and I sure would like to get out of it.
John Mulaney

Don’t wear fur. Did you know that a single fur coat takes 14 trees just for the protest signs?
Emo Philips

Trying on pants is one of the most humiliating things a man can suffer that doesn't involve a woman.
Larry David

Don’t ever make the same mistake twice, unless it pays.
Mae West

When angry, count to four; when very angry, swear.
Mark Twain

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, and try again. Then give up. There’s no use being a damned fool about it.
W.C. Fields

Marriage is really tough because you have to deal with feelings and lawyers.
Richard Pryor

Room service is great if you want to pay $500 for a club sandwich.
Don Rickles

Breaking up is like knocking over a Coke machine. You can’t do it in one push; you got to rock it back and forth a few times, and then it goes over.
Jerry Seinfeld

The fast-food chain Sonic is now offering a 1,700-calorie peanut butter bacon milkshake, which explains Sonic’s new slogan, "Tell my wife I loved her."
Conan O’Brien

I have a lot of growing up to do. I realized that the other day inside my fort.
Zach Galifianakis

When you’re in love, it’s the most glorious two-and-a-half days of your life.
Richard Lewis

Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. After that, who cares? … He's a mile away and you've got his shoes!
Billy Connolly

Doing nothing is very hard to do … you never know when you’re finished.
Leslie Nielsen

I’m not for everyone. I’m barely for me.
Marc Maron

I wish airport security also ran the lottery because then I’d have a better chance of "randomly" winning.
Trevor Noah

When my kids grow up, I'm gonna invite myself to dinner at their houses, demand mac 'n' cheese, then tell them it's gross.
Ana Gasteyer

Chip card readers are the hand dryers of financial transactions.
B.J. Novak

There should be a children's song "If you're happy and you know it, keep it to yourself and let your dad sleep."
Jim Gaffigan

I spend a lot of time thinking about the hereafter. Each time I enter a room, I wonder what I’m here after.
Tim Conway

My dad goes through war novels like I go through boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Mike Birbiglia

You can’t be friends with people who call after 11 p.m.
Nora Ephron

I have learned from my mistakes, and I am sure I can repeat them exactly.
Peter Cook

Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don’t throw it away.” 
Steven Hawking

The 1960s saw a burgeoning international music scene that looked forward and backward at once. Innovations in electrical amplification and sound manipulation, a blossoming counterculture movement, and rampant political, cultural, and social change ushered in the advent of rock ’n’ roll, rhythm and blues, and Latin-inspired genres.

Meanwhile, the acoustic (and acoustic-adjacent) singer-songwriter circuit that had simmered across the U.S. for two decades finally began to boil over with the peak of the folk revival movement.

Both camps could be considered an act of defiance against contemporary pop music, though each utilized a different approach in its rebellion. Rock and soul, fueled by anti-war protests and the civil rights movement, served as a modern response to the older generation’s gospel, blues, and country. These new genres unapologetically forged ahead, splintering into innumerable subgenres that have continued to shape the musical universe to this day.

Folk revivalists, on the other hand, sought to diverge from the norm by returning to the roots of the norm: the Appalachian folk tradition, the British and European ballad canon, and the rousing, rugged spirit of late 19th-century America.

It’s within these paradoxical folds of progress and tradition, change and stability, and artistic evolution and heritage that some of the most poignant folk songs of all time were written. These songs combined a contemporary mindset with old-fashioned musical sensibility, fusing the old with the new to create something entirely unique to that decade.

Here, we’ve gathered a small selection of some of the most beautiful lyrics to emerge from the 1960s folk era.

Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command / Your old road is rapidly agin’ / Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand / For the times, they are a-changin’.
"The Times They Are A-Changin," Bob Dylan, 1964

Tears and fears and feeling proud / To say "I love you" right out loud / Dreams and schemes and circus crowds / I’ve looked at life that way.
"Both Sides Now," Joni Mitchell, 1969

I wish I was / Homeward bound / Home, where my thought’s escaping / Home, where my music’s playing / Home, where my love lies waiting / Silently for me.
"Homeward Bound," Simon & Garfunkel, 1966

Living is a gamble, baby / Loving’s much the same / Wherever I have played / Whenever I’ve rolled them dice / Wherever I have played / The blues have run the game.
"Blues Run the Game," Jackson C. Frank, 1965

A time to gain, a time to lose / A time to rend, a time to sew / A time for love, a time for hate / A time for peace, I swear it’s not too late.
"Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)," The Byrds, 1965

Like a worm on a hook / Like a knight from some old-fashioned book / I have saved all my ribbons for thee.
"Bird on the Wire," Leonard Cohen, 1969

One of these days I’m gonna stop my listening / Gonna raise my head up high / One of these days I’m gonna raise my glistening wings and fly.
"Society’s Child," Janis Ian, 1966

I still might run in silence, tears of joy might stain my face / And the summer sun might burn me till I’m blind / But not to where I cannot see you walkin’ on the back roads / By the rivers flowing gentle on my mind.
"Gentle on My Mind," John Hartford, 1967

All across the nation, such a strange vibration / People in motion / There’s a whole generation with a new explanation / People in motion, people in motion / For those who come to San Francisco / Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.
"San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)," Scott McKenzie, 1967

We sang in the sunshine / You know we laughed every day / We sang in the sunshine / Then she went on her way.
"We’ll Sing in the Sunshine," Gale Garnett, 1964

Your tears, they tell me / There’s really no way / Of ending your troubles / With things you can say / And time will tell you / To stay by my side, oh / To keep on trying / Till there’s no more to hide.
"Time Has Told Me," Nick Drake, 1969

And I need you more than want you / And I want you for all time.
"Wichita Lineman," Glen Campbell, 1968

Keys that jingle in your pocket, words that jangle in your head / Why did summer go so quickly? Was it something that you said?
"The Windmills of Your Mind," Noel Harrison, 1968

There’s no need for anger, there’s no need for blame / There’s nothing to prove, everything’s still the same / Just a table standing empty by the edge of the sea / Means farewell, Angelina, the sky is trembling / And I must leave
"Farewell, Angelina," Joan Baez, 1965

While I’m far away from you, my baby / Whisper a little prayer for me, my baby / Because it’s hard for me, my baby / And the darkest hour is just before dawn.
"Dedicated to the One I Love," The Mamas & The Papas, 1967

And when I die and when I’m gone / There’ll be one child born and a world to carry on / … / Comin’ as I go, and a world to carry on.
"And When I Die," Peter, Paul and Mary, 1966

Show me the country where the bombs had to fall / Show me the ruins of the buildings once so tall / And I’ll show you a young land with so many reasons why / And there but for fortune may go you or I.
"There But for Fortune," Phil Ochs, 1966

About the Author
Melanie Davis-McAfee is a freelance writer, musician, and devoted cat mom of three living in southwest Kentucky.

Life is full of tiny errors that, while frustrating in the moment, can help us grow as individuals in the long run. These little miscues are essential for our self-education, as nobody starts off knowing everything. But despite the fact that everyone makes mistakes, we often dwell on them for far longer than we should, which can contribute to self-doubt that does more harm than good.

It’s important to view mistakes not as personal failings but rather as building blocks for a more complete, well-rounded life. We need to be able to shrug our shoulders, learn whatever lessons present themselves, and look toward the future with a lighthearted attitude instead of continually fretting over the past.

Here are 12 insightful quotes about how to laugh off life’s little mistakes that will hopefully encourage you to grant yourself more grace and forgiveness going forward.

To err is human, to forgive divine.
Alexander Pope

The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.
Mary Pickford

All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride.
Sophocles

Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.
Oprah Winfrey

Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.
Bruce Lee

Holding on is believing that there’s a past; letting go is knowing that there’s a future.
Daphne Rose Kingma

A life spent in making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.
George Bernard Shaw

No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying.
Tony Robbins

Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life.
Sophia Loren

You don’t drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there.
Edwin Louis Cole

Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to error that counts.
Nikki Giovanni

We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.
Rick Warren

Curiosity isn’t always seen in a positive light, in part due to its association with prying into other people’s business. In other words, nosiness. Perhaps that’s why English poet Lord Byron wrote, "I loathe that low vice — curiosity," in his epic poem Don Juan.

And, of course, we all know that curiosity killed the cat, although not so many people know that the original form of that common idiom was actually "care killed the cat" — "care" in this instance meaning worry or excessive caution.

Perhaps, after all, it is wise to be a little careful with our curiosity. As Albus Dumbledore explained to Harry Potter, "Curiosity is not a sin. But we should exercise caution with our curiosity." But without our drive to learn, the human race wouldn’t have gotten very far. We wouldn’t have progressed in philosophy or science, would never have asked "Who are we?" or sent humans to the moon.

Curiosity drives us forward and helps us learn, something that many famous figures have clearly stated, from Walt Disney to Albert Einstein.

Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last; and perhaps always predominates in proportion to the strength of the contemplative faculties.
Samuel Johnson

We were lucky enough to grow up in an environment where there was always much encouragement to children to pursue intellectual interests; to investigate whatever aroused curiosity. In a different kind of environment, our curiosity might have been nipped long before it could have borne fruit.
Orville Wright

I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.
Albert Einstein

I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity.
Eleanor Roosevelt

There’s really no secret about our approach. We keep moving forward — opening up new doors and doing new things — because we’re curious. And curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. We’re always exploring and experimenting.
Walt Disney

#Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.
William Arthur Ward

Perhaps one day men will no longer be interested in the unknown, no longer tantalized by mystery. This is possible, but when Man loses his curiosity, one feels he will have lost most of the other things that make him human.
Arthur C. Clarke

Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the only one who asked why.
Bernard Baruch

Children, be curious. Nothing is worse (I know it) than when curiosity stops. Nothing is more repressive than the repression of curiosity. Curiosity begets love. It weds us to the world. It's part of our perverse, madcap love for this impossible planet we inhabit. People die when curiosity goes.
Graham Swift

Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.
Stephen Hawking

Curiosity is the essence of human existence. Who are we? Where are we? What do we come from? Where are we going? Was there life on Mars? Is Mars like Earth is going to look in a billion years? Are we what Mars looked like a billion years ago. I don’t know. I don’t have any answers to those questions. I don’t know what’s over there and around the corner. But I want to find out.
Gene Cernan

Let’s just say I was testing the bounds of reality. I was curious to see what would happen. That’s all it was: just curiosity.
Jim Morrison

#The only reason people do not know much is because they do not care to know. They are incurious. Incuriosity is the oddest and most foolish failing there is."
Stephen Fry

#Socrates told us, "the unexamined life is not worth living." I think he's calling for curiosity, more than knowledge. In every human society at all times and at all levels, the curious are at the leading edge.
Roger Ebert

#The second principle that drives human life flourishing is curiosity. If you can light the spark of curiosity in a child, they will learn without any further assistance, very often. Children are natural learners. It’s a real achievement to put that particular ability out, or to stifle it. Curiosity is the engine of achievement.
Ken Robinson

Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will.
James Stephens

I think I benefited from being equal parts ambitious and curious. And of the two, curiosity has served me best.
Michael J. Fox

Tony Dunnell is an English writer of non-fiction and fiction living on the edge of the Amazon jungle.

Dorothy Parker is a renowned figure of American literature, famous for her dry wit and biting satire. Born on August 22, 1893, in Manhattan, Parker was forced to grow up quickly after losing both of her parents by age 20. She worked as a pianist at a dance school to support herself, but dreamed of a career as a writer.

That career began in 1914 when she sold her first poem, "Any Porch," to Vanity Fair for $12. The poem was a satire on the repetitive and dull conversations of upper-middle-class women. Parker cut her teeth as an editorial assistant at Vogue for two years before being snatched up by Vanity Fair, only to be fired when her sharply critical theater reviews angered some powerful producers in New York City.  

Although Vanity Fair officially dismissed her, they continued publishing her short stories and poems throughout the following decades, as did many other publications. Parker became famous for her witty book reviews in The New Yorker, gaining a devoted fan base for her dry, sardonic honesty. She released her first poetry book, Enough Rope, in 1926, and shortly afterward won the O. Henry Award for best short story. In 1934 she married screenwriter Alan Campbell, and the couple worked together on 15 films.

Later in life, Parker spent many years as a vocal advocate for humanitarian causes. She helped establish the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League in 1936 and served as the chair of fundraising for the Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee. This interest in civil liberties and fighting fascism led the FBI to suspect her of being a communist; the government created a dossier about her activities, and she was added to the Hollywood blacklist. Nevertheless, upon her death in 1967, Parker left her fortune to Martin Luther King Jr., and after his assassination it was donated to the NAACP.

Throughout her impressive life, Parker displayed a fiercely quick wit and a commitment to assessing art and life as honestly as possible. Her incisive words, such as these 10 quotes below, continue to delight and inspire to this day.

There's a hell of a distance between wisecracking and wit. Wit has truth in it; wisecracking is simply calisthenics with words.
Interview with "The Paris Review," 1956

That would be a good thing for them to cut on my tombstone: Wherever she went, including here, it was against her better judgment.
"The New Yorker," 1929

Salary is no object: I want only enough to keep body and soul apart.
"The New Yorker," 1928

The best way to keep children at home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant, and let the air out of the tires.
Quoted in "Dorothy Parker: In Her Own Words," 2004

You can lead a horticulture, but you can't make her think.
Parker's response when asked to use the word "horticulture" in a sentence during a game

Four be the things I'd been better without: / Love, curiosity, freckles, and doubt.
"Inventory," 1937

#The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.
Widely attributed to Parker, though the origin is unknown

They sicken of the calm, who knew the storm.
"New York World," 1928

Scratch a lover, and find a foe.
"Ballade of a Great Weariness," 1937

Excuse my dust.
Another suggested epitaph for herself, "Vanity Fair," 1925

About the Author 
Julia Rittenberg is a writer, theater and comics lover, and lifelong nerd in Brooklyn, NY.

is there a term for people that are obsessed with control

The most common term for someone obsessed with control is a "control freak," which refers to someone who feels an obsessive need to manage themselves and others to reduce anxiety. These individuals are often perfectionists, insecure, or dealing with deeper, often unaddressed, psychological issues. 

Here are the primary terms and concepts used to describe people with a high need for control:
Control Freak: A commonly used, informal term for someone who insists on controlling every situation and aspect of their environment.

Micromanager: Typically used in a professional context to describe someone who pays extreme attention to minor details and micromanages the work of others.
Perfectionist: People who refuse to accept any standard short of perfection, which often drives controlling behavior.

Authoritarian/Dominating: Terms for someone who mandates obedience and controls others through strict, top-down, or tyrannical management.

Manipulative/Gaslighter: Someone who uses psychological manipulation to control the behavior or perception of others.

OCPD (Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder): A recognized, clinical personality disorder characterized by a rigid, extreme need for order, perfectionism, and control. 

These behaviors often stem from underlying anxiety, a need to mitigate fear, or a desire to avoid the insecurity of unpredictability.

another word for controlling person
A controlling person can be described as a control freak, domineering, authoritarian, or manipulative individual. These people often demand strict obedience, possessiveness, or total oversight of situations and individuals. Common synonyms include dictatorial, bossy, overbearing, and tyrannical. 
Dictatorial (Authority-based): Authoritarian, autocratic, tyrannical, despotic, oppressive.
Manipulative (Sneaky): Controlling, conniving, scheming, maneuvering.

is there a term for people that are obsessed with dominance
People obsessed with dominance are often described as having high dominance motivation, being authoritarian, or exhibiting narcissistic personality traits. They are driven by a need to control, often using competitive or aggressive strategies to secure power, status, and social superiority. 

Here are the specific terms and descriptions based on psychological contexts:
Dominance Motivation / High Power Motive: Individuals with a high drive to influence, control, or dominate others and their environment.
Social Dominance Orientation (SDO): A personality trait that predicts an individual's preference for hierarchy and dominance over lower-status groups.

Grandiose Narcissism: Characterized by arrogance, social dominance, exploitative behavior, and a desire to be superior to others.

Control Freak: A colloquial term for someone who has a compulsive need to control situations and people.

Bistrategic Controllers: Individuals who use both aggression (dominance) and prosocial behavior (cooperation) to gain control over resources and people.

Authoritarianism: Highly dominant individuals who are also submissive to authority figures, often dogmatic and ethnocentric. 

These individuals often view the world through the lens of power, interpreting interactions as opportunities to either gain or lose authority.

Meditation is a mind-body practice that involves focusing attention, breath, or awareness to train the mind, promote relaxation, and reduce stress. By observing thoughts without judgment and anchoring attention on a single point, it cultivates a state of calm, clarity, and increased emotional well-being. 

Key Aspects of Meditation
Focus: Directing attention toward a specific object, sound, visualization, or the breath.
Mindfulness: Observing thoughts and sensations without judgment or reaction.
Purpose: To quiet mental chatter, reduce stress, and improve mental and emotional health.
Practice: Involves sitting, breathing, or moving to cultivate present-moment awareness. 

Common Categorizations
Focused Attention: Directs attention to a single object (e.g., breath, mantra).
Open Monitoring: Observes awareness without reacting to thoughts or feelings.
Automatic Self-Transcending: Uses a mantra effortlessly to go beyond conscious thought.

Common Types of Meditation
Mindfulness Meditation: Focusing on the present moment and observing thoughts without judging them.
Focused Meditation: Concentrating on a single point, such as breath, a sound, or a mantra.
Movement Meditation: Using gentle movement (e.g., walking, yoga) to focus the mind. 

Transcendental Meditation (TM): Uses a specific mantra or sound to achieve deep relaxation and transcend thought.

Body Scan/Progressive Relaxation: Aims to release tension by focusing on, relaxing, and becoming aware of different parts of the body.

Movement Meditation: Often involves gentle activities like yoga, walking, or tai chi to focus on physical sensations.

Zen Meditation: A form of Buddhist practice focusing on sitting posture and breath, often emphasizing non-judgmental awareness.

Visualization Meditation: Uses imagery to foster a sense of peace, such as picturing a relaxing place.

Mantra Meditation: Repeats a calming word or phrase to clear the mind.

*** 
Spiritual meditation is used in nearly all religions and spiritual traditions.

The types of spiritual meditation are as diverse as the world’s spiritual traditions themselves. Many of the meditation techniques listed in this article could be considered spiritual meditation.

According to a 2017 study Trusted Source, spiritual meditation focuses on developing a deeper understanding of spiritual/religious meaning and connection with a higher power. Examples include:

Christian contemplative prayer
Sufi dhikr (remembrance of God)
Jewish kabbalistic practices

Spiritual meditation can be practiced at home or in a place of worship. This practice is beneficial for those who seek spiritual growth and a deeper connection to a higher power or spiritual force.

Biblical Meditation - deeply pondering, reflecting on, and internalizing God's Word and character, aiming to align thoughts and actions with His will, not emptying the mind but filling it with truth for guidance, wisdom, and obedience.

***
Benefits of Regular Meditation
Regular practice can lead to improved physical and mental health, including: 
Reduced stress, anxiety, and depression.
Improved focus, concentration, and memory.
Enhanced emotional regulation and self-awareness.
Lower blood pressure and improved sleep quality. 

Meditation is accessible to everyone and can be practiced in short, daily sessions, even as little as 5–10 minutes. 

The "golden rule" of meditation, often taught as three core principles (achah, aprayatna, akinchan), emphasizes an effortless state of being: "I want nothing," "I do nothing," and "I am nothing," meaning to release desires, stop striving or focusing, and let go of self-identity for a deeper experience, allowing the mind to settle naturally. It's about non-striving, effortless presence, and letting go of labels to reach a core state of consciousness, not achieving a specific outcome. 

Psychology Today - Types of meditation - Fascinating.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-meditating-mind/202106/what-type-meditation-is-best#:~:text=Based%20on%20these%20studies%2C%20there,%2C%20and%20Automatic%20Self%2DTranscending.
In my view, the best way to categorize each of the various types of meditation is based on the EEG patterns produced in the brain during its practice. This is an established way to divide meditation types which reflects fundamental differences in the techniques and the clinical outcomes. Based on these studies, there are three basic types of meditation: Focused Attention, Open Monitoring, and Automatic Self-Transcending.

Three Basic Types of Meditation
Focused Attention is practiced by trying to hold the attention on a specific thought or bodily process, such as mindful body scanning or focusing on one’s breath; it is associated with high-frequency EEG brain waves called gamma (20–50 Hz) which typically occur when you're actively involved in processing information and learning. Zen meditation, visualization-type meditation, Samatha meditation, and loving-kindness meditation are examples of Focused Attention.

Open Monitoring is done by observing awareness. Practitioners train themselves to notice their thoughts and feelings without reacting to them. They learn to accept their thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations without judgment, and focus their awareness on the present moment rather than on mental distractions. Open Monitoring is associated with much slower EEG brain waves called theta (4–7 Hz), which occur, for example, when the mind is solving a math problem. Vipassana meditation, Insight meditation, and many types of mindfulness meditation are examples of this type of meditation.

Automatic Self-Transcending happens when the meditator gently thinks a sound, such as a mantra, in an easy, effortless way just as they would think any other thought. It is associated with alpha brain waves (8–10 Hz), which are found in relaxed state of mind, eyes closed, without being asleep. The most prominent form of this type of meditation is Transcendental Meditation.
*
A three-year study comparing the three different forms of meditation showed that elderly subjects who were taught Automatic Self-Transcending improved the most compared to two other meditation techniques (mindfulness training and a mental relaxation program) and compared to a non-meditation control group. The subjects who practiced Automatic Self-Transcending (TM in this study) lived longer and had better improvement in their systolic blood pressure, cognitive flexibility, mental health, and self-ratings of aging. All the types of meditation were better than the control group—they worked—but one worked better than the others.

Summary
Based on my review of the aforementioned scientific data, it is my conclusion that the Automatic Self-Transcending type of meditation is superior to Focused Attention meditation and Open Monitoring meditation. This is the form of meditation I recommend to my patients.

What type of Meditation is it when you clear your mind of conscious thought?

Meditation that aims to clear the mind of conscious thought is often called thoughtless awareness, emptying the mind, or is associated with Transcendental Meditation (TM), which uses mantras to quiet the mind. It aims for a state of pure consciousness or deep, restful alertness. 

Key Techniques:
Transcendental Meditation (TM): Involves silently repeating a mantra to transcend active thinking.
Focused Meditation: Centers on a single point (breath, sound, or object) to minimize wandering thoughts.
Sahaja Yoga/Thoughtless Awareness: A technique specifically designed to reach a state of silence. 

While mindfulness is often cited, it actually focuses on observing thoughts without judgment rather than completely erasing them.

*** *** *** From My Book, Extracted From Above. *** *** ***

I don't know anything about Meditation, or maybe I do.

All through philosophy is commentary that one should practice meditation. One of the most famous books of philosophy is actually titled "Meditations". Exactly what meditation is, is less clear and there are contradictions between what it is to philosophy and what it is to psychology or religion. To understand or even talk about meditation then, two different terms are needed. This will use the terms "psychological meditation" as opposed to "philosophical meditation". The descriptions of the two are completely different, though it is possible they are related at some level that an EEG could suggest. Luckily, that is out of the scope of this.  

"Psychological Meditation" describes a more currently common description from the "meditation establishment" as well as most religious meditation practices from Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, and others. A general description from psychology of meditation practices is "directing attention toward a specific object, sound, visualization, or the breath". That is passively "non-judgmentally" and is a non-verbal process. Psychology focuses on this definition partly because meditation is a common practice that fits into psychological research. Further it lends itself to research in that there are three different meditative techniques, each that lead to characteristic mental states which produce brain waves that can be measured with an EEG. These are brain waves called theta (4–7 Hz), alpha (8–10 Hz) and gamma (20–50 Hz). These brain waves are characteristic of both meditation states and intellectual states. The main purpose of these kinds of meditation is to change the person's perception by reducing brain activity in specific areas including where the "self" seems to operate. This kind of meditation leads to a variety of physical and mental benefits such as reduced stress, reduced blood pressure, etc. 

Psychological meditation is not what this chapter is about, but it has to be mentioned to clear up the meaning as the two types of meditation are basically unrelated. It is rather hard to verify that disconnect (negative) by research. Also, psychological meditation is far better known than philosophical meditation. Still, psychological meditation is an interesting topic. While I have never much practiced or researched meditation much, I will mention that I learned breath control in a self hypnosis class in college and I guess that would be called a form of psychological meditation. Self hypnosis is interesting and can be useful. Breath control is especially interesting as it is about the only body function normally controlled by both the conscious and unconscious mind. It did not seem to offer any insight, but I will say it was a powerful skill. I am a very physical person who has pushed it to the limit many times, and breath control can take you past your usual limits. As a scuba diver that used to like to do rather extreme diving, I can say that breath control can be the difference between disaster and ...survival. 

And to make it more interesting, religious meditation can be psychological or philosophical.

In terms of philosophy and sometimes religion, a good meaning for meditation would be "contemplation" or passively "thinking about something". It is exercise for the mind. It is the consideration of an idea that drives the learning process (training) of the neural nets of the mind. It is what you are supposed to do with philosophical maxims. It integrates and extends your thoughts into your overall neural model. (That is going to include the moral instincts and understandings that need to develop for families to be desired.) If you are reading this book, this type of meditation, or contemplation should be familiar to you. It is basic processing for an intelligent person working to understand something with any depth.

Meditation in a contemplative sense would be much like curiosity in that both are an intellectual process that explores some knowledge or another. The difference is that curiosity is more like a drive and just effortlessly happens, while meditation is a discipline by choice. I have generally said that intelligence without curiosity to drive it is weakened. A learned discipline of meditation like Marcus Aurelius or Zhu Xi used could also drive it. Most religions teach meditation, including  Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, and others.  

There is a curious thing about human thought. Non-verbal thought processing just chunks along with no prompting. It is why a lot of ideas emerge after a night's sleep, or it may take some days, but it does not take conscious direction unless a meditation discipline is driving it. If you ask a question of your mind, it will try to answer just as easily as your eyes provide sight, though it may take considerably longer. 

One mental stimulus can drive another. For some people, listening to music can stimulate their thoughts during intellectual tasks. If a mind is stimulated in one way, all conscious and unconscious thought processes are stimulated. Meditation or curiosity about a subject not only pushes forward the thinking about the problem to achieve an understanding or solution, it pushes forward all intellectual processes. If a person is trying to solve a personal problem while facing a technical problem at the same time, contemplating either will accelerate the mental processing of both, and ultimately interact with the person's larger innate development.

Besides curiosity as a natural drive, there are other natural drivers of mental activity. There is vocation and avocation, better known as profession and hobbies. Some people call it "your passion". Maybe, but it is probably better to think of it as something you have a knack for and enjoy. Michael Polanyi said that you do not work on a problem and figure on it, you fall in love with the question. (That is probably that "passion thing". It is rare and can be very demanding.) Apparently he was describing intellectual works that were not trivial. That could also be described as obsessiveness or fanaticism... such as what led to this larger story. (Note that he also gave a wonderful description of how ideas emerge when enough connections are made to form a complete skeleton of a complex idea, that could be then fleshed out with muscles, skin and details to make the idea and its understanding whole.) (Tacit knowing#)

A lot of people use this kind of focused thinking. We know we have limits to our mental bandwidth. To meditate like this, one needs to prepare some such as avoiding distraction. A person can pre-load what they know about the subject to be studied, almost like loading information into close memory, like RAM in a computer. It is said that Emmanuel Kant intentionally lived a strictly ordered life so that he would have the most time possible to think undisturbed. The larger story of this book came from decades of this kind of thought, the time for which was available as I worked on jobs, particularly as an electrician, that were not mentally demanding, but that produced ongoing mental stimulation. In my case, the most amazing part was how many different powerful treads of stimulation and drives there were to push my focus and meditation.

Something I noted is that while I am a highly intelligent person, that does not mean I am really all that good at solving problems. Looking at my notes, I find that I most ideas I have examined, I have worked on before, often repeatedly, and it shows a long tedious process to advance them. It makes one wonder about the intellectual process and what is the potential of increased human intelligence. What kind of intelligence would it take to more rapidly and easily solve the problems that have taken me years to work out by persistence and repetition?

Meditation can be applied to problems of art, science, engineering, personal relationships or anything the mind approaches that cannot be solved with logic and reasons. This kind of meditation can give a person a deeper and broader understanding of their religion. Many times those solutions will have to be converted to the logic and reason encompassed in language (rhetoric) to be able to be retained or communicated. (This is discussed more in the cognition book.) 

Traditionally meditation has been about contemplating subjects of morality, usually, but not always, with a secular focus. Most philosophers thinking about morality were not thinking about religion, though Thomas Aquinas and others were. 

The interesting part is that meditation can be a two way street between conscious knowledge and instinct. Consider a person studying competition, perhaps in war, business, or personal interaction. Competition is a common human activity that we have considerable related instincts for. If one learns by reading or training about different kinds of competition, it is going to activate what instincts we have for competition. This is perhaps more important in terms of our instincts for cooperation, a topic well explored in philosophy and religion. That is going to interact with our moral instincts, something essential to survival, and seemingly missing now. At the same time, during meditation, our neural nets can create novel, original understandings and solutions. It is where human knowledge and understanding has come from.

On the other hand, it would probably be correct to say I was in an endless state of philosophical meditation.

Senior Daniel,

Great article, though a bit dense. A lot of this is familiar from the teachings of Andy Moldenke.

Now I work to fit into dogma as much as possible as it simplifies things and increases the potential acceptance of my arguments, but I see one wee thing that sticks in my mind like like a hair in one's nose. Ya know, I kept seeing "friendship" mentioned in philosophy. I wanted to examine it because it might be a good form of relationship between couples maintaining the long term relationships necessary to families in the modern world. I was looking for what would get you dead if you didn't practice friendship. There are various possibilities, but I decided paired hunting was so much safer and effective that solo hunting would be relatively fatal and ineffective, so males developed companionship. It was more than friendship. (I've got some references to it as a survival function in the Masai and New Mexico ranchers.) The behavior should be available to females as well, but that isn't the important part. If I am correct about the importance of paired hunting and if it were learned like the coyotes learning from each other how to hunt piglets, (in pairs, but that is not necessarily related) then you could have selection for extremely high social behavior evolving after the social behavior was learned. While you could well have in-between group selection, you would have very strong in-group selection, between individuals making a group (a pair) within the larger social group. Altruism would be an eventual natural byproduct.  

Paired hunting by coyotes did not require mutations effecting behavior, but it would select for them. Teaching the technique to other groups would mean there really wasn't much group competition, just competition between individuals that could learn it and a smaller group (presumably) of individuals individuals that couldn't learn it, within the same social group, whatever that is in coyotes. Humans certainly have long term social groups. This would indicate a major omission in what this paper descries as the state of sociobiology.

I took notes, as I tend to, referencing parts by page number and percentage location on the page. Most of the evidence sited here, just wouldn't apply to humans with their communication ability, that taught/learned the advantages of pair hunting. Also it would align with the rapid development of brain size to enable communication.

Hmmm. Luckily this isn't my turf really. Maybe it is, but I should be able to side step it. Paired hunting is qualitatively different to larger scale "altruism" or even "selfishness in the larger social group... even though it might lead to it. It doesn't change group selection, but changes how it effected humans.

Whatever... Does that sound like I've been smoking something good? M

Here are my notes... None of them site anything incorrect, just that much of this wouldn't apply to humans if they were doing paired hunting. I just don't think these researchers were hunters and hunting instinct was one of the first instincts I was able to recognize.... 
[I learned this note taking habit when I used to take all the video classes.] 

Wilson & Wilson - Rethinking the theoretical foundation of sociobiology.pdf

Page 1 - 90% - 
It is simply a fact of social life that
individuals must do things for each other to
function successfully as a group, and that
these actions usually do not maximize their
relative fitness within the group.

I would estimate that for humans, the benefits are so high that the cost is irrelevant.
The actions of an individual that help the group do not cost the individual. This would make sense if it primarily comes from "paired" hunters (2 or 3..) working together. This would be uniquely facilitated by communication, something that evolved quickly. It wouldn't even need to be about between-group  selection. It could initially be within group. (Page 2 - @75%). It would not be at "harmoniously
adjust". It would be far more dramatic, being the difference of life and death. Heck, it could even be spread between groups by learning, such as coyotes learn from each others how to hunt hogs. Again, there wouldn't need to be much calculation of between group selection. Ultimately there would be, but much after the fact and it wouldn't be subtle. If an entire group was simply incapable of learning that technique of paired hunting, they wouldn't be in the competition.
Same thing ... Darwin was talking abut morality. That's far more subtle in general that paired hunting.
Page5 @80%. Yes, genetic predisposition could follow learned habit. Learning is far easier than developing a genetic mutation for a behavior or any trait.


Page 2 - @5% - Discusses all kinds of social groups and small benefits, though it does mention "warnings others about predators". That would be true but in the case of two hunters, that would be a much more active thing, including actively defending against the predator or helping the injured.
... The mathematics of population genetics is not going to show that.

Page 6 @5% - Cheaters wouldn't matter any. Cheaters would die, unless they failed to back up their hunting companion and they died, but then would other hunters accompany them in the future. Anyway, I'm not sure cheating would be relevant. Danger in hunting is an either or thing, not a near par calculation about resources. Homicide would be a bigger factor than cheating.
Also, prudence about conserving resources or curtailed reproduction wouldn't much come into this equation, though it could happen in parallel.
@40% altruism wouldn't much be needed for paired hunting, just simple reason, though it could lead to altruism later. Paired hunters wouldn't allow selfishness. Even chimps understand fairness.

Page 7 @35% - Ahhh, "microbial organisms" "producing a cellulosic polymer" - cheating would be possible because there would be no conscious agent, the other hunter, to stop it. At the same time, the results prove group selection in that species, just for a different but related reason.
@70% "Phenotypic variation among groups is usually considerable" - That wouldn't matter as much if paired hunting was learned.

Page 8 @5% - "but selecting whole groups on the basis of leaf area produced a strong response to selection." Oh, OK, fine, it says between group selection would be operating at another level, genetic diversity.
@35% - About lions... sure, but that interaction of the entire group of females wouldn't be needed if paired hunting was a habit in a group. Again, cheating in pairs would be difficult.

@45% would this be effected by kinship theory? Very hard to say, though paired hunters might be kin, but then so is the tribe. Real hard to say.
@80% "Why? Because all models must calculate the fitness of individuals". Not really in this case. Their fitness would be the sum of the hunters fitness, which might be based on very different skills brought to the hunt.
@90% - "If individuals interact in groups of N=5, two-person game theory will not do.", but it would be N=2... or 3.

Page 9 @5% "Third, in virtually all cases, traits labeled cooperative and altruistic are selectively disadvantageous within the groups and require between-group selection to evolve." Not pair hunting. It is a learned behavior that becomes a genetic behavior, within a group, but facilitates social behavior between individuals of N groups.
@95% "based on the targets of selection at each biological level and, in particular, to ask whether genes can evolve on the strength of between-group selection, despite
a selective disadvantage within groups." ... It just wouldn't apply because it would be about selection on individuals in small groups, pairs, within the large group, not necessarily between groups.

Page 10 @30% - Yeah, Pluralism. 

Page 10 @60% - "The central issue addressed by Williams in Adaptation and Natural Selection was whether adaptations can evolve at the level of social groups and other higher level units." I'd assume so, but that may not be where it started in humans. As I recall, other animals do pair hunting, but it would not be as important as to humans with their physical limits and superior communication.
"traits that are “for the good of the group” are usually not favored by selection within groups—what we have called the fundamental problem of social life." Not in the case of pair hunting, because it would be shared by the individuals of the hunting pair... and maybe the rest of the group.

Page 11 - Kinship theory, relevant, but not deterministic.

PAge 12 @75% - "between genes within individuals, between individuals within groups, between groups within a population of groups," ... but what about groups, pairs, within groups?

Page 13 - Individuals as Groups ... what does this say?
While it skips the idea of pair group selection, the individuals are providing different functions to a single purpose, like an organism created by symbiosis. Instead of specialized organelles though of a cell, it is specialized individuals.

Page 15 @60% - "In eusocial insects, it appears that the evolution of anatomically distinct worker castes represents a “point of no return” beyond which species never revert to a more primitively eusocial, presocial, or solitary condition" - That sounds like the efficiency part of the paired hunting. The difference is that the benefits o the efficiency would be extended to the whole group, not just the hunters.

@80% - "A common assumption of theoretical models is that genes have additive effects on phenotypes, so that phenotypic variation among groups corresponds directly to genetic variation among groups," Well, very cool! A basis of much of my genetic work.

Page 17 - Human Evolution as a Major Transition [OK... and ???]
@45% "Our capacities for symbolic thought and the social transmission of information are fundamentally communal activities that probably required a shift in the balance between levels of selection before they could evolve. Only when we could trust our social partners to work toward shared goals could we rely upon them to share meaningful information." Well, that is all correct, except that sharing the idea of pair hunting would not have taken trust, though the activity would.
@65% "If a new behavior arises by a cultural mutation, it can quickly become the most common behavior within the group and provide the decisive edge in between-group competition" - but what if pair hunting was transmitted as ealily and as fast as coyote pair hunting? The in-between group competition would be far less effected.

@70% - "According to Turchin (2003, 2005), virtually all empires arose in geographical areas where major ethnic groups came into contact with each other. Intense between-group conflict acted as a crucible for the cultural evolution of extremely cooperative societies, which then expanded at the expense of less cooperative societies to become major empires." - but this would be long after apir hunting led to the evolution of the social behavior to positively support it.


A common assumption of theoretical models
is that genes have additive effects on phenotypes,
so that phenotypic variation among
groups corresponds directly to genetic variation
among groups, as we have already
stressed. More complex genotype-phenotype
relationships enable small genetic differences
to result in large phenotypic differences, at the
level of groups no less than individual organisms
(D S Wilson 2004). Even a single mutant
gene in a colony founded by unrelated individuals
can have powerful effects on phenotypic
traits such as caste development or allocation
of workers to various tasks, which
might provide a strong advantage to the
group, compared to other groups.

9 Quotes From The Wisest Humans In History That Are All One Sentence Long
The most powerful one-liners ever spoken.
Thomas Oppong

I’ve a read many books. And written thousands of posts on the great life. These practical lessons are everywhere. They are quick quotes from people who figured out a few things on living well. You’ve probably come across them. I hope you find my quick interpretations useful. These nine quotes are short. But worth remembering.

1. “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” — Carl Jung
You know that thing you do when you’re tired? Maybe you snap at someone you love. Or you reach for your phone the second you feel uncomfortable. You tell yourself it’s just how you are. But Jung saw something else.

Jung spent his life studying the parts of us we don’t see.

The patterns we inherited.

The wounds we’ve buried. And the beliefs we absorbed as the only truth. These hidden forces are running our lives. You think you’re making choices. But they determine the direction of your life more than you think. If specific patterns at home or work keep sabotaging your life, it pays to be conscious of what’s happening.

Making the unconscious conscious means catching yourself in the process. And asking better questions. Why did I react like that? Why do I get frustrated so quickly? No, that’s not just how you are. Once you see the patterns, the unconscious behaviours you practice without thinking twice, you can choose differently.

Fate has little to do with the direction of our lives. It’s all in the behaviours we don’t make conscious.

2. “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” — Heraclitus
Nothing stays still.

Not you. Not the people you care about. Or even nature. The person who did that embarrassing thing five years ago isn’t here anymore. You’ve changed. You’ve learned. You’re different now. You are not your shame. Your guilt. Or trauma.

Heraclitus’s wisdom applies to all experiences of life.

For example, someone you loved is gone. You want them back. You want that relationship back. But even if they returned tomorrow, it wouldn’t be the same. You’ve both changed. Holding onto the past is like trying to hold water in your hand.

All life is movement.

The only way through is to move with it. Accept the flow. Let go of the old versions of yourself.

3. “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive — to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” — Marcus Aurelius
Aurelius had every reason to be bitter. He led the Roman Empire through wars, plagues, and political difficulties.

But he chose gratitude.

He wrote that line to himself. In his private journal. Aurelius knew how easy it is to forget to be grateful. We wake up and immediately start worrying about everything wrong. We treat being alive like it’s a given, like it’ll always be there.

But it won’t.

You’re breathing right now. Your heart’s beating. You can think. You can feel. You’re here. That’s extraordinary. Everything could change just like that. Marcus knew that remembering this, feeling it, changes everything.

Whatever you are going through, remember, you’re alive.

You get another day. That’s the privilege.

4. “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” — Anaïs Nin
Reality is not objective. We all look at the same things but interpret them differently. Everything you perceive passes through the filter of you. Your past. Your fears. Your hopes. Your wounds. You’re not seeing the world as it is. You’re seeing your version of it, coloured by everything you’ve experienced.

You can only see what an experience means to you.

I use Nin’s wisdom to get curious. “Maybe I’m wrong about this. Or there’s more to this.” It makes me humble. And want to listen. If you’re seeing the world through your wounds, what are you missing? What beauty are you blind to because you’re afraid to see it? What connections are you blocking because trust feels too risky?

You can’t see things as they are. But you can work on who you are. Change yourself, and you’ll change what you see.

5. “Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all.” — Hypatia of Alexandria
Hypatia said this in the fourth century. She was a mathematician, philosopher, and teacher in a world that didn’t want women to be any of those things. She lost her life for refusing to stop thinking.

That’s how much her wisdom matters.

We’re so afraid of being wrong. We don’t speak up in meetings. We don’t question what we’re told. We take on other people’s beliefs without putting them through “objective filters.

Thinking for ourselves feels dangerous. But our best lives depend on it. What if I look stupid? What if I offend someone? What if I’m wrong? But Hypatia’s saying, wrong is better than silent. Wrong is better than being blind to the truth.

Thinking for yourself is uncomfortable. It’s lonely sometimes. But giving away your mind, letting other people do your thinking for you, is surrender. Reserve your right to think. Even if you get it wrong.

6. “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” — Socrates
You’ve probably read this so many times already.

Socrates drove everyone crazy with it. He’d walk around Athens asking questions, pretending to be ignorant, exposing how little everyone actually knew. They hated him for it.

But he was onto something.

The more certain you are, the less you see. Certainty closes doors. It ends conversations. It stops growth. Not knowing can be your superpower. When you admit you don’t have all the answers, you can learn. You can listen. You can change. The smartest people I know say “I don’t know” more than anyone else.

They’re wise enough to see how much they’re missing. That’s the paradox. Wisdom begins when you admit you know nothing.

7. “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” — Nietzsche
Nietzsche saw people survive impossible suffering. Camps. Prisons. War. Disease. Some broke. Others endured. What was the difference?

Purpose. Meaning. A reason.

If you have something worth living for ( a person, mission, or purpose), you can endure almost anything. But if you don’t? Even small obstacles feel unbearable. Viktor Frankl, who survived Auschwitz, built an entire therapy around this idea. He watched people with families, faith, and unfinished work survive the most difficult times of their lives.

The how, the difficulties, setbacks and pain become bearable when you know why you’re enduring them. But without the why, the smallest inconvenience feels unbearable. Find your why. Something worth suffering for. Once you have that, you can bear almost anything.

8. “My life has been full of terrible misfortunes, most of which never happened.” — Michel de Montaigne
Montaigne spent his life observing himself. Writing essays about his own thoughts, fears, and contradictions. And he noticed this simple wisdom: we torture ourselves with things that never happen.

How much of your anxiety is about the present? Almost one.

Most of our suffering is about the future. Things that might go wrong. Conversations that might happen. Disasters you’re imagining. None of it is real. But we spend our lives suffering because we fear the worst.

That’s what Montaigne saw.

We create our own suffering. And then live inside them as if they’re real. Meanwhile, our lives in real time are usually okay. This doesn’t mean bad things don’t happen. They do. But when they do, we handle them.

You get on with it.

The mindless scenarios in our heads that never arrive are our source of pain. And mental torture. Try catching yourself in the process to stop it. Stop scaring yourself when you notice the pattern. Montaigne’s saying live here. In the now. Most of what we fear never comes. And the energy we waste on imaginary worst-case experiences is a waste of life.

9. “The more we live by our intellect, the less we understand the meaning of life.” — Leo Tolstoy
Intellectuals are great at analysing everything.

What does all this mean for my life? What’s the evolutionary purpose of friendship? Is this decision optimal for my path in life? They are so busy dissecting the frog that they forget it was supposed to hop.

It turns out, it’s a terrible way to live.

Or experience the “meaning of life.”

The intellect wants to control things by understanding them. They build models, find patterns, creates frameworks. That’s useful when you’re fixing things. Less so when you’re trying to figure out what makes life worth living. You can’t think your way into meaning.

It happens when you’re too absorbed to think.

When you’re in the flow of an experience. And you’ve lost track of time. When you’re reading to your kid and doing the funny voices without wondering if you’re doing it “right.”

Tolstoy knew this from experience. The guy was brilliant. He wrote War and Peace. But he also had a midlife crisis where all his intellectual achievements felt meaningless. He found meaning not in more analysis, but in simpler, more direct experiences: physical work, genuine connection, something beyond his own head.

The intellect gives you tools. But if you only live there, you will get nowhere. Live your life. Feel things without immediately trying to explain them. Love without wondering why. Put time to work in your favour through experience.

18 More Short Quotes From The Wisest Humans In History
Some of the most powerful pieces of wisdom ever spoken.

If you haven’t read the first 9 quotes from history’s smarter brains, all one sentence long, you can find the post here. It has done better than I thought. I want to make this a series. I’ve recently bought Alain Stephen’s book, “This Book Will Make You Think” for this. The goal is to share lesser-known pieces of wisdom from great minds with you. I’m learning more in the process of putting these quotes together. So here we go again. The smartest people to ever live figured out their own unique paths in life. They understood something most people may never will. Many of these quotes forced me to rethink everything I thought I knew about life and living it.

Lao Tzu (6th century BC)
Author of the Tao Te Ching.

Tzu believed the wisest action is non-action. And that rigidity breaks and softness endures. It goes against every instinct of unconscious ambition and ego. He understood systems, power, and human nature in a way that still unsettles people 2,500 years later.

“To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.” When you stop forcing reality, clarity arrives on its own. Most of our confusion comes from mental clutter. Nothing to do with the problems themselves. Stillness is the condition under which understanding becomes possible.

“Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield.” The things that last are the things that bend. Rigidity is fragility. Adaptability, patience, and flowing with reality are more powerful forces than aggression or resistance.

Montaigne (1533–1592)
He thought self-examination was an intellectual discipline.

The one philosopher who was very honest about the inconsistency of his own mind. Montaigne didn’t claim to have answers, only to observe. “What do I know?” he notes. He is the patron saint of intellectual humility.

“Every man carries the whole form of the human condition within him.” To understand people, look at yourself first. Your fears, contradictions, and longings are not uniquely yours; they are everyone’s. Self-examination is an act of empathy, not self-indulgence.

“I study myself more than any other subject. It is my metaphysics; it is my physics.” Most people look for answers everywhere else except their own minds. Studying your own thoughts is a skill you have to practice. To truly understand anything else, you first have to understand how you think.

Simone Weil (1909–1943)
Philosopher, mystic, and political activist.

She worked in factories to understand the dehumanisation of labour, volunteered in war zones, and starved herself in solidarity with occupied France. Her concept of attention (genuine, selfless focus on another person) as the foundation of both love and justice is still under-appreciated. She lived ethics to an almost unbearable degree.

“Attachment is the great fabricator of illusions; reality can be obtained only by someone who is detached.” Emotional attachments like our desires, fears, and ego are like a pair of tinted glasses. They distort how we see the world because we see things as we want them to be, not how they are. When we are attached to an outcome, a person, or an idea, we want we make up stories to fit what we already know. To see the truth, you have to let go of what you want the truth to be.

“The love of our neighbour in all its fullness simply means being able to say: what are you going through?” Love, for Weil, was a question. The ability to genuinely ask what someone else is experiencing requires setting your own perspective aside completely.

Most of what passes for love is just projection.

Confucius (551–479 BC)
Where Lao Tzu looked inward and upward, Confucius looked outward. To family, society, and civic life. His wisdom was that virtue isn’t a private achievement but a relational one. You become good through how you treat others. His ideas on self-cultivation and moral leadership contributed to East Asian civilisation for two and a half millennia.

“He who learns but does not think is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.” To understand something well, listen to others and think for yourself. Facts alone are useless. But ignoring the wisdom of others is not wise. It only leads to arrogance and error. Understanding requires both, taking in knowledge and then sitting with it.

“To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue: gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.” Virtue for Confucius was a daily practice across ordinary experiences. Character is built in how you choose to live.

These five qualities, practiced together, becomes the foundation of a good life.

Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179)
A German mystic, composer, herbalist, and theologian.

One of the most multi-gifted minds of the medieval period. She wrote on natural science, medicine, music, and theology at a time when women were expected to be silent. Bingen trusted natural knowledge, the body, nature, and sensory experience as sources of truth.

She fought Church authorities to publish her visions and won.

“We cannot live in a world interpreted for us by others. An interpreted world is not a hope. Part of the terror is to take back our listening, to use our own voice, to see our own light.” If you only see reality through borrowed frameworks, other people’s opinions or inherited beliefs, you are not living your own life.

Direct experience, your own perception and judgment, is irreplaceable. To live fully is to insist on seeing for yourself.

“The soul is the greening life force of the flesh, for the body grows and prospers through her, just as the earth becomes fruitful when it is moistened. The soul humidifies the body so it does not dry out, just like the rain which soaks into the earth.” Hildegard believed nature was a source of genuine knowledge. Before reaching for abstract ideas, she asks you to first look at the world directly.

Wonder, for her, was the proper starting point for any serious thought. Simply being amazed at nature is a good start.

Epictetus (50–135 AD)
Born a slave, became one of history’s most influential moral teachers.

His famous piece of wisdom, the dichotomy of control, is simple: some things are up to us, most things are not. And wisdom is knowing the difference. He had no wealth, no status, no political power. But his Discourses have changed everyone from Roman emperors to modern psychotherapists.

“Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens.” You can’t control whether you get the job or people like you. But you can control how you prepare or how you let go. Epictetus lived this without any of the safety nets most of us take for granted. “Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control,” he said.

“Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems.” Our stress usually comes from our thoughts, not our circumstances. The “what if” loop in our heads is the source of many of our problems. Most people spend 10% of their energy fixing problems and 90% suffering because of the scary stories we tell ourselves about then. If the shadow of the problem is much bigger and scarier than the problem itself, you are in trouble.

Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama, c. 563–483 BC)
A prince who walked away from everything to understand suffering.

His famous wisdom is this: suffering arises not from circumstances but from craving and aversion. Our insistence that reality be other than it is. The practical framework he built around this, the Eight-fold Path, is less a religion than a manual for mental peace.

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”We spend so much of our lives rearranging things and experiences, hoping the feeling will follow. It won’t. Restlessness travels with you because it lives in you, not in your circumstances. That means the thing you’re looking for is already within reach.

Just not in the direction you’ve been looking.

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” Most of us extend patience, forgiveness, and love to others without a second thought. Then turn around and speak to ourselves in ways we’d never speak to a friend.

Buddha is asking for basic fairness. The same compassion you’d offer someone struggling, you are allowed to give that to yourself.

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797)
The foundational feminist philosopher.

And one of the best moral thinkers of the Enlightenment. Her Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) made a simple argument: if reason is the basis of human dignity, then women, who possess reason equally, cannot logically be excluded from rights and education. She lived as she wrote: unconventionally and at great personal cost.

“I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves.” She wrote this in 1792. She wasn’t interested in inversion — in swapping who dominates whom. Wollstonecraft was interested in autonomy: the radical idea that a person should be the author of their own life. The fact that this had to be argued for at all is the uncomfortable part.

“Strengthen the female mind by enlarging it, and there will be an end to blind obedience.” Ignorance is rarely accidental. Keep someone uneducated, and you can frame their compliance as natural. Wollstonecraft called out the machinery designed to make rights seem unnecessary.

Zhuangzi (c. 369–286 BC)
The great Taoist sage and Lao Tzu’s most brilliant successor.

He was funnier than most philosophers. Where others approached wisdom with seriousness, Zhuangzi used absurdist parables to demolish fixed thinking. His most famous one: dreaming he was a butterfly, then waking and wondering if he was a butterfly dreaming he was a man. His target was always the rigidity of perspective.

The assumption that your viewpoint is the viewpoint.

“Flow with whatever is happening and let your mind be free. Stay centred by accepting whatever you are doing.” The mind that’s always somewhere else, always resisting, and strategising its escape from the present never arrives anywhere. Acceptance, for Zhuangzi is the only way to be present for your own life.

“To have attained to the human form must be always a source of joy. And then to undergo change and become a butterfly — this is pure happiness.” The ability to think, feel, and experience the world is a huge win. Out of all the things you could have been in the universe, you are a conscious person. That alone is a reason to be happy. Also, change is not loss.

If you “change” into something else (like a butterfly), you are just taking on a new fluid form. Perhaps with the ability to freely fly.

10 Alfred Adler Quotes That Will Change How You View Life
10 life lessons in individual psychology
Tom Addison

Alfred Adler was a legendary Austrian psychotherapist and the founder of the school of individual psychology.

He was part of the “big three” founding figures of modern psychology alongside Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, so he’s in good company, to say the least.

I’ll be honest, I’ve never studied or read too deeply into the works of Alfred Adler or, more specifically, individual psychology.

However, I was introduced to the world of Adler early last month after reading The Courage to Be Disliked, which gave me a brief overview of Adlerian psychology.

In essence, individual psychology can be summed up as follows, as described in The Courage to Be Disliked:

Adlerian psychology is a psychology for changing oneself, not a psychology for changing others. Instead of waiting for others to change or for the situation to change, you take the first step forward yourself.

Rather than viewing human behaviour as the result of unconscious urges (as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung largely did), individual psychology is more person-centered and emphasizes an individual’s growth.

It’s a form of psychology I’d love to learn more about, because it struck a chord with me and offered a refreshing psychological perspective.

After flicking through the pages of The Courage to Be Disliked to take some notes, there were a few quotes from Adler that cut really deep, which I thought were definitely worth sharing.

So, here are 10 of those quotes…

1. “We are not determined by our experiences, but the meaning we give them is self-determining.”
This is a controversial one because Adler didn’t believe that experiences alone determine a person’s life.

He didn’t deny that people suffer, but he argued that trauma doesn’t define us or dictate our future.

According to Adler, we aren’t determined by our experiences, but by the meaning we give to them.

2. “The important thing is not what one is born with, but what use one makes of that equipment.”
It doesn’t matter what tools we’re given when we’re brought into this world.

Our race, our gender, our parents, and our past aren’t the defining factors of what happens to us in life.

What matters most is how well we make use of what we’ve been given to us in life.

3. “No matter what has occurred in your life up to this point, it should have no bearing at all on how you live from now on.”
The past is the past, and what’s been has already gone.

Sure, we should always reflect on what went well, what went terribly, and what could have gone better.

But the past should never be dwelt on in a way that negatively affects how we live going forward.

4. “To get rid of one’s problems, all one can do is live in the universe all alone.”
According to Adler, all problems are interpersonal relationship problems, basically meaning:

All problems are people problems.

So, in theory, the only way to eliminate them entirely would be to live in complete isolation for eternity, which is obviously impossible.

That means we’d best start getting better at dealing with other people, hadn’t we?

5. “The one who boasts does so only out of a feeling of inferiority.”
The person who barks the loudest is often the most insecure, and boasting is usually an attempt to mask feelings of inadequacy.

Truly confident people feel zero need to boast at all.

6. “If two people want to live together on good terms, they must treat each other as equal personalities.”
This sounds obvious, yet many of us struggle to build truly strong relationships.

A solid relationship comes from treating the other person with respect, dignity, and equality, in other words, treating other people how you’d like to be treated.

7. “Children who have not been taught to confront challenges will try to avoid all challenges.”
If a young person never learns how to appropriately handle discomfort or deal with life when things go upside down, they’ll avoid difficulty altogether.

And that almost guarantees that they’ll never truly fulfill their huge life potential.

8. “It is only when a person is able to feel that he has worth that he can possess courage.”
Courage grows from self-worth.

When we feel we have a sense of value and like we’re offering something to the world, we’re far more willing to face fear, embrace failure, and step into the realm of uncertainty.

Without self-worth, we will forever stay trapped in our warm, yet dangerous comfort zone.

9. “My advice is this: you should start. With no regard to whether others are cooperative or not.”
None of us needs permission to make a fresh start.

We can start a new business, habit, or take another direction in life whenever we choose, regardless of what others think.

If you want to start something new, start now.

The best time to start was 20 years ago; the second-best time is now.

10. “Understanding a human being is no easy matter.”
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to human beings.

Everyone is different, has their own personalities, values, and unique ways of thinking.

That’s what makes understanding others both difficult and essential.

OK... ???

Knowing Yourself: A Primer on the 4 Temperaments
Most of us are familiar with the Myers-Briggs personality test and other contemporary personality tests, but there’s a much older temperament classification model that often gets neglected: the classical four temperaments.

This model originated with Hippocrates 2,000 years ago and was further developed in the Middle Ages. Despite its antiquity, it continues to serve as an excellent key for understanding both oneself and others. Knowledge of temperaments can help us identify and counteract our weaknesses while capitalizing on our strengths. It also enables us to better understand—and get along with—others in our homes, communities, and workplaces.

In his book on the medieval worldview, “The Discarded Image,” C.S. Lewis explained the theory behind the four temperaments. The ancient and medieval conception of the human body saw it as a combination of four fluids or humors that reflected the four elements: hot and moist make blood, hot and dry make choler, cold and moist make phlegm, and cold and dry make melancholy (sometimes tied to bile).

As Lewis explained, “The proportion in which the Humours are blended differs from one man to another and constitutes his complexion or temperamentum, his combination of the mixture.”

It’s this variable mixture that gives rise to a person’s personality, according to medieval theory. Generally, one humor predominates, giving the person his or her overall temperament: sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic, or melancholic.

Although the physiological side of the four humors is obviously flawed, the classification of temperaments that derives from this theory remains strikingly accurate. Anyone who comes to understand the four temperaments will immediately recognize in each type the features of real people that he knows. He may also discover insights about his own nature, explanations for characteristics that used to puzzle him.