“The desire of being believed, the desire of persuading, of leading, and directing other people, seems to be one of the strongest of all our natural desires.”
Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments
Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it, listen for what it intends to do with you.
Parker J. Palmer
“I think that it is useless to fight directly against natural weaknesses. One has to force oneself to act as though one did not have them in circumstances where a duty makes it imperative; and in the ordinary course of life one has to know these weaknesses, prudently take them into account, and strive to turn them to good purpose; for they are all capable of being put to some good purpose.”
Simone Weil, Waiting For God
“The way to love anything is to realise that it might be lost.”
G. K. Chesterton, “The Advantages of Having One Leg”
The fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.
Carl Sagan
I’ve always made a total effort, even when the odds seemed entirely against me. I never quit trying; I never felt that I didn’t have a chance to win.
I have a tip that can take five strokes off anyone’s golf game: it’s called an eraser.
Arnold Palmer
I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great.
Ray Charles
It’s a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you’re ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any.
Hugh Laurie
Stand your ground. Don’t fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.
John Parker (captain)
