Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.
Alexander PopeRead
Ambition first sprung from your blest abodes: the glorious fault of angels and of gods.
Interpretation
Ambition is a powerful drive that originates from high ideals, often revered but also seen as a flaw in both divine and mortal realms.
In this quote, Alexander Pope reflects on the nature of ambition, suggesting that it has its roots in exalted places associated with divine beings. While ambition can lead to greatness, it is also described as a 'glorious fault', highlighting the duality of this drive, which can inspire both admirable achievements and potential downfalls, depending on how it is pursued.
In practice
During a motivational speech to inspire students at a graduation ceremony.
Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.
What dire offence from am'rous causes springs, What mighty contests rise from trivial things.
Fair tresses man's imperial race ensnare; And beauty draws us with a single hair.
An honest man's the noblest work of God.
One thought of thee puts all the pomp to flight;_x000D_ _x000D_ Priests, tapers, temples, swim before my sight.
Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel?
When you run after your thoughts, you are like a dog chasing a stick
Don't waste time trying to put in what was left out. Try to draw out what was left in.
One's self-satisfaction is an untaxed kind of property which it is very unpleasant to find deprecated.
Sweet Mercy! to the gates of heaven This minstrel lead, his sins forgiven; The rueful conflict, the heart riven With vain endeavour, And memory of Earth's bitter leaven Effaced forever.
And whatever your labors and aspirations, _x000D_ in the noisy confusion of life, _x000D_ keep peace in your soul. _x000D_ With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Audacity, always audacity - soundest principal of strategy.
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