The true secret of giving advice is, after you have honestly given it, to be perfectly indifferent whether it is taken or not, and never persist in trying to set people right.
Henry Ward BeecherRead
We not only live among men, but there are airy hosts, blessed spectators, sympathetic lookers-on, that see and know and appreciate our thoughts and feelings and acts.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the idea that we are not alone in our experiences, as there are unseen forces or beings that understand and value our inner lives.
Henry Ward Beecher suggests that human existence is not solitary; rather, it is shared with unseen observers—whether they be spiritual beings or the collective consciousness of humanity. These 'airy hosts' represent the idea that our thoughts, feelings, and actions resonate beyond just the physical world, contributing to a larger tapestry of understanding and appreciation. This implies a connection between the individual and the broader universe, emphasizing the significance of our experiences.
Themes
ExistenceConnectionObserversThoughtsFeelings
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the impact of our actions on others during a community event.
More from Henry Ward Beecher
All quotes →A man who cannot get angry is like a stream that cannot overflow, that is always turbid. Sometimes indignation is as good as a thunderstorm in summer, clearing and cooling the air.
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No one can deal with the hearts of men unless he has the sympathy which is given by love.
Henry Ward BeecherRead
We are always on the anvil; by trials God is shaping us for higher things.
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No man can tell if he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has.
Henry Ward BeecherRead
There are joys which long to be ours. God sends ten thousands truths, which come about us like birds seeking inlet; but we are shut up to them, and so they bring us nothing, but sit and sing awhile upon the roof, and then fly away.
Henry Ward BeecherRead
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