I think that the most necessary quality for any person to have is imagination. It makes people able to put themselves in other people's places. It makes them kind and sympathetic and understanding.
Jean WebsterRead
It isn't the big troubles in life that require character. Anybody can rise to a crisis and face a crushing tragedy with courage, but to meet the petty hazards of the day with a laugh - I really think that requires spirit. It's the kind of character that I am going to develop. I am going to pretend that all life is just a game which I must play as skillfully and fairly as I can. If I lose, I am going to shrug my shoulders and laugh - also if I win.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True character is revealed not in major crises but in daily challenges and one's attitude towards them.
In this quote, Jean Webster emphasizes that the real test of character comes not from facing monumental challenges, but from how we handle the small, everyday struggles of life. She advocates for approaching life with a playful spirit, suggesting that maintaining a sense of humor and perspective, whether we succeed or fail, is what truly shows our inner strength and resilience.
Themes
CharacterSpiritLifeHumorResilienceAttitude
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote during a motivational speech about overcoming everyday challenges.
More from Jean Webster
All quotes →It seems to me that a man who can think straight along for forty-seven years without changing a single idea ought to be kept in a cabinet as a curiosity.
Jean WebsterRead
It isn't the great big pleasures that count the most; it's making a great deal out of the little ones--I've discovered the true secret of happiness, Daddy, and that is to live in the now. Not to be for ever regretting the past, or anticipating the future; but to get the most that you can out of this very instant.
Jean WebsterRead
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