We must never expect discretion in first love: it is accompanied by such excessive joy that unless the joy is allowed to overflow, it will choke you.
Alexandre DumasRead
How did I escape? With difficulty. How did I plan this moment? With pleasure!
Interpretation
Success often comes through hard work and careful planning.
In this quote, Alexandre Dumas reflects on the duality of experiences encountered in the pursuit of achievement. The first part emphasizes that escaping challenges requires effort and struggle, while the second part reveals that the joy in the fulfillment of a plan makes the difficulties worthwhile. It highlights that success is both a hard-won battle and a source of great satisfaction.
In practice
In a graduation speech to highlight the importance of perseverance.
We must never expect discretion in first love: it is accompanied by such excessive joy that unless the joy is allowed to overflow, it will choke you.
There are two ways of seeing: with the body and with the soul. The body's sight can sometimes forget, but the soul remembers forever.
I do not often laugh, sir, as you may perceive by the air of my countenance; but nevertheless, I retain the privilege of laughing when I please.
There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state with another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness.
Those born to wealth, and who have the means of gratifying every wish, know not what is the real happiness of life, just as those who have been tossed on the stormy waters of the ocean on a few frail planks can alone realize the blessings of fair weather.
It is the way of weakened minds to see everything through a black cloud. The soul forms its own horizons; your soul is darkened, and consequently the sky of the future appears stormy and unpromising
Something greater than wealth, grander even than fame β that manhood, character, stand for success, and that nothing else really does.
It feels like my hard work has paid off, but at the same time, I still have the impostor, you know, syndrome. I still feel like I'm going to wake up, and everybody's going to see me for the hack I am.
The minute you get away from fundamentals β whether its proper technique, work ethic or mental preparation β the bottom can fall out of your game, your schoolwork, your job, whatever youβre doing.
You have to have talent to some extent - I certainly hope I have talent - but you have to have luck as well. Once you get that first shot, that will get you noticed for the rest of your books and that will give the rest of your books a better chance.
If you want to make money playing poker, find a game with a few suckers, fish, donkeys, live ones, or whatever you choose to call a bad player. Just don't let that sucker be you.
Laurels grow in the Bay of Biscay, I hope a bed of them may be found in the Mediterranean.
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