Faith consists in being vitally concerned with that ultimate reality to which I give the symbolical name of God. Whoever reflects earnestly on the meaning of life is on the verge of an act of faith.
He who risks and fails can be forgiven. He who never risks and never fails is a failure in his whole being.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Taking risks is essential for growth and success, and failure is an acceptable part of that process.
This quote emphasizes the importance of taking risks in life. It suggests that encountering failure is not something to be ashamed of, but rather a necessary component of personal growth and achievement. Those who avoid risks altogether not only miss out on potential success but also lead a life devoid of true fulfillment and purpose. In contrast, those who dare to take chances may fail, but they also open themselves up to the possibility of learning and achieving greatness.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech encouraging young entrepreneurs to take bold steps in their careers.
More from Paul Tillich
All quotes βCruelty towards others is always also cruelty towards ourselves.
The courage to be is the courage to accept oneself, in spite of being unacceptable.
The citizens of a city are not guilty of the crimes committed in their city; but they are guilty as participants in the destiny of [humanity] as a whole and in the destiny of their city in particular; for their acts in which freedom was united with destiny have contributed to the destiny in which they participate. They are guilty, not of committing the crimes of which their group is accused, but of contributing to the destiny in which these crimes happened.
Wine is like the incarnation--it is both divine and human
Man is able to decide for or against reason, he is able to create beyond reason or to destroy below reason
Similar quotes
I'll think of it tomorrow, at Tara. I can stand it then. Tomorrow, I'll think of some way to get him back. After all, tomorrow is another day.
They say when opportunity knocks you should let it in and invite it to sit at your table. F*** that -- when opportunity knocks, you should take it captive. Beat that s*** down. I've got opportunity tied to a chair in my basement with a ball gag in its mouth. Opportunity ain't even thinking about leaving my house. If you keep quiet for a second, you'll hear it whining.
I lived a sloppy life. So I took very small increments in my life. I started making my bed. I started cleaning my room. There were dishes in the sink. It started off with doing small house chores. I saw that the yard needed to be mowed. So instead of being told it needed to be mowed, I would mow it.
Human beings are the only creatures who have the ability to write down their goals and design their future. And here is why most of us don't. We're trapped either by regret of the past or the routine of the present.
Don't get discouraged if you're hammering away at a sentence or a paragraph or a chapter, and it keeps coming out wrong. You're allowed to get it wrong, as many times as you need to; you only need to get it right once.
The odds were against me when I arrived at Central Arkansas. I was barely 6-foot-2 and didn't have a scholarship. But I always felt I could make it to the NBA; it was as if I had foreseen my future, and I knew I would make it.