Some of the best advice I've had comes from junior officers and enlisted men.
Chester W. NimitzRead
God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of having the courage to stand by oneβs beliefs despite the likelihood of failure.
Chester W. Nimitz expresses a deep resolve and resilience in the face of adversity. The quote underscores the necessity of courage when facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, advocating for the strength to uphold one's principles even when the situation appears bleak. It serves as a reminder that integrity and conviction are vital, even in difficult circumstances, and that one should persist in pursuing what they believe is right despite the odds against them.
In practice
During a motivational speech to inspire a team facing tough competition.
Some of the best advice I've had comes from junior officers and enlisted men.
Hindsight is notably cleverer than foresight.
By their victory, the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions and other units of the Fifth Amphibious Corps have made an accounting to their country which only history will be able to value fully. Among the Americans who served on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue.
The battle of Iwo Island has been won. The United States Marines by their individual and collective courage have conquered a base which is as necessary to us in our continuing forward movement toward final victory as it was vital to the enemy in staving off ultimate defeat.
The U.S.'s major strength factor and weapon is its economy. If you cripple it, you cripple the military.
That is not to say that we can relax our readiness to defend ourselves. Our armament must be adequate to the needs, but our faith is not primarily in these machines of defense but in ourselves.
The punishment β to the body, the brain, the spirit β a man must endure to become even a moderately good boxer is inconceivable to most of us whose idea of personal risk is largely ego-related or emotional.
You could be a victim, you could be a hero, you could be a villain, or you could be a fugitive. But you could not just stand by. If you were in Europe between 1933 and 1945, you had to be something.
On climbs, there is a general way we manage fear. We look at things objectively, separating out perceived risk from real risk. You can really bring down the level of fear by knowing the real risks and setting aside the others. You also know that panicking just makes things worse.
It is a brave man who is the first to sit down during a standing ovation.
Travel is not about money, it's about courage.
These movements aren't about anger. We're not angrily saying 'Black Lives Matter.' We're declaring it. It's a declaration. We want to be seen as robust, full human beings that have anger and have joy. We want to be able to just freely have that joy. Like everybody else does.
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