As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
William ShakespeareRead
Some are born great, others achieve greatness.
Interpretation
Greatness can come naturally to some, while others must work hard to attain it.
This quote by William Shakespeare suggests that greatness is not solely a matter of birthright. Some individuals may be born into circumstances that predispose them to greatness, such as wealth, privilege, or talent, while others can achieve greatness through perseverance, hard work, and determination. It highlights the diverse paths people take in their pursuit of success and recognition, emphasizing that both innate ability and effort play important roles in achieving greatness.
In practice
In a motivational speech to inspire students to pursue their dreams and ambitions.
As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
Love bears it out even to the edge of doom.
Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
Some people think that if their opponent plays a beautiful game, it's okay to lose. I don't. You have to be merciless.
There's a long way to fall when you pretend that you're so far away from the earth, far away from reality, floating in a bubble that's protected by fame or success. It's scary, and it's the thing I fear the most: to be swallowed up by that bubble. It can be poison to you, fame.
I learned in my Ph.D. the discipline I needed to be successful. Most boxers are not that disciplined. They have talent, but the self-organization - the ability to schedule yourself and your priorities - is lacking. My studies were about the control of training on both the psychological and the physical side.
You don't just luck into things as much as you would like to think you do. You build step by step, whether it is friendships or opportunities.
Everyone wants to be a movie star or a model, to be in the papers, but few realise just what hard work it is, getting up early, and so on.
It's incredible. Nine? Wow. I just remember winning my first one, getting the medal and the plate, the pin with the diamond for first place. My ninth title, I have no answer for that because I never thought it would be possible.
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