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
We make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars; as if we were villians by compulsion.
Interpretation
We often blame external forces for our misfortunes instead of taking responsibility for our actions.
In this quote, Shakespeare reflects on the human tendency to assign blame to celestial bodies for our failures and disasters. It suggests that rather than acknowledging our own roles in the challenges we face, we may be inclined to see ourselves as victims of fate, which absolves us of responsibility and hinders personal growth.
In practice
In a motivational speech about personal responsibility, this quote can be used to inspire others to take charge of their own lives.
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.
Wherever there is a man who exercises authority, there is a man who resists authority.
This is the Great Theatre of Life. Admission is free, but the taxation is mortal. You come when you can, and leave when you must. The show is continuous. Goodnight.
Funding a civilization through advertising is like trying to get nutrition by connecting a tube from oneβs anus to oneβs mouth.
I should like to know if, taking this old Declaration of Independence, which declares that all men are equal upon principle, you begin making exceptions to it, where will you stop? If one man says it does not mean a Negro, why not another say it does not mean some other man?
If there is no element of asceticism in our lives, if we give free rein to the desires of the flesh (taking care of course to keep within the limits of what seems permissible to the world), we shall find it hard to train for the service of Christ. When the flesh is satisfied it is hard to pray with cheerfulness or to devote oneself to a life of service which calls for much self-renunciation.
I begin each day with holy Mass, receiving Jesus hidden under the appearance of a simple piece of bread. Then I go out into the streets and I find the same Jesus hidden in the dying destitute, the AIDS patients, the lepers, the abandoned children, the hungry, and the homeless. It's the same Jesus.
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