The phoenix hope, can wing her way through the desert skies, and still defying fortune's spite; revive from ashes and rise.
Miguel De CervantesRead
It's up to brave hearts, sir, to be patient when things are going badly, as well as being happy when they're going well ... For I've heard that what they call fortune is a flighty woman who drinks too much, and, what's more, she's blind, so she can't see what she's doing, and she doesn't know who she's knocking over or who she's raising up.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True bravery involves patience in adversity and joy in prosperity, recognizing that fortune is unpredictable.
This quote by Miguel De Cervantes illustrates the dual nature of courage: it requires both perseverance during tough times and the ability to savor the good times when they come. Cervantes personifies fortune as a capricious woman whose blindness represents the randomness of chance, emphasizing that one should remain grounded and resilient, regardless of life's ups and downs.
Themes
CourageFortunePatienceHappinessAdversity
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about resilience in the workplace.
More from Miguel De Cervantes
All quotes βPatience and shuffle the cards.
Miguel De CervantesRead
When the head aches, all the members partake of the pain.
Miguel De CervantesRead
Though Gods attributes are equal, yet his mercy is more attractive and pleasing in our eyes than his justice.
Miguel De CervantesRead
If you are ambitious of climbing up to the difficult, and in a manner inaccessible, summit of the Temple of Fame, your surest way is to leave on one hand the narrow path of Poetry, and follow the narrower track of Knight-Errantry, which in a trice may raise you to an imperial throne.
Miguel De CervantesRead
A silly remark can be made in Latin as well as in Spanish.
Miguel De CervantesRead
Similar quotes
It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?
Henry David ThoreauRead
If you evade suffering you also evade the chance of joy. Pleasure you may get, or pleasures, but you will not be fulfilled. You will not know what it is to come home.
Ursula K. Le GuinRead
Son of Heav'n and Earth, Attend: that thou art happy, owe to God; That thou continuest such, owe to thyself, That is, to thy obedience; therein stand.
John MiltonRead
A human being is only interesting if he's in contact with himself. I learned you have to trust yourself, be what you are, and do what you ought to do the way you should do it. You have got to discover you, what you do, and trust it.
Barbra StreisandRead
The ending of sorrow is the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge is always within the shadow of ignorance. Meditation is freedom from thought and a movement in the ecstasy of truth. Meditation is explosion of intelligence.
Jiddu KrishnamurtiRead
By a tranquil mind I mean nothing else than a mind well ordered.
Marcus AureliusRead