I am truly free only when all human beings, men and women, are equally free. The freedom of other men, far from negating or limiting my freedom, is, on the contrary, its necessary premise and confirmation.
Mikhail BakuninRead
By striving to do the impossible, man has always achieved what is possible. Those who have cautiously done no more than they believed possible have never taken a single step forward.
Interpretation
Striving for ambitious goals leads to meaningful progress, while playing it safe results in stagnation.
This quote by Mikhail Bakunin highlights the importance of ambition and audacity in achieving progress. It suggests that those who challenge the limits of what they believe can be done often unlock new possibilities, whereas those who only pursue what seems attainable hinder their own growth and potential. By encouraging individuals to aim high, Bakunin champions a mindset of adventure and exploration in the pursuit of success.
In practice
During a motivational speech about pursuing dreams.
I am truly free only when all human beings, men and women, are equally free. The freedom of other men, far from negating or limiting my freedom, is, on the contrary, its necessary premise and confirmation.
We must overthrow the material and moral conditions of our present-day life. . . . We must first purify our atmosphere and completely transform the milieu in which we live; for it corrupts our instinct and our will, and constricts our heart and our intelligence
The liberty of man consists solely in this, that he obeys the laws of nature because he has himself recognized them as such, and not because they have been imposed upon him externally by any foreign will whatsoever, human or divine, collective or individual.
By striving to do the impossible, man has always achieved what is possible.
This contradiction lies here: they wish God, and they wish humanity. They persist in connecting two terms which, once separated, can come together again only to destroy each other.
To revolt is a natural tendency of life. Even a worm turns against the foot that crushes it. In general, the vitality and relative dignity of an animal can be measured by the intensity of its instinct to revolt.
When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.
No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn't trying.
Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow... even if that someone is yourself!
No person has the right to rain on your dreams.
The man who is gloomy, taciturn and lives in a world of doubt seldom achieves more than a bare living. There have been a few who have groaned their way through to a competence, but in proportion to that overwhelming number of souls who carry cheer through life, they are as nothing - mere drops in the bucket.
The thing is, you try your best, and what else you got? You try your best, really, that's all you can do. And for me, my best happens really so rarely.
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