His face is livid, gaunt his whole body, his breath is green with gall; his tongue drips poison.
John Quincy AdamsRead
The influence of each human being on others in this life is a kind of immortality.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Our actions and relationships with others create a lasting impact that extends beyond our own lives.
This quote by John Quincy Adams highlights the idea that the legacies we leave through our interactions, relationships, and the influence we have on others contribute to a form of immortality. It suggests that while our physical existence may be transient, the positive impacts we make can resonate through time and continue to affect future generations, thus granting us a sense of eternal relevance and continuity in the lives we touch.
Themes
InfluenceImmortalityLegacyRelationshipsImpact
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about the importance of community service.
More from John Quincy Adams
All quotes βAlways vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.
John Quincy AdamsRead
It is among the evils of slavery that it taints the very sources of moral principle. It establishes false estimates of virtue and vice: for what can be more false and heartless than this doctrine which makes the first and holiest rights of humanity to depend upon the color of the skin?
John Quincy AdamsRead
The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.
John Quincy AdamsRead
I have no predilection for unpopularity as such, but I hold it much preferable to the popularity of a day, which perishes with the transient topic upon which it is grounded.
John Quincy AdamsRead
According to the Stoics, all vice was resolvable into folly: according to the Christian principle, it is all the effect of weakness.
John Quincy AdamsRead
Similar quotes
Space-ships and time machines are no escape from the human condition. Let Othello subject Desdemona to a lie-detector test; his jealousy will still blind him to the evidence. Let Oedipus triumph over gravity; he won't triumph over his fate.
Arthur KoestlerRead
Gentlemen, welcome to the world of reality β there is no audience. No one to applaud, to admire. No one to see you. Do you understand? Here is the truth β actual heroism receives no ovation, entertains no one. No one queues up to see it. No one is interested.
David FosterRead
Are we the only members of the Galaxy that can actually understand what a galaxy is? Could Homo sapiens really be the pinnacle of Creation - the cleverest critters in the cosmos? If we learn the answer is 'no,' that would affect our philosophies forever.
Seth ShostakRead
Everything is dangerous, my dear fellow. If it wasn't so, life wouldn't be worth living.
Oscar WildeRead
I have seen miracles in my time, my brothers and sisters. The greatest miracle of all, I believe, is the transformation that comes into the life of a man or a woman who accepts the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and tries to live it in his or her life.
Gordon B. HinckleyRead
And if you can't shape your life the way you want, at least try as much as you can not to degrade it.
C.P. CavafyRead