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
When lenity and cruelty play for a kingdom, the gentler gamester is the soonest winner
Interpretation
Gentleness and kindness often lead to victory over harshness and cruelty.
In this quote, Shakespeare suggests that when mercy and cruelty compete for dominance, it is the compassionate and kind-hearted individual who ultimately prevails. This reflects a deeper understanding of human nature and power dynamics, emphasizing that kindness and gentleness can achieve success where brutality fails.
In practice
This quote can be shared during discussions on conflict resolution.
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.
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Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
I am honorary President of the American Humanist Society, having succeeded the late, great science fiction writer Isaac Asimov in that utterly functionless capacity. We Humanists behave as well as we can, without any rewards or punishments in an Afterlife.
It were better to have no opinion of God at all than such a one as is unworthy of him; for the one is only belief - the other contempt.
Kindness is produced by kindness.
...quality of life lies in knowledge, in culture. Values are what constitute true quality of life, the supreme quality of life, even above food, shelter and clothing.
If you don't feel comfortable owning something for 10 years, then don't own it for 10 minutes.
Sane is rich and powerful. Insane is wrong and poor and weak. The rich are free, the poor are put in cages. Res Ipsa Loquitur, amen. Mahalo.
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