The true secret of giving advice is, after you have honestly given it, to be perfectly indifferent whether it is taken or not, and never persist in trying to set people right.
Henry Ward BeecherRead
No man is sane who does not know how to be insane on proper occasions.
Interpretation
Understanding madness is essential to sanity; itβs about knowing when to embrace wildness.
This quote by Henry Ward Beecher suggests that a truly sane person possesses the discernment to know when to act irrationally or freely. It highlights the idea that life requires a balance, where being overly rational may stifle creativity and joy, and that embracing spontaneity at the right moments can lead to a fuller, more enriching experience.
In practice
In a discussion about mental health, this quote can provoke thought on the nature of sanity.
The true secret of giving advice is, after you have honestly given it, to be perfectly indifferent whether it is taken or not, and never persist in trying to set people right.
A man who cannot get angry is like a stream that cannot overflow, that is always turbid. Sometimes indignation is as good as a thunderstorm in summer, clearing and cooling the air.
No one can deal with the hearts of men unless he has the sympathy which is given by love.
We are always on the anvil; by trials God is shaping us for higher things.
No man can tell if he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has.
There are joys which long to be ours. God sends ten thousands truths, which come about us like birds seeking inlet; but we are shut up to them, and so they bring us nothing, but sit and sing awhile upon the roof, and then fly away.
The intellectual tradition is one of servility to power, and if I didn't betray it I'd be ashamed of myself.
Maher Arar's case stands as a sad example of how we have been too willing to sacrifice our core principles to overarching government power in the name of security, when doing so only undermines the principles we stand for and makes us less safe.
Generally speaking, a howling wilderness does not howl: it is the imagination of the traveler that does the howling.
The task is to investigate speech sounds in relation to the meanings with which they are invested, i.e., sounds viewed as signifiers, and above all to throw light on the structure of the relation between sounds and meaning.
Do not neglect this body. This is the house of God; take care of it, only in this body can God be realized.
I never killed anybody, I never raped anybody, I never committed no crimes that weren't honorable.
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