I have always been of the mind that in a democracy manners are the only effective weapons against the bowie-knife.
James Russell LowellRead
No man is born into the world whose work is not born with him. There is always work, and tools to work with, for those who will, and blessed are the horny hands of toil. The busy world shoves angrily aside the man who stands with arms akimbo until occasion tells him what to do; and he who waits to have his task marked out shall die and leave his errand unfulfilled.
Interpretation
Everyone has a purpose and talents they are born with, but success requires taking initiative and action.
This quote emphasizes the idea that every individual has a unique purpose and set of skills they are inherently equipped with from birth. However, it also highlights the necessity of proactive engagement in work and life; merely waiting for direction or opportunities will lead to unfulfilled potential. The quote encourages individuals to take ownership of their tasks and contributions rather than standing idle, as true fulfillment comes from active participation and effort.
In practice
In a motivational speech to encourage young students to pursue their passions.
I have always been of the mind that in a democracy manners are the only effective weapons against the bowie-knife.
The foolish and the dead alone never change their opinions.
Not failure, but low aim, is crime.
Good luck is the willing handmaid of upright, energetic character, and conscientious observance of duty.
Puritanism, believing itself quick with the seed of religious liberty, laid, without knowing it, the egg of democracy.
Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind.
Wherever you are, be there totally. If you find your here and now intolerable and it makes you unhappy, you have three options: remove yourself from the situation, change it, or accept it totally. If you want to take responsibility for your life, you must choose one of those three options, and you must choose now. Then accept the consequences.
Yes, I will bring the understanding of a woman to the Court, but I doubt that alone will affect my decisions.
By the age of forty, a man is responsible for his face. And his fate.
Worrying is like paying a debt you don't owe.
Stupidity is an elemental force for which no earthquake is a match.
Wherever you are is the perfect place to awaken. This moment is the exact place to practice compassion and loving awareness. You have all the ingredients to breathe and find freedom just where you are.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.