I'm tired of hearing it said that democracy doesn't work. Of course it doesn't work. We are supposed to work it.
Alexander WoollcottRead
Many of us spend half of our time wishing for things we could have if we didn't spend half our time wishing.
Interpretation
We often waste time wishing for what we want instead of taking action to achieve it.
In this quote, Alexander Woollcott emphasizes the futility of wishing for things without taking proactive steps to attain them. He points out that a significant portion of our time is consumed by desires and hopes, which could be better used by working towards those goals, thus highlighting the importance of action over mere wishful thinking.
In practice
In a motivational speech about achieving dreams, one could use this quote to encourage the audience to take action.
I'm tired of hearing it said that democracy doesn't work. Of course it doesn't work. We are supposed to work it.
The two oldest professions in the world β ruined by amateurs.
There is no such thing in anyone's life as an unimportant day.
Hindsight is always twenty-twenty.
Thus every matter, if it is to be done well, calls for the attention of the whole person.
I must remain always, both in principle + actively, interested in everything. Taking all of knowledge as my province.
Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another.
Just as treasures are uncovered from the earth, so virtue appears from good deeds, and wisdom appears from a pure and peaceful mind. To walk safely through the maze of human life, one needs the light of wisdom and the guidance of virtue.
In the measurement world, we set a goal and strive to achieve it. In the universe of possibility, we set the context and let life unfold.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.