Love is generally confused with dependence; but in point of fact, you can love only in proportion to your capacity for independence.
Rollo MayRead
The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, it is conformity.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Courage involves standing out and being oneself, whereas conformity signifies a lack of courage to be different.
This quote by Rollo May asserts that merely being compliant or fitting in with societal norms is not true bravery; rather, true courage lies in the willingness to stand apart from the crowd and embrace oneβs individuality. It suggests that societal pressures often push individuals towards conformity, which can be a more profound impediment to personal growth and authenticity than outright cowardice.
Themes
CourageConformityIndividualitySocietyAuthenticity
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared during a motivational speech about embracing one's true self.
More from Rollo May
All quotes βTo love means to open ourselves to the negative as well as the positive - to grief, sorrow, and disappointment as well as to joy, fulfillment, and an intensity of consciousness we did not know was possible before
Rollo MayRead
Terrorism and the whole drug scene are vivid examples of the fact that what persons abhor most of all in life is the possibility that they will not matter.
Rollo MayRead
Humor is the healthy way of feeling "distance" between one's self and the problem, a way of standing off and looking at one's problem with perspective.
Rollo MayRead
Beauty is the experience that gives us a sense of joy and a sense of peace simultaneously.
Rollo MayRead
The poet, like the lover, is a menace on the assembly line.
Rollo MayRead
Similar quotes
When I first ran for City Council in 2013, I was told over and over again that I would likely lose, and for reasons beyond my control: I was too young, not born in Boston, Asian American, female.
Michelle WuRead
They have nothing in their whole imperial arsenal that can break the spirit of one Irishman who doesn't want to be broken.
Bobby SandsRead
Courage is willingness to take the risk once you know the odds. Optimistic overconfidence means you are taking the risk because you don't know the odds. It's a big difference.
Daniel KahnemanRead
I hope the strong women out there aren't quiet and they don't go away, because when people attack you for speaking, the best way to drive them nuts is to smile and carry on speaking, louder, more wisely, more intensely, more articulately than ever.
Neil GaimanRead
I'm standing on a field full of landmines doing the moonwalk hoping i blow up in time
Kendrick LamarRead
We have a lot more work to do in our common struggle against bigotry and discrimination. I say "common struggle" because I believe very strongly that all forms of bigotry and discrimination are equally wrong and should be opposed by right-thinking Americans everywhere. Freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation is surely a fundamental human right in any great democracy, as much as freedom from racial, religious, gender, or ethnic discrimination.
Coretta Scott KingRead