QuoteProject
If we did not have a sense of who we were, how we got here, why we want to achieve something - which, on the face of it, on the logic of it, is probably not worth trying - and prove that logic wrong, then you wouldn't succeed; then you would just evaporate.
Lee Hsien Loong
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

Understanding our identity and motivations is crucial for success.

In this quote, Lee Hsien Loong emphasizes the importance of self-identity and the reasons behind our pursuits. Without a clear sense of who we are and what drives us, attempts to achieve goals may feel futile, leading to a lack of motivation and eventual failure. Conversely, recognizing these elements can empower us to defy the odds and attain success, illustrating that understanding oneself is foundational to overcoming obstacles and achieving greatness.

Themes

IdentityMotivationSuccessSelf-Awareness

In practice

Example use cases

In a motivational speech to students about pursuing their dreams.

More from Lee Hsien Loong

You need people who have their own views, whose views you respect, whom you can have a productive disagreement with, and work out ideas which you might not have come up with, or who improve on ideas you had.
Lee Hsien LoongRead
Just as our forefathers saved and invested to build what we, the current generation, are enjoying today, so, too, we must plant trees so that our sons and daughters, and their sons and daughters, can enjoy the shade.
Lee Hsien LoongRead
When people say they don't want a nanny state, they are, in fact, in a conflicted state of mind. On the one hand, they want to do whatever they want and not be stopped. On the other hand, if something goes wrong, they want to be rescued.
Lee Hsien LoongRead
You need to have good people: honourable, capable, committed in politics, standing in public office. It's not a guarantee, but it's the ideal we have to aim for.
Lee Hsien LoongRead
No government prospers by saying, 'I don't need to do anything. Just by being there, we have made the country thrive.'
Lee Hsien LoongRead

Similar quotes

Nothing of value is free. Even the breath of life is purchased at birth only through gasping effort and pain... The best things in life are beyond money; their price is agony and sweat and devotion... and the price demanded for the most precious of all things in life is life itself--ultimate cost for perfect value
Robert A. HeinleinRead
Never lose hope, my heart, miracles dwell in the invisible. If the whole world turns against you keep your eyes on the Friend.
RumiRead
It is astonishing how elements that seem insoluble become soluble when someone listens.
Carl RogersRead
Virtue knows that it is impossible to get on without compromise, and tunes herself, as it were, a trifle sharp to allow for an inevitable fall in playing.
Samuel ButlerRead
The strongest symptom of wisdom in man is his being sensible of his own follies.
Francois De La RochefoucauldRead
When you have a spirit of excellence, you do the right thing not because somebody is watching or making you do it; you do it because it's the right thing to do.
Joel OsteenRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.