When it came night, the white waves paced to and fro in the moonlight, and the wind brought the sound of the great sea's voice to the men on shore, and they felt that they could then be interpreters.
Stephen CraneRead
A serious prophet upon predicting a flood should be the first man to climb a tree. This would demonstrate that he was indeed a seer.
Interpretation
True wisdom involves taking action based on one's insights and predictions.
This quote by Stephen Crane emphasizes the importance of not just predicting challenges or disasters but also preparing for them. A genuine prophet, who claims to foresee a flood, should first exhibit his belief by taking practical steps to ensure his safety, thus demonstrating his authenticity and insightfulness. It underscores the idea that foresight must be accompanied by proactive behavior.
In practice
This quote could be used in a motivational speech about preparedness and proactive behavior in times of uncertainty.
When it came night, the white waves paced to and fro in the moonlight, and the wind brought the sound of the great sea's voice to the men on shore, and they felt that they could then be interpreters.
I saw a man pursuing the horizon
Two or three angels Came near to the earth. They saw a fat church. Little black streams of people Came and went in continually. And the angels were puzzled To know why the people went thus, And why they stayed so long within.
Sometimes, the most profound of awakenings come wrapped in the quietest of moments.
Tell her this And more,β That the king of the seas Weeps too, old, helpless man. The bustling fates Heap his hands with corpses Until he stands like a child With surplus of toys.
Over the river a golden ray of sun came through the hosts of leaden rain clouds.
Perfectionism is self destructive simply because there's no such thing as perfect. Perfection is an unattainable goal.
I mean a man whose hopes and aims may sometimes lie (as most men's sometimes do, I dare say) above the ordinary level, but to whom the ordinary level will be high enough after all if it should prove to be a way of usefulness and good service leading to no other. All generous spirits are ambitious, I suppose, but the ambition that calmly trusts itself to such a road, instead of spasmodically trying to fly over it, is of the kind I care for.
A person that started in to carry a cat home by the tail was gitting knowledge that was always going to be useful to him, and warn't ever going to grow dim or doubtful.
When I was praised I lost my time, for instantly I turned around to look at the work I had thought slightly of, and that day I made nothing new.
Paul Edgecomb: What do you want me to do John? I'll do it. You want me to let you walk out of here and see how far you get? John Coffey: Now why would you want to do a foolish thing like that? Paul Edgecomb: When I die and I stand before God awaiting judgment and he asks me why I let one of HIS miracles die, what am I gonna say, that it was my job?
My father once told me that anyone who worked for three dollars an hour owed it to himself to put in four dollars' worth of work.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.