Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.
Alexander PopeRead
Strength of mind is exercise, not rest.
Interpretation
Mental strength is developed through practice and challenges, not by inactivity.
This quote by Alexander Pope emphasizes that developing mental fortitude requires effort and active engagement, much like physical strength. It suggests that, rather than seeking comfort and ease, one should confront challenges and push their boundaries to strengthen their mind.
In practice
During a leadership seminar on resilience, one might quote this to highlight the importance of facing challenges.
Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.
What dire offence from am'rous causes springs, What mighty contests rise from trivial things.
Fair tresses man's imperial race ensnare; And beauty draws us with a single hair.
An honest man's the noblest work of God.
One thought of thee puts all the pomp to flight;_x000D_ _x000D_ Priests, tapers, temples, swim before my sight.
Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel?
Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape.
Thought and theory must precede all salutary action; yet action is nobler in itself than either thought or theory.
There are children playing in the streets who could solve some of my top problems in physics, because they have modes of sensory perception that I lost long ago.
Doing good to others is not a duty. It is a joy, for it increases your own health and happiness.
The best way to handle responsibility is to break it down into smaller parts. Take care of one small thing at a time.
O, happy the soul that saw its own faults.
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