Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears.
Frederick DouglassRead
If there is no struggle, there is no progress....This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.
Interpretation
Progress requires effort and struggle, be it moral or physical.
Frederick Douglass emphasizes that without struggle, true progress cannot be achieved. This struggle can manifest in various forms, whether it's a moral challenge or a physical endeavor, but it is a necessary ingredient for obtaining power and effecting change. Douglass underscores that nothing valuable is given without demand, asserting that effort is paramount in the quest for progress.
In practice
In a motivational speech about overcoming challenges in a workplace setting.
Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears.
We may explain success mainly by one word and that word is WORK! WORK!! WORK!!! WORK!!!!
I do not think much of the good luck theory of self-made men. It is worth but little attention and has no practical value.
To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker.
The Constitution is a GLORIOUS LIBERTY DOCUMENT. Read its preamble, consider it purposes. Is slavery among them? Is it at the gateway? or is it in the temple? it is neither.
Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them.
Life takes on meaning when you become motivated, set goals and charge after them in an unstoppable manner.
Strive for perfection, but settle for excellence.
It's like a muscle - if you stop going to the gym or stop running, you get weak. The military teaches you these great values, but we don't keep up the discipline on our own, and we lose it. So wherever you go, keep that discipline up.
You don’t have to know a lot of things for your life to make a lasting difference in the world. But you do have to know the few great things that matter, perhaps just one, and then be willing to live for them and die for them. The people that make a durable difference in the world are not the people who have mastered many things, but who have been mastered by one great thing.
Don't bunt. Aim out of the ball park. Aim for the company of immortals.
There is always someone better than you. Whatever it is that you do for a living, chances are, you will run into a situation in which you are not as talented as the person next to you. That's when being a competitor can make a difference in your fortunes.
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