Nothing is more durable than the dynasty of Doubt; for he reigns in the hearts of all his people, but gives satisfaction to none of them, and yet he is the only despot who can never die, while any of his subjects live.
Charles Caleb ColtonRead
Time, the cradle of hope.... Wisdom walks before it, opportunity with it, and repentance behind it: he that has made it his friend will have little to fear from his enemies, but he that has made it his enemy will have little to hope from his friends.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of time in shaping our experiences and relationships.
Charles Caleb Colton's quote highlights the multifaceted nature of time, portraying it as a nurturing force that brings hope and wisdom while also serving as a reminder of past mistakes through repentance. By suggesting that those who embrace time as a friend can face adversities with confidence while those who neglect or oppose it will struggle, he illustrates the profound impact our relationship with time has on our lives and interactions with others.
In practice
A motivational speech on the importance of valuing time in personal growth.
Nothing is more durable than the dynasty of Doubt; for he reigns in the hearts of all his people, but gives satisfaction to none of them, and yet he is the only despot who can never die, while any of his subjects live.
It is astonishing how much more people are interested in lengthening life than improving it.
The benevolent have the advantage of the envious, even in this present life; for the envious man is tormented not only by all the ill that befalls himself, but by all the good that happens to another; whereas the benevolent man is the better prepared to bear his own calamities unruffled, from the complacency and serenity he has secured from contemplating the prosperity of all around him.
Happiness, that grand mistress of the ceremonies in the dance of life, impels us through all its mazes and meanderings, but leads none of us by the same route.
Our minds are as different as our faces. We are all traveling to one destination: happiness, but few are going by the same road.
Moderation is the inseparable companion of wisdom, but with it genius has not even a nodding acquaintance.
You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage—pleasantly, smilingly, nonapologetically, to say “no” to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger “yes” burning inside. The enemy of the “best” is often the “good.
While everyone else is thinking about economics and politics, executive salaries and the future of the euro, do the opposite, even if it's hard. Invest in the spirit.
Our wisdom and deliberation for the most part follow the lead of chance.
Intelligence and education that hasn't been tempered by human affection isn't worth a damn.
You can get so confused that you'll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place. The Waiting Place.
We are not saints. We know we make mistakes, but at least our heart is with the right cause.
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