To the generous mind the heaviest debt is that of gratitude, when it is not in our power to repay it.
Benjamin FranklinRead
To be thrown upon one's own resources, is to be cast in the very lap of fortune.
Interpretation
Embracing self-reliance can lead to unexpected opportunities and success.
This quote by Benjamin Franklin highlights the idea that when individuals are placed in challenging situations where they must rely solely on their own ingenuity and resources, they often discover strengths and opportunities that can lead to success. It suggests that adversity can be a blessing in disguise, as it compels people to innovate and adapt, ultimately putting them in a position to thrive.
In practice
In a motivational speech about overcoming challenges, this quote can inspire individuals to harness their inner strength.
To the generous mind the heaviest debt is that of gratitude, when it is not in our power to repay it.
He'll cheat without scruple, who can without fear.
[E]very Man who comes among us, and takes up a piece of Land, becomes a Citizen, and by our Constitution has a Voice in Elections, and a share in the Government of the Country.
Our Constitution is in actual operation; everything appears to promise that it will last; but in this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.
Let honesty and industry be thy constant companions, and spend one penny less than thy clear gains; then shall thy pocket begin to thrive; creditors will not insult, nor want oppress, nor hungerness bite, nor nakedness freeze thee
I think that a young state, like a young virgin, should modestly stay at home, and wait the application of suitors for an alliance with her; and not run about offering her amity to all the world; and hazarding their refusal. Our virgin is a jolly one; and tho at present not very rich, will in time be a great fortune, and where she has a favorable predisposition, it seems to me well worth cultivating.
The only true voyage, the only bath in the Fountain of Youth, would be not to visit strange lands but to possess other eyes, to see the universe through the eyes of another, of a hundred others, to see the hundred universes that each of them sees, that each of them is; and this we do [with great artists]; with artists like these we do really fly from star to star.
Not only does silence give us a chance to understand ourselves better, to get a truer and more balanced perspective on our own lives in relation to the lives of others: silence makes us whole if we let it. Silence helps draw together the scattered and dissipated energies of a fragmented existence.
Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world.
Traveling makes men wiser, but less happy.
Forgiveness is for yourself because it frees you. It lets you out of that prison you put yourself in.
I see what you mean. It must be a huge relief, and an easy way out, to think the devil is always outside of us. (β¦) we would stop looking for Sheitan outside and instead focus on ourselves. What we need is sincere self-examination. Not being on the watch for the faults of others.β (p. 257).
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.