A vigorous temper is not altogether an evil. Men who are easy as an old shoe are generally of little worth.
Interpretation
Having a strong temper can be beneficial, as it often signifies passion and strength, unlike those who lack vigor and drive.
This quote emphasizes that a strong, vigorous temperament is not inherently negative; rather, it can indicate an individual's passion and intensity. The author suggests that those who are excessively complacent or passive ('easy as an old shoe') may lack the qualities necessary for substantial worth or contribution, implying that vitality and assertiveness are essential for meaningful engagement in life.
In practice
During a motivational speech about embracing one's emotions.
Amusement should be used to do us good “like a medicine”: it must never be used as the food of the man...Many have had all holy thoughts and gracious resolutions stamped out by perpetual trifling. Pleasure so called is the murderer of thought. This is the age of excessive amusement: everybody craves for it, like a babe for its rattle.
When you see no present advantage, walk by faith and not by sight. Do God the honor to trust Him when it comes to matters of loss for the sake of principle.
It is far easier to fight with sin in public than to pray against it in private.
You will never glory in God till first of all God has killed your glorying in yourself.
After faith comes repentance, or, rather, repentance is faith's twin brother and is born at the same time.
["All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant."] The original Hebrew word that has been translated "paths" means "well-worn roads' or "wheel tracks," such ruts as wagons make when they go down our green roads in wet weather and sink in up to the axles. God's ways are at times like heavy wagon tracks that cut deep into our souls, yet all of them are merciful.
You cannot lift another soul until you are standing on higher ground than he is. You cannot light a fire in another soul unless it is burning in your own soul.
When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike.
Control is illusory. No matter what university you go to, no matter what degree you hold, if your goal is to becomes master of your own destiny, you have more to learn.
Learn to humble yourself, you are but earth and clay.
Being self-critical is good; being self-hating is destructive. There's a very fine line there somewhere, and I walk it carefully.
As quickly as you can go 4-1, you can go 1-4. And the whole objective is not to get too high and not to get too low. It's one thing to tell somebody that and explain it, but it's another thing to really buy in, to have felt that and understand what it means to stay even-keel. That's what you have to be in this league.
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