Genuine good taste consists in saying much in few words, in choosing among our thoughts, in having order and arrangement in what we say, and in speaking with composure.
Francois FenelonRead
All wars are civil wars, because all men are brothers.
Interpretation
The quote suggests that all conflicts stem from a shared humanity and interconnectedness among people.
Francois Fenelon highlights the idea that despite the divisions and conflicts that may arise between groups or nations, ultimately, all humans are part of the same family. This perspective encourages a sense of unity and brotherhood, reminding us that wars not only impact the enemy but also involve fellow human beings sharing similar experiences, emotions, and suffering.
In practice
In a talk about conflict resolution, one might reference this quote to emphasize the shared humanity in disputes.
Genuine good taste consists in saying much in few words, in choosing among our thoughts, in having order and arrangement in what we say, and in speaking with composure.
True prayer is only another name for the love of God. Its excellence does not consist in the multitude of our words; for our Father knoweth what things we have need of before we ask Him. The true prayer is that of the heart, and the heart prays only for what it desires. To pray, then is to desire -- but to desire what God would have us desire. He who asks what he does not from the bottom of his heart desire, is mistaken in thinking that he prays.
The greatest of all crosses is self. If we die in part every day, we shall have but little to do on the last. These little daily deaths will destroy the power of the final dying.
How rare it is to find a soul quiet enough to hear God speak.
If we were faultless we should not be so much annoyed by the defects of those with whom we associate.
If the crowns of all the kingdoms of the empire were laid down at my feet in exchange for my books and my love of reading I would spurn them all.
When a man resolves to avenge himself, he should first of all tear out the heart from his breast.
If the many and the One be indeed the same Reality, then it is not all modes of worship alone, but equally all modes of work, all modes of struggle, all modes of creation, which are paths of realization. No distinction, henceforth, between sacred and secular. To labour is to pray. To conquer is to renounce. Life is itself religion. To have and to hold is as stern a trust as to quit and to avoid.
'Men don't cry!' 'Women can't handle money!' What limiting ideas to live with.
It is strange how sad it can be - sunlight in the afternoon, don't you think?
Do not be afraid to go and to bring Christ into every area of life, to the fringes of society, even to those who seem farthest away, most indifferent.
Human freedom involves our capacity to pause, to choose the one response toward which we wish to throw our weight.
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