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21 Quotes That (If Applied) Change You Into a Amend Person

Equally long as man has been alive, he has been collecting little sayings about how to live. Nosotros find them carved in the rock of the Temple of Apollo and etched as graffiti on the walls of Pompeii. They appear in the plays of Shakespeare, the commonplace book of H. P. Lovecraft, the collected proverbs of Erasmus, and the ceiling beams of Montaigne'south report. Today, they're recorded on iPhones and in Evernote.

But whatever generation is doing information technology, whether they're written by scribes in China or commoners in some European dungeon or only passed along by a kindly grandfather, these picayune epigrams of life advice have taught essential lessons. How to answer to adversity. How to think nearly coin. How to meditate on our mortality. How to accept courage.

And they pack all this in in and so few words. "What is an epigram?" Coleridge asked, "A dwarfish whole; Its body brevity, and wit its soul." Epigrams are what Churchill was doing when he said: "To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to take inverse frequently." Or Balzac: "All happiness depends on courage and work." Ah yes, epigrams are frequently funny likewise. That'south how nosotros recollect them. Napoleon: "Never interrupt an enemy making a mistake." François de La Rochefoucauld: "We hardly observe whatever persons of proficient sense save those who agree with us." Voltaire: "A long dispute means that both parties are incorrect."

Below are some wonderful epigrams that span some 21 centuries and iii continents. Each one is worth remembering, having queued in your brain for i of life'southward crossroads or to drop at the perfect moment in conversation. Each will alter and evolve with you lot equally you evolve (Heraclitus: "No human being steps in the same river twice") and yet each will remain strong and unyielding no thing how much y'all may one day try to wiggle out and away from them.

Fundamentally, each i volition teach you how to be a better person. If you permit them.

"We must all either wear out or rust out, every one of us. My selection is to wear out." — Theodore Roosevelt

At the beginning of his life, few would have predicted that Theodore Roosevelt fifty-fifty had a selection in the matter. He was sickly and fragile, doted on by worried parents. Then, a chat with his begetter sent him driven, nearly maniacally in the other direction. "I will make my trunk," he said, when told that he would not get in in this globe with a brilliant mind in a frail trunk. What followed was a montage of battle, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, swimming, boldly charging enemy fire, and so a grueling work pace as one of the nigh prolific and admired presidents in American history. Again, this epigram was prophetic for Roosevelt, because at but 54 years sometime, his body began to habiliment out. An assassination attempt left a bullet lodged in his body and it hastened his rheumatoid arthritis. On his famous "River of Doubt" trek he developed a tropical fever and the toxins from an infection in his leg left him almost dead. Back in America he contracted a severe pharynx infection and was afterward diagnosed with inflammatory rheumatism, which temporarily confined him to a wheelchair (saying famously, "All correct! I can work that way too!") and so he died at age 60. But there is not a person on the planet who would say that he had not made a fair trade, that he had non worn his life well and not lived a full one in those threescore years.

"Information technology's non what happens to you lot, but how y'all react to it that matters." — Epictetus

In that location is the story of the alcoholic male parent with two sons. One follows in his father's footsteps and ends upward struggling through life as a drunk, and the other becomes a successful, sober man of affairs. Each are asked: "Why are you the manner you are?" The answer for both is the same: "Well, information technology'due south because my father was an alcoholic." The same event, the same childhood, ii different outcomes. This is true for almost all situations — what happens to us is an objective reality, how we respond is a subjective pick. The Stoics — of which Epictetus was i — would say that we don't command what happens to us, all we command are our thoughts and reactions to what happens to u.s.. Remember that: Y'all're defined in this life not by your skillful luck or your bad luck, merely your reaction to those strokes of fortune. Don't let anyone tell yous different.

"The best revenge is not to be like that." — Marcus Aurelius

There is a proverb nearly revenge: Before setting out for a journey of revenge, dig two graves. Because revenge is and so costly, because the pursuit of it often wears on the ane who covets it. Marcus's advice is easier and truer: How much ameliorate information technology feels to let it get, to leave the wrongdoer to their wrongdoing. And from what we know, Marcus Aurelius lived this communication. When Avidius Cassius, ane of his most trusted generals rebelled and alleged himself emperor, Marcus did not seek vengeance. Instead, he saw this equally an opportunity to teach the Roman people and the Roman Senate about how to bargain with ceremonious strife in a empathetic, forgiving manner. Indeed, when assassins struck Cassius down, Marcus supposedly wept. This is very unlike than the idea of "Living well existence the best revenge" — it's not about showing someone upwards or rubbing your success in their confront. It'south that the person who wronged you is not happy, is non enjoying their life. Do not become like them. Reward yourself by being the opposite of them.

"There is adept in everything, if only we wait for it." — Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the classic series Fiddling House, lived this, facing some of the toughest and unwelcoming elements on the planet: harsh and unyielding soil, Indian territory, Kansas prairies, and the humid weald of Florida. Not agape, not jaded — because she saw information technology all as an adventure. Everywhere was a chance to do something new, to persevere with cheery pioneer spirit whatever fate befell her and her hubby. That isn't to say she saw the earth through delusional rose-colored glasses. Instead, she but chose to see each situation for what information technology could be — accompanied past hard work and a little upbeat spirit. Others brand the opposite choice. Recall: There is no practiced or bad without us, at that place is simply perception. At that place is the event itself and the story we tell ourselves about what it means.

"Graphic symbol is fate." — Heraclitus

In the hiring process, virtually employers look at where someone went to school, what jobs they've held in the past. This is considering by success can exist an indicator of futurity successes. Just is it always? There are enough of people who were successful considering of luck. Maybe they got into Oxford or Harvard because of their parents. And what nigh a young person who hasn't had time to build a track record? Are they worthless? Of course not. This is why character is a far ameliorate measure out of a man or adult female. Not just for jobs, but for friendships, relationships, for everything. When you seek to accelerate your own position in life, character is the all-time lever — possibly not in the curt term, but certainly over the long term. And the aforementioned goes for the people you invite into your life.

"If y'all see fraud and do non say fraud, you are a fraud." — Nicholas Nassim Taleb

A man shows upwards for work at a company where he knows that management is doing something wrong, something unethical. How does he respond? Can he cash his checks in practiced conscience because he isn't the i running up the stock price, falsifying reports or lying to his co-workers? No. Ane cannot, as Budd Schulberg says in one of his novels, deal in filth without becoming the thing he touches. We should look up to a fellow at Theranos as an instance here. Afterward discovering numerous problems at the health care startup, he was dismissed by his seniors and somewhen contacted the authorities. Afterwards, not only was this young human repeatedly threatened, bullied, and attacked by Theranos, but his family had to consider selling their house to pay for the legal bills. His relationship with his grandfather — who sits on the Theranos board — is strained and peradventure irreparable. Every bit Marcus Aurelius reminded himself, and usa: "Just that you practise the right thing. The rest doesn't thing." Information technology's an important reminder. Doing the right thing isn't free. Doing the right thing might even cost you lot everything.

"Every man I meet is my main in some point, and in that I learn of him." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Everyone is better than y'all at something. This is a fact of life. Someone is ameliorate than yous at making eye contact. Someone is better than you at breakthrough physics. Someone is better informed than you on geopolitics. Someone is better than you lot are at speaking kindly to someone they dislike. At that place are ameliorate gift-givers, name-rememberers, weight-lifters, temper-controllers, confidence-carriers, and friendship-makers. There is no one person who is the all-time at all these things, who doesn't have room to improve in one or more of them. So if y'all tin find the humility to accept this near yourself, what you lot volition realize is that the world is one giant classroom. Go virtually your day with an openness and a joy near this fact. Wait at every interaction as an opportunity to learn from and of the people you come across. You will exist amazed at how quickly yous grow, how much better you get.

"This is not your responsibility only it is your trouble." — Cheryl Strayed

It is not your responsibility to fill up a stranger's gas tank, but when their motorcar dies in forepart of you, blocking the road, it'south still your problem isn't it? Information technology is not your responsibility to negotiate peace treaties on behalf of your state, merely when war breaks out and you lot're drafted to fight in it? Approximate whose problem it is? Yours. Life is like this. It has a way of dropping things into our lap — the consequences of an employee's negligence, a spouse'south momentary lapse of judgement, a freak weather condition issue — that were in no manner our fault simply by nature of being in our lap, our f*cking trouble. Then what are yous going to do? Mutter? Are yous going to litigate this in a blogpost or an argument with God? Or are yous just going to become to work solving it the best you can? Life is divers by how you answer that question. Cheryl Strayed is right. This matter might not be your responsibleness but it is your trouble. So accept information technology, deal with it, kicking its ass.

"Waste no more time arguing what a good human should be. Be 1." — Marcus Aurelius

In Rome just equally America, in the forum just as on Facebook, in that location was the temptation to replace action with statement. To philosophize instead of living philosophically. Today, in a society obsessed with content, outrage, and drama, it's even easier to become lost in the repeat bedroom of the debate of what's "better." Nosotros tin can have endless discussions about what's right and wrong. What should we do in this hypothetical situation or that 1? How tin can we encourage other people to be ameliorate? (We tin can even contend the pregnant of the above line: "What's a human being? What'southward the definition of good? Why doesn't it mention women?") Of course, this is all a distraction. If you want to attempt to make the world a slightly better place, there'southward a lot you can do. But only ane affair guarantees an touch. Step abroad from the argument. Dig yourself out of the rubble. Terminate wasting time with how things should be, would exist, could be. Be that affair. (Here's a cool poster of this quote).

"You are only entitled to the action, never to its fruits." — Bhagavad Gita

In life, it's a fact that: Yous will be unappreciated. You volition be sabotaged. You will experience surprising failures. Your expectations will not be met. You will lose. You will fail. How do y'all carry on so? How practice you take pride in yourself and your work? John Wooden's advice to his players says information technology: Modify the definition of success. "Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self satisfaction in knowing you made the endeavour to do your best to become the all-time that y'all are capable of becoming." "Ambition," Marcus Aurelius reminded himself, "means tying your well-being to what other people say or exercise . . . Sanity means tying it to your own actions." Do your work. Practice it well. So "permit get and let God." That's all there needs to be. Recognition and rewards — those are but extra.

"Self-sufficiency is the greatest of all wealth." — Epicurus

A lot has been said of and so-called "F*ck You Money." The idea being that if one tin earn enough, get rich and powerful plenty, that suddenly no one can touch them and they tin exercise whatsoever they desire. What a mirage this is! How often the target seems to mysteriously move correct as nosotros approach it. Information technology calls to listen the ascertainment of David "DHH" Heinemeier Hansson who said that "beyond a specific amount, f*ck-you money tin can exist a state of mind. One that you can acquire well in accelerate of the respective bank account. 1 that'south founded by and large on a personal confidence that fifty-fifty if most of the material trappings went away, you'd nevertheless exist happier for standing your footing." The truth is being your own man, beingness self-contained, having fewer needs, and better, resilient skills that allow y'all to thrive in any and all situations. That is real wealth and freedom. That'southward what Emerson was talking about in his famous essay on self-reliance and it's what Epicurus meant too.

"Tell me to what you lot pay attention and I will tell you who you are." — Jose Ortega y Gasset

Information technology was 1 of the bully Stoics who said that if you lot alive with a lame human, shortly plenty y'all will walk with a limp. My father told me something similar equally a kid: "You become like your friends." Information technology is truthful not simply with social influences merely advisory ones too: If y'all are addicted to the chatter of the news, you lot will presently find yourself worried, resentful, and perpetually outraged. If yous eat zip but escapist amusement, you will notice the real world around y'all harder and harder to deal with. If all you do is watch the markets and captivate over every fluctuation, your worldview will become divers by money and gains and losses. But if yous drink from deep, philosophical wisdom? If you have regularly in your listen role models of restraint, sobriety, courage, and award? Well, you volition start to go these things as well. Tell me who y'all spend time with, Goethe said, and I will tell you who you lot are. Tell me what y'all pay attention to, Gasset was maxim, and I tin tell you the same thing. Call up that the next time you feel your finger itching to pull upward your Facebook feed.

"Better to trip with the feet than with the tongue." — Zeno

Y'all can e'er get upwards later on you fall, but call back, what has been said can never exist unsaid. Peculiarly roughshod and hurtful things.

"Space I can recover. Time, never." — Napoleon Bonaparte

Lands can exist reconquered, indeed in the course of a boxing, a colina or a certain plain might trade hands several times. But missed opportunities? These can never be regained. Moments in fourth dimension, in culture? They can never be re-made. One tin never get back in time to prepare for what they should have prepared for, no one tin can ever get back critical seconds that were wasted out of fearfulness or ego. Napoleon was brilliant at trading space for fourth dimension: Sure, you lot tin can make these moves, provided y'all are giving me the time I demand to drill my troops, or move them to where I want them to exist. Yet in life, most of us are terrible at this. Nosotros trade an hour of our life here or afternoon there like it tin can exist bought back with the few dollars we were paid for information technology. And it is only much much later, every bit they are on their deathbeds or when they are looking back on what might have been, that many people realize the atrocious truth of this quote. Don't exercise that. Encompass it now.

"You never know who'southward swimming naked until the tide goes out." — Warren Buffett

The trouble with comparing yourself to other people is y'all really never know anyone else's situation. The co-worker with a dainty motorcar? It could be a dangerous and dangerous salvage with 100,000 miles. The friend who always seems to be traveling to far off places? They could exist up to their eyeballs in credit menu debt and about to get fired by their dominate. Your neighbors' marriage which makes you and so insecure well-nigh your ain? It could be a nightmare, a complete prevarication. People do a very good job pretending at things, and their well-maintained fronts are oft covers for incredible risk and irresponsibility. Yous never know, Warren Buffett was saying, until things get bad. If yous're living the life you lot know to exist right, if you lot are making good, solid decisions, don't be swayed by what others are doing — whether that is taking the form of irrational exuberance or panicked pessimism. See the high flying lives of others every bit a cautionary tale — like Icarus with his wings — and non equally an inspiration or a source of insecurity. Continue doing what you're doing and don't be caught swimming naked! Because the tide will go out. Fix for it! (Premeditatio Malorum)

"Search others for their virtues, thyself for thy vices." — Benjamin Franklin

Marcus Aurelius would say something similar: "Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself." Why? For starters considering the only person you lot command is yourself. It's a complete waste of time to become around projecting strict standards on other people — ones they never agreed to follow in the first place — and so being aghast or experience wronged when they fall brusk. The other reason is yous accept no idea what other people are going or accept been through. That person who seemed to rudely decline the invitation you so kindly offered? What if they were working difficult to recommit themselves to their family and equally much as they'd similar to have coffee with yous, are doing their all-time to spend more time with their loved ones? The point is: You lot have no idea. So requite people the benefit of the doubt. Wait for expert in them, presume practiced in them, and let that practiced inspire your own actions.

"The world was not big enough for Alexander the Great, simply a bury was." — Juvenal

Ah, the way that a good one liner can humble fifty-fifty the world's greatest conqueror. Remember: we are all equals in death. Information technology makes quick work of all of us, large and small. I conduct a coin in my pocket to recollect this: Memento Mori. What Juvenal reminds u.s.a. is the same affair that Shakespeare spoke about in Hamlet:

"Imperious Caesar, expressionless and turned to dirt,
Might stop a hole to keep the current of air away.
O' that that earth which kept the world in awe
Should patch a wall t' expel the winder's flaw!"

It doesn't thing how famous you are, how powerful yous are, how much you think you have left to do on this planet, the same thing happens to all of usa, and it tin can happen when nosotros least expect it. And then nosotros will be wormfood and that's the end of it.

"To improve is to alter, so to be perfect is to accept changed oftentimes." — Winston Churchill

While this is probably not a Churchill original (he most likely borrowed from Cardinal Newman: "In a higher world it is otherwise, simply hither below to alive is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed ofttimes"), Churchill certainly abided this in his life. He'd even quip about his abiding modify of political amalgamation: "I said a lot of stupid things when I worked with the Conservative Party, and I left it because I did non want to go on saying stupid things." Equally Cicero would say when attacked that he was changing his opinion: "If something strikes me every bit probable, I say it; and that is how, unlike everyone else, I remain a complimentary agent." There is goose egg more impressive — intellectually or otherwise — than to alter long held behavior, opinions, and habits. The more you've changed, the better you probably are.

"Judge not, lest yous exist judged." — Jesus

Non only hither would Jesus phone call the states on one of our worst tendencies but immediately also ask: "And why do you await at the speck in your brother'due south centre, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?" This line is similar to what the Stoic philosopher Seneca, who historical sources suggest was built-in the aforementioned twelvemonth as Jesus, would say: "You look at the pimples of others when yous yourselves are covered with a mass of sores." Waste no time judging and worrying nearly other people. You have enough of problems to deal with in your own life. Chances are your own flaws are probably worse — and in any case, they are at least in your command. So do something nearly them.

"Time and patience are the strongest warriors." — Leo Tolstoy

Tolstoy puts the above words in the oral cavity of Field Marshall Mikhail Kutuzov in State of war and Peace. In real life, Kutuzov gave Napoleon a painful lesson in the truth of the epigram over a long winter in Russian federation in 1812. Tolstoy would also say, "Everything comes in fourth dimension to him who knows how to expect." When it comes to accomplishing anything significant, you are required to showroom patience and fortitude, and so much patience, as much as you'd recall you'd need boldness and courage. In my book Conspiracy, about Peter Thiel's plot to destroy Gawker, his operative describes a similar idea: With enough time and patience, you can do annihilation.

"No ane saves united states of america but ourselves / No one tin can and no one may." — Buddha

Will we wait for someone to save us, or will we heed to Marcus Aurelius's empowering call to "get agile in your own rescue — if yous care for yourself at all — and do information technology while you lot tin can."

Considering at some point, we must put articles like this 1 aside and take action. No i tin can blow our nose for united states. Some other weblog post isn't the respond. The right choices and decisions are. Who knows how much fourth dimension y'all have left, or what awaits united states of america tomorrow? Then go to it.

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This piece originally ran on Fine art of Manliness.

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Source: https://medium.com/thrive-global/21-quotes-that-if-applied-change-boys-into-men-3e124aff36f8