Throughout his or her life, every person gathers wisdom. Whether it be from a hard experience, the better parts of life or a favorite book, we often collect knowledge from other people. In fact, to paraphrase John Green, maybe we connect so deeply with quotes because we feel so understood when we realize that we aren't the only people in the world who think and feel such strange and awful (and particular) things. For my fellow human beings who also attach themselves so tightly to sayings and proverbs, here are some of the most influential quotes in my life.
"What is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right." - Albert Einstein
Now, I know you're probably thinking this is such a basic and obvious life lesson. But, to be fair, this was pasted on a yellow banner in the hall of my elementary school, I saw it when I was young and impressionable. Of course, I had no idea at the time that it was attributed to Albert Einstein -- I feel like that helps its cred. This quote really made me think twice as a child, and it's no less relevant now. In fact, Leo Tolstoy put it in a more elegant and relevant way when he said, "Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it."
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"Life is hard, but God is good."- Unknown
This piece of peace has always been a rock upon which my life stays grounded. For me, it is a sound bit of wisdom to remember when everything seems out of my hands.
"Think. Or somebody else will do it for you." - Unknown
I will never not love this quote. Thank you to whoever said it first. Since then, it's been said in many ways, all of which should make you think. I can never emphasize this enough to myself or others. You were given a brain. Use it. This is a blessing and a freedom offered to every human being. Never waste it.
" Education is experience, and the essence of experience is self-reliance." - T.H. White, "The Once and Future King"
This one is much like the quote prior to this, but, to me, it really highlights the importance of education and independent thinking. I know it may seem like a paradox, but learning is just so important for success and for progress. You cannot just accept that what someone tells you is truth for truth; you must learn to filter life through your own lens.
"Fall down seven times, stand up eight." - Japanese proverb
I believe I first heard this quote in middle school -- in other words, the days when we all needed to be reminded that the world wasn't over just because we'd been lying on the ground for a while.
"...the business of the philosopher was to make ideas available, and not to impose them on people." - T.H. White, "The Once and Future King"
So, if you've never read "The Once and Future King," what are you waiting for? I'm just putting that idea out there... you know... for the good of humankind.
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” - Viktor E. Frankl, "Man's Search For Meaning"
To put it in other, beautifully constructed words by Maya Angelou, "You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them." This quote is a core truth in my life. An English teacher of mine once told us she believed a person could be beaten down to the point where hope is stolen from him or her, but I've always disagreed. No one chooses how you react except you. You're the only person in control of your thoughts and actions, and whether foolish or untrue, you can always choose hope.
"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor."
This saying might be an FDR quote, or it might be an old proverb. Either way, my eighth-grade science teacher told my class this once, and it's stuck with me ever since. Every tribulation has its purpose, one way or another.
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt
Another tremendous saying by a Roosevelt. The first time I heard and understood this quote it rocked me to my core. Thank you, Eleanor, for this electrifying truth of which I often need to remind myself.
"The best thing for being sad is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then -- to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the thing for you." - T. H. White, "The Once and Future King"
So you might be noticing the pattern that a great deal of my favorite quotes come from my favorite book... just another reason to read it! Really, though, this quote just describes me and my lifelong passion for learning.
"The hope of making it would lie in culture. If people could be persuaded to read and write, not just eat and make love, there was still a chance that they might come to reason." - T.H. White, "The Once and Future King"
Last, but certainly not least, this T.H. White quote is one of the concluding messages of the life-changing book, "The Once and Future King." Obviously it holds more importance if you've read and understood the book, but it's still applicable if you haven't. For me, it's really more of a life philosophy I strive to promote and uphold. I think King Arthur had the right idea.
I hope these quotes illuminated something in the darkness that you hadn't before seen. I hope they will be as pivotal to you as they are to me, but if not, thanks for filtering the wisdom. Keep on reading, learning and loving.
