One of the commonest mistakes and one of the costliest is thinking that success is due to some genius, some magic—something or other which we do not possess. Success is generally due to holding on, and failure to letting go. You decide to learn a language, study music, take a course of reading, train yourself physically. Will it be success or failure? It depends upon how much pluck and perseverance that word “decide” contains. The decision that nothing can overrule, the grip that nothing can detach will bring success. Remember the Chinese proverb, “With time and patience, the mulberry leaf becomes satin.”
—Maltbie Davenport Babcock (American Presbyterian Clergyman)
A nail is driven out by another nail; habit is overcome by habit.
—Desiderius Erasmus (Dutch Catholic Humanist)
Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.
—Niccolo Machiavelli (Florentine Political Philosopher)
The young man who has not wept is a savage, and the old man who will not laugh is a fool.
—George Santayana (Spanish Philosopher)
Mental violence has no potency and injures only the person whose thoughts are violent. It is otherwise with mental non-violence. It has potency which the world does not yet know.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (Indian Hindu Political leader)
Choose your customers. Fire the ones that hurt your ability to deliver the right story to the others.
—Seth Godin (American Entrepreneur)
Few men survey themselves with so much severity as not to admit prejudices in their own favor.
—Samuel Johnson (British Essayist)
The reason that adulation is not displeasing is that, though untrue, it shows one to be of consequence enough, in one way or other, to induce people to lie.
—Lord Byron (George Gordon Byron) (English Romantic Poet)
An eager pursuit of fortune is inconsistent with a severe devotion to truth. The heart must grow tranquil before the thought can become searching.
—Christian Nestell Bovee
Familiarity breeds contempt.
—Aesop (Greek Fabulist)
Put your heart, mind, intellect, and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.
—Sivananda Saraswati
The only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good, in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it.
—John Stuart Mill (English Philosopher, Economist)
The golden rule is of no use whatsoever unless you realize that it is your move.
—Frank Hall Crane