Ned Hardy
Get Smarter Everyday
“A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live.”
The quote is often attributed to Lao Tzu, the ancient Chinese philosopher and writer, considered the founder of Taoism. However, the authenticity of this attribution is debated, as it doesn’t appear directly in his main work, the Tao Te Ching. Regardless, the quote is rich in meaning and aligns well with Taoist philosophy.
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“Stood in firelight, sweltering. Bloodstain on chest like map of violent new continent. Felt cleansed. Felt dark planet turn under my feet and knew what cats know that makes them scream like babies in night.
Looked at sky through smoke heavy with human fat and God was not there. The cold, suffocating dark goes on forever and we are alone. Live our lives, lacking anything better to do. Devise reason later. Born from oblivion; bear children, hell-bound as ourselves, go into oblivion. There is nothing else.
“I stopped in the middle of that building and I saw — the sky. I saw the things that I love in this world. The work and the food and time time to sit and smoke. And I looked at the pen and said to myself, what the hell am I grabbing this for? Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be? What am I doing in an office, making a contemptuous, begging fool of myself, when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am! Why can’t I say that, Willy?
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“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”
― George Orwell, Animal Farm
This quote comes from the final chapter of George Orwell’s novella “Animal Farm,” which was published in 1945. The story is an allegory for the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent Soviet Union under Stalin’s rule. In the novella, a group of farm animals overthrow their human owner and establish a society based on the principles of animalism, which promotes equality among all animals.
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“It makes no difference what men think of war…War endures. As well ask men what they think of stone. War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting the ultimate practitioner.”
“Blood Meridian” by Cormac McCarthy is often regarded as one of the greatest American novels of the 20th century. The book is set in the mid-19th century and follows a nameless protagonist, known only as “the Kid,” as he joins a group of Indian-hunters led by the ruthless Judge Holden. The novel is a brutal, unflinching portrayal of violence and the human condition.
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“Love is or it ain’t. Thin love ain’t love at all.”
— Toni Morrison, Beloved
When Toni Morrison wrote, “Love is or it ain’t. Thin love ain’t love at all,” she captured a profound truth about the nature of genuine love. This quote, from her powerful novel “Beloved,” speaks to the idea that real love is unwavering and unconditional. It’s not a fleeting emotion or a halfhearted commitment.
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
“If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.”
― Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince
Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince, written in the early 16th century, serves as a manual for new rulers on how to acquire and maintain political power. The work is renowned for its pragmatic, often ruthless advice, focusing on the realities of political leadership rather than moral or ethical considerations. Machiavelli’s insights stem from his observations of political affairs in Renaissance Italy, a time marked by frequent conflicts and power struggles.
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
― Rumi
The quote by the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi is a profound meditation on the nature of love and the human condition. It suggests that the key to experiencing love lies not in pursuing it externally, but rather in confronting and dismantling the internal obstacles that prevent us from embracing it fully.
Rumi was a Sufi mystic whose writings often explored themes of love, spirituality, and the search for unity with the divine. In this quote, he challenges the notion that love is something to be sought or attained from outside oneself. Instead, he posits that love is an innate human capacity, a fundamental aspect of our being that is always present within us.
“But although the cliche says that power always corrupts, what is seldom said … is that power always reveals. When a man is climbing, trying to persuade others to give him power, concealment is necessary. … But as a man obtains more power, camouflage becomes less necessary.”
― Robert A. Caro, The Passage of Power
Robert Caro, in his exploration of power dynamics in “The Passage of Power,” a volume of his extensive biography of Lyndon B. Johnson, offers a nuanced perspective on the nature of power and its effects on individuals. The quote encapsulates one of Caro’s central themes: the transformative and revelatory nature of power.
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“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”
― Brene Brown
This quote by Brené Brown, from her book “Daring Greatly,” explores the concept of vulnerability and its profound impact on our lives.
First, what does it mean to “own our story”? It means accepting and embracing all parts of ourselves – the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s about being honest with ourselves and others about who we are, where we’ve been, and what we’ve experienced.
“Every day is a new day. It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
This quote is from Ernest Hemingway’s novel “The Old Man and the Sea,” published in 1952. The story is about an aging Cuban fisherman named Santiago who struggles with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream.
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