The earth has grown old with its burden of care, But at Christmas it always is young.
Phillips BrooksRead
It is almost as presumptuous to think you can do nothing as to think you can do everything.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Recognizing the balance in our capabilities is essential; one shouldn't underestimate the power of small actions or overestimate the ability to accomplish everything alone.
Phillips Brooks' quote highlights the importance of humility and balance in our actions and attitudes. It suggests that believing one can do nothing is just as misguided as believing one can do everything. Instead, we should acknowledge the value of taking small steps and contributing to broader efforts, understanding that every action counts and that it is not productive to either overestimate ourselves or underestimate the potential impact of our efforts.
Themes
BalanceActionHumilityEffortWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
During a team meeting where members feel overwhelmed with tasks.
More from Phillips Brooks
All quotes βWe never become truly spiritual by sitting down and wishing to become so. You must undertake something so great that you cannot accomplish it unaided.
Phillips BrooksRead
The truest help we can render an afflicted man is not to take his burden from him, but to call out his best energy, that he may be able to bear the burden.
Phillips BrooksRead
To believe in the God over us and around us and not in the God within us - that would be a powerless and fruitless faith.
Phillips BrooksRead
To say, 'well done' to any bit of good work is to take hold of the powers which have made the effort and strengthen them beyond our knowledge.
Phillips BrooksRead
Think of life as a voyage. The truest liver of the truest life is like a voyager who, as he sails, is not indifferent to all the beauty of the sea around him.
Phillips BrooksRead
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Has joy any survival value in the operations of evolution? I suspect that it does; I suspect that the morose and fearful are doomed to quick extinction. Where there is no joy there can be no courage; and without courage all other virtues are useless.
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I am amazed to see how deliberately I have entangled myself step by step. To have seen my position so clearly, and yet to have acted so like a child!
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