Was it always my nature to take a bad time and block out the good times, until any success became an accident and failure seemed the only truth?
Lillian HellmanRead
It is best to act with confidence, no matter how little right you have to it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Acting with confidence can often lead to better outcomes, even if you feel uncertain.
This quote emphasizes the importance of confidence in our actions. Lillian Hellman suggests that even in situations where one may feel inadequate or unqualified, presenting oneself with assurance can enhance perception and potentially influence the results positively. Confidence can often overshadow doubts and uncertainties, allowing individuals to navigate challenges more effectively.
Themes
ConfidenceActionCertaintySelf-AssuranceWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a motivational speech to encourage students to participate confidently in class discussions.
More from Lillian Hellman
All quotes βIf I had to give young writers advice, I would say don't listen to writers talking about writing or themselves.
Lillian HellmanRead
If you believe, as the Greeks did, that man is at the mercy of the gods, then you write tragedy. The end is inevitable from the beginning. But if you believe that man can solve his own problems and is at nobody's mercy, then you will probably write melodrama.
Lillian HellmanRead
Nobody knows what you want except you. And nobody will be as sorry as you if you don't get it. Wanting some other way to live is proof enough of deserving it. Having it is hard work, but not having it is sheer hell.
Lillian HellmanRead
Failure in the theater is more dramatic and uglier than any other form of writing. It costs so much, you feel so guilty.
Lillian HellmanRead
It is not good to see people who have been pretending strength all their lives lose it even for a minute.
Lillian HellmanRead
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I have known it for a long time but I have only just experienced it. Now I know it not only with my intellect, but with my eyes, with my heart, with my stomach.
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Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another.
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