I have always been of the mind that in a democracy manners are the only effective weapons against the bowie-knife.
James Russell LowellRead
Not failure, but low aim, is crime.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Aim high to achieve success; settling for less is the true failure.
This quote by James Russell Lowell emphasizes that having low aspirations or aims is a greater failure than any mistakes or setbacks one might encounter. It encourages individuals to strive for higher goals and to realize that failing to reach one's potential is what constitutes a true personal offense.
Themes
FailureAimHighSuccessMotivation
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about pursuing dreams, this quote could inspire the audience to set ambitious goals.
More from James Russell Lowell
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Good luck is the willing handmaid of upright, energetic character, and conscientious observance of duty.
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Puritanism, believing itself quick with the seed of religious liberty, laid, without knowing it, the egg of democracy.
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Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind.
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Old events have modern meanings; only that survives of past history which finds kindred in all hearts and lives.
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