I will follow my logic, no matter where it goes, after it has consulted with my heart. If you ever come to a conclusion without calling the heart in, you will come to a bad conclusion.
As far as I am concerned I wish to be out on the high seas. I wish to take my chances with wind, and wave, and star. And I had rather go down in the glory and grandeur of the storm, than rot in any orthodox harbor.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a desire for adventure and the willingness to face challenges rather than remaining in a safe but unfulfilling situation.
In this quote, Robert Green Ingersoll reflects on the idea of embracing risk and adventure over the safety of conformity. He suggests that experiencing life's challenges — represented by the 'high seas,' 'wind,' and 'storm' — is more meaningful than living a stagnant existence in a comfortable environment. Ingersoll celebrates the spirit of exploration and the beauty of confronting the unknown, emphasizing the importance of living fully and passionately.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote is perfect for an inspirational speech about pursuing dreams.
More from Robert Green Ingersoll
All quotes →If the guardians of society, the protectors of 'young persons,' could have had their way, we should have known nothing of Byron or Shelley. The voices that thrill the world would now be silent.
The religion that has to be supported by law is without value, not only, but a fraud and a curse. The religious argument that has to be supported by a musket is hardly worth making.
There is no slavery but ignorance.
In all ages the people have honored those who dishonored them. They have worshiped their destroyers; they have canonized the most gigantic liars, and buried the great thieves in marble and gold. Under the loftiest monuments sleeps the dust of murder.
I believe that there is something far nobler than loyalty to any particular man. Loyalty to the truth as we perceive it - loyalty to our duty as we know it - loyalty to the ideals of our brain and heart - is, to my mind, far greater and far nobler than loyalty to the life of any particular man or God. . . .
Similar quotes
Turn on the faucet. Wash yourself with the emotion. It won’t hurt you. It will only help. If you let the fear inside, if you pull it on like a familiar shirt, then you can say to yourself, “All right, it’s just fear, I don’t have to let it control me. I see it for what it is".
If I cannot air this pain and alter it, I will surely die of it. That's the beginning of social protest.
Instead of standing on the shore and proving to ourselves that the ocean cannot carry us, let us venture on its waters just to see.
It is important that karate can be practiced by the young and old, men and women alike. That is, since there is no need for a special training place, equipment, or an opponent, a flexibility in training is provided such that the physically and spiritually weak individual can develop his body and mind so gradually and naturally that he himself may not even realize his own great progress.
One of the ironies of courage, and the reason why we prize it so highly, is that we find it easier to be brave for someone else than we do for ourselves alone.
I'm for human lib, the liberation of all people, not just black people or female people or gay people.