Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are, to some extent, a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it, piece by piece - by thought, choice, courage, and determination.
Interpretation
Good character is earned through effort, while talent is often innate.
This quote emphasizes the importance of character over innate talent, suggesting that while talent may be a natural gift, good character is developed through deliberate actions and choices. It highlights that virtues such as thoughtfulness, courage, and determination are essential in building one’s character, and that this process is a conscious effort requiring commitment and perseverance.
In practice
Use this quote in a motivational speech about personal development.
Instruction for life: Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk. When you lose, don't lose the lesson. Follow the three R's: - Respect for self. - Respect for others. - Responsibility for all your actions. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
Believe in miracles but don't depend on them. When you hear kind word spoken about a friend, tell him so. Spoil your spouse, not your children. Never make fun of someone who speaks broken English. It means they know another language. To help your children turn out well, spend twice as much time with them and half as much money.
Never make fun of someone who speaks broken English. It means they know another language.
Never forget the nine most important words of any family- I love you. You are beautiful. Please forgive me.
I've learned that education, experience, and memories are three things that no one can take away from you.
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
People striving, being knocked down and coming back... this is what builds character in a man.
All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talent.
My greatest fear is feeling like a professional novelist. Somebody who creates characters, who sits down and has pieces of paper taped to the wall - what's going to happen in this scene, or this act. What I like is for it to be a much more scary, sloppy reflection of who I am.
You can be excellent in every way. You can be first class. There is no need for you to be a scrub. Respect yourself. Do not feel sorry for yourself. Do not dwell on unkind things others may say about you. Polish and refine whatever talents the Lord has given you. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life and look for its opportunities.
...it's my hypothesis that the individual is not a pre-given entity which is seized on by the exercise of power. The individual, with his identity and characteristics, is the product of a relation of power exercised over bodies, multiplicities, movements, desires, forces.
Be led by your talent, not by your self-loathing; those other things you just have to manage.
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