A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.
Interpretation
A civilization's downfall often comes from internal issues rather than external forces.
Ariel Durant's quote suggests that the internal decay of a civilization—through division, corruption, or moral decline—can lead to its eventual collapse, regardless of outside threats. It emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and the need for societies to address their internal conflicts before they can be conquered by external forces, highlighting the idea that strength from within is crucial for survival.
In practice
This quote can be used in a lecture about the fall of empires and the importance of unity.
The influence of geographic factors diminishes as technology grows. The character and contour of a terrain may offer opportunities for agriculture, mining, or trade, but only the imagination and initiative of leaders, and the hardy industry of followers, can transform the possibilities into fact...Man, not the earth, makes civilization.
It's never acceptable to target civilians. It violates the Geneva Accords, it violates the international law of war and it violates all principles of morality.
It is the Spirit alone that can mortify sin; he is promised to do it, and all other means without him are empty and vain. How shall he, then, mortify sin that has not the Spirit? A man may easier see without eyes, speak without a tongue, than truly mortify one sin without the Spirit.
When it comes to solving problems of poverty, impact investing can act as a catalyst, but it is not a silver bullet. Successful businesses serving the poor need more than investment capital. They also need infrastructure to enable effective distribution, strong regulatory systems, access to markets, technical assistance as they scale up, and more
A church that doesn't provoke any crises, a gospel that doesn't unsettle, a word of God that doesn't get under anyone’s skin, a word of God that doesn't touch the real sin of the society in which it is being proclaimed — what gospel is that?
Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.
Old age is the only disease you dont want to be cured of.
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