One of the great things about books is you can afford to do anything.
George R. R. MartinRead
I rose too high, loved too hard, dared too much. I tried to grasp a star, overreached, and fell.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the risks and challenges that come with ambition and deep emotions.
In this quote, George R. R. Martin expresses the idea that aspiring for great things in life, whether in love or ambition, often involves reaching beyond one's limits. Although striving for lofty goals can lead to remarkable experiences, it also carries the risk of failure and disappointment, suggesting a balance between courage and caution.
Themes
AmbitionRiskLoveFailureCourage
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared at a motivational seminar to inspire people to take risks in their personal and professional lives.
More from George R. R. Martin
All quotes βI hate outlines. I have a broad sense of where the story is going; I know the end, I know the end of the principal characters, and I know the major turning points and events from the books, the climaxes for each book, but I don't necessarily know each twist and turn along the way. That's something I discover in the course of writing and that's what makes writing enjoyable. I think if I outlined comprehensively and stuck to the outline the actual writing would be boring.
George R. R. MartinRead
There is only one god and his name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: βNot today.
George R. R. MartinRead
I did not do it. Yet now I wish I had.β He turned to face the hall, that sea of pale faces. βI wish I had enough poison for you all. You make me sorry that I am not the monster you would have me be, yet there it is. I am innocent, but I will get no justice here.
George R. R. MartinRead
But a voice inside her whispered, There are no heroes, and she remembered what Lord Petyr had said to her, here in this very hall. 'Life is not a song, sweetling,' he'd told her, 'You may learn that one day to your sorrow.' In life, the monsters win, she told herself.
George R. R. MartinRead
I write from this tight third-person viewpoint, where each chapter is seen through the eyes of one individual character. When I'm writing that character, I become that character and identify with that character.
George R. R. MartinRead
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The real point is that you cannot harbor malice toward others and then cry foul when someone displays intolerance against you. Prejudice tolerated is intolerance encouraged. Rise up in righteousness when you witness the words and deeds of hate, but only if you are willing to rise up against them all, including your own. Otherwise suffer the slings and arrows of disrespect silently.
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I am prepared to die, but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill.
Mahatma GandhiRead