Remember that if the opportunities for great deeds should never come, the opportunities for good deeds are renewed day by day. The thing for us to long for is the goodness, not the glory.
Frederick William FaberRead
Kindness has converted more sinners than either zeal, eloquence, or learning; and these three last have never converted any.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Kindness is more effective in changing hearts than passion, speech, or knowledge.
This quote emphasizes the transformative power of kindness over more assertive qualities such as zeal, eloquence, and academic learning. Faber suggests that while enthusiasm and knowledge are valuable, it is the gentle approach of kindness that truly resonates with individuals and fosters genuine change in their attitudes and behaviors.
Themes
KindnessTransformationChangeCompassionWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a discussion about the importance of kindness in social work.
More from Frederick William Faber
All quotes βWe can exaggerate about many things; but we can never exaggerate our obligation to Jesus, or the compassionate abundance of the love of Jesus to us. All our lives long we might talk of Jesus, and yet we should never come to an end of the sweet things that might be said of Him.
Frederick William FaberRead
Happiness is a great power of holiness. Thus, kind words, by their power of producing happiness, have also a power of producing holiness, and so of winning men to God.
Frederick William FaberRead
Kindness has converted more sinners than zeal, eloquence, or learning.
Frederick William FaberRead
The buried talent is the sunken rock on which most lives strike and founder.
Frederick William FaberRead
Kind thoughts are rarer than either kind words or deeds. They imply a great deal of thinking about others. This in itself is rare. But they also imply a great deal of thinking about others without the thoughts being criticisms. This is rarer still.
Frederick William FaberRead
Similar quotes
It will not do merely to listen to great principles. You must apply them in the practical field, turn them into constant practice. What will be the good of cramming the high - sounding dicta of the scriptures? You have first to grasp the teachings of the Shastras, and then to work them out in practical life. Do you understand? This is called practical religion.
Swami VivekanandaRead
There was a sentence in your letter that struck me, βI wish I were far away from everything, I am the cause of all, and bring only sorrow to everybody, I alone have brought all this misery on myself and others.β These words struck me because that same feeling, just the same, not more nor less, is also on my conscience.
Vincent Van GoghRead
If we humans are good at anything, itβs thinking weβve got a terrific idea and going for it without acknowledging the potential consequences or our own ignorance.
David SuzukiRead
O unfathomable depth! O Deity eternal! O deep ocean! What more could You give me than to give me Yourself?
St. Catherine Of SienaRead
As the water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it, so a wise man adapts himself to circumstances.
ConfuciusRead
We should be as careful of our words as of our actions.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead