What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People often use their circumstances as excuses for their behavior, but one can choose to rise above them.
This quote by George Bernard Shaw emphasizes the idea that one's character and decisions are not dictated by external circumstances, but rather by personal choices. It challenges the notion of victimhood and encourages individuals to take responsibility for their lives instead of attributing their situation to factors they cannot control.
Themes
CircumstancesResponsibilityChoicesCharacterVictimhood
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech to inspire change in individuals' lives.
More from George Bernard Shaw
All quotes βMarriage is good enough for the lower classes: they have facilities for desertion that are denied to us.
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Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
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Those who talk most about the blessings of marriage and the constancy of its vows are the very people who declare that if the chain were broken and the prisoners left free to choose, the whole social fabric would fly asunder. You cannot have the argument both ways. If the prisoner is happy, why lock him in? If he is not, why pretend that he is?
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Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
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The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
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When you give up vengeance, make sure you are not giving up on justice. The line between the two is faint, unsteady, and fine...Vengeance is our own pleasure of seeing someone who hurt us getting it back and then some. Justice, on the other hand, is secure when someone pays a fair penalty for wronging another even if the injured person takes no pleasure in the transaction. Vengeance is personal satisfaction. Justice is moral accounting...Human forgiveness does not do away with human justice.
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