Pride is founded not on the sense of happiness, but on the sense of power.
William HazlittRead
People of genius do not excel in any profession because they work in it, they work in it because they excel.
Interpretation
Genius individuals find success not merely through their work but because their innate talent drives them to excel in their chosen fields.
This quote by William Hazlitt emphasizes that exceptional individuals are not defined by their professions but by their remarkable abilities. They excel in their work because their unique talents compel them to engage deeply, resulting in innovation and excellence. It highlights the idea that true dedication stems from passion and inherent skill rather than obligation.
In practice
In a motivational speech about pursuing passion in career choices.
Pride is founded not on the sense of happiness, but on the sense of power.
The world loves to be amused by hollow professions, to be deceived by flattering appearances, to live in a state of hallucination; and can forgive everything but the plain, downright, simple, honest truth.
Our repugnance to death increases in proportion to our consciousness of having lived in vain.
We can bear to be deprived of everything but our self-conceit.
There are few things in which we deceive ourselves more than in the esteem we profess to entertain for our firends. It is little better than a piece of quackery. The truth is, we think of them as we please, that is, as they please or displease us.
Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater. Possession pampers the mind; privation trains and strengthens it.
Do you often feel like parched ground, unable to produce anything worthwhile? I do. When I am in need of refreshment, it isn't easy to think of the needs of others. But I have found that if, instead of praying for my own comfort and satisfaction, I ask the Lord to enable me to give to others, an amazing thing often happens - I find my own needs wonderfully met. Refreshment comes in ways I would never have thought of, both for others, and then, incidentally, for myself.
Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment - that which they cannot anticipate.
The world is ready to give up its secrets if we only know how to knock, how to give it the necessary blow. The strength and force of the blow come through concentration.
Everybody says they want to be free. Take the train off the tracks and itβs free-but it canβt go anywhere.
Truth is the baby of the world. It never gets old.
A man's dignity isn't measured by the people he has around him when he's at the peak of his success, but by his ability not to forget those who helped him when his need was greatest.
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