How many on their deathbeds wished they'd spent more time at the office - or watching TV? The answer is, No one.
Stephen CoveyRead
We are product of neither nature nor nurture; we are a product of choice, because there is always a space between stimulus and response. As we wisely exercise our power to choose based on principles, the space will become larger.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Our choices define us more than our biology or upbringing.
This quote emphasizes that individuals are not merely shaped by their inherent nature or their environment, but rather by the choices they make. It suggests that there exists a critical space between what happens to us (stimulus) and how we react (response), and that by consciously exercising our ability to choose in accordance with our principles, we can expand this space and make more informed and meaningful choices in life.
Themes
ChoiceRespondPrinciplesFreedomDecision
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about personal development, to illustrate the power of choice.
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All quotes →If you want to have a more pleasant, cooperative teenager, be a more understanding, empathic, consistent, loving parent. If you want to have more freedom, more latitude in your job, be a more responsible, a more helpful, a more contributing employee.
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Synergy is the highest activity of life; it creates new untapped alternatives; it values and exploits the mental, emotional, and psychological differences between people.
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Keep in mind that you are always saying "no" to something. If it isn't to the apparent and urgent things in your life, it is probably to the most fundamental, highly important things.
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