Loyalty means nothing unless it has at its heart the absolute principle of self-sacrifice.
Woodrow WilsonRead
The rule for every man is, not to depend on the education which other men have prepared for him-not even to consent to it; but to strive to see things as they are, and to be himself as he is. Defeat lies in self-surrender.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of self-discovery and independent thinking over conforming to others' education or expectations.
Woodrow Wilson's quote advocates for personal autonomy and critical thinking, urging individuals to rely on their own understanding of the world rather than passively accepting the education or beliefs imposed by others. It warns against self-surrender, suggesting that true defeat comes from abandoning one's own identity and insights in favor of external influences.
Themes
Self-DiscoveryIndependenceCritical ThinkingEducationIdentity
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about personal growth and self-reliance.
More from Woodrow Wilson
All quotes →Since trade ignores national boundaries and the manufacturer insists on having the world as a market, the flag of his nation must follow him, and the doors of the nations which are closed against him must be battered down. Concessions obtained by financiers must be safeguarded by ministers of state, even if the sovereignty of unwilling nations be outraged in the process. Colonies must be obtained or planted, in order that no useful corner of the world may be overlooked or left unused.
Woodrow WilsonRead
The history of liberty is the history of limitations on the power of government, not the increase of it. When we resist, therefore, the concentration of power, we are resisting the processes of death, because concentration of power is what always precedes the destruction of human liberties.
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We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers.
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The way to stop financial joyriding is to arrest the chauffeur, not the automobile.
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Once lead this people into war, and they'll forget there ever was such a thing as tolerance. To fight, you must be brutal and ruthless, and the spirit of ruthless brutality will enter into the very fiber of our national life, infecting Congress, the courts, the policeman on the beat, the man in the street.
Woodrow WilsonRead
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