I shall argue that strong men, conversely, know when to compromise and that all principles can be compromised to serve a greater principle.
Interpretation
Strong individuals understand the importance of compromise to uphold greater principles.
In this quote, Andrew Carnegie highlights the wisdom of strong men who recognize that not all principles are absolute. Instead, they know that sometimes it's necessary to compromise on certain values in order to uphold and serve a higher moral or ethical principle, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of strength and leadership.
In practice
In a team meeting discussing project deadlines and responsibilities.
Give me the life of the boy whose mother is nurse, seamstress, washerwoman, cook, teacher, angel, and saint, all in one, and whose father is guide, exemplar, and friend. No servants to come between. These are the boys who are born to the best fortune.
To kill a man will be considered as disgusting [in the twentieth century] as we in this day consider it disgusting to eat one.
It is not the rich man's son that the young struggler for advancement has to fear in the race for life, nor his nephew, nor his cousin. Let him look out for the dark horse in the boy who begins by sweeping out the office.
You are what you think. So just think big, believe big, act big, work big, give big, forgive big, laugh big, love big and live big.
Speculation is a parasite feeding upon values, creating none.
Don't be content with doing only your duty. Do more than your duty. It's the horse that finishes a neck ahead that wins the race.
You see, I get such fun out of thinking that I don't want to destroy this most pleasant machine that makes life such a big kick.
It is an illusion that youth is happy, an illusion of those who have lost it.
Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid, one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.
Older people sit down and ask, 'What is it?' but the boy asks, 'What can I do with it?'.
I could do one show after another in China for the rest of my life and still die ignorant. There's a lot of places left to go.
When reason ends, then anger begins. Therefore, anger is a sign of weakness.
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