No one rises so high as he who knows not whither he is going.
Oliver CromwellRead
Sir, what can be said of these things? Is it the arm of the flesh that hath done these things? Is it the wisdom and counsel, or strength of man? It is the Lord only. God will curse that man and his house that dares to think otherwise. Sir, you see the work is done by a Divine leading. God gets into the hearts of men, and persuades them to come under you.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes that divine influence, rather than human strength or wisdom, is responsible for significant achievements.
In this quote, Oliver Cromwell reflects on the notion that what humans achieve is not solely a result of their own strength or wisdom, but rather an influence from a higher divine power. He suggests that to attribute such accomplishments to mere human endeavor is misguided and that true success comes from divine guidance that moves people to action. This perspective invites humility in acknowledging the limitations of human capability and recognizing the role of the divine in shaping events.
Themes
DivineInfluenceHumilitySpiritualityGuidance
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about teamwork, you might say this quote to highlight the importance of divine guidance.
More from Oliver Cromwell
All quotes βOn becoming soldiers we have not ceased to be citizens.
Oliver CromwellRead
A few honest men are better than numbers.
Oliver CromwellRead
Keep your faith in God, but keep your powder dry.
Oliver CromwellRead
A man-of-war is the best ambassador.
Oliver CromwellRead
Not only strike while the iron is hot, but make it hot by striking.
Oliver CromwellRead
Similar quotes
Take from the philosopher the pleasure of being heard and his desire for knowledge ceases.
Jean-Jacques RousseauRead
If a single act of folly was more responsible for this explosion than any other it was the arbitrary and dangerous announced decision that the Straits of Tiran would be closed. The right of innocent, maritime passage must be preserved for all nations
Lyndon B. JohnsonRead
The Christian life is simply a process of having your natural self changed into a Christ self, and that this process goes on very far inside. One's most private wishes, one's point of view, are the things that have to be changed.
C. S. LewisRead
We are members of one great body. Nature planted in us a mutual love, and fitted us for a social life. We must consider that we were born for the good of the whole.
Seneca The YoungerRead
Stories can break the dignity of a people, but stories can also repair that broken dignity.
Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieRead
Identitarianism assumes that people are condemned to identify with the positive (ethnic/ gender/ nationalistic) predicates they possess, as if their subjectivity were exhausted by those properties. Exactly the opposite is the case: the authentic dimension of subjectivity consists not in any positive identity but in that which makes identifications.
Mark FisherRead