Loyalty means nothing unless it has at its heart the absolute principle of self-sacrifice.
Woodrow WilsonRead
I am not sure that it is of the first importance that you should be happy. Many an unhappy man has been of deep service to himself and to the world.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Happiness is not the only measure of a person's value; even unhappy individuals can contribute significantly.
This quote suggests that the pursuit of happiness should not overshadow the importance of one's contributions to oneself and society. It emphasizes that even those who may struggle with personal happiness can have a profound impact and serve meaningful roles, highlighting the complexity of human experience and value beyond superficial joy.
Themes
HappinessServiceValueContributionUnhappiness
In practice
Example use cases
A keynote speaker could use this quote to inspire an audience at a personal development seminar.
More from Woodrow Wilson
All quotes βSince 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.
Woodrow WilsonRead
We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers.
Woodrow WilsonRead
The way to stop financial joyriding is to arrest the chauffeur, not the automobile.
Woodrow WilsonRead
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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