I am tired of talk that comes to nothing It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and all the broken promises. There has been too much talking by men who had no right to talk. It does not require many words to speak the truth.
Interpretation
Empty words and unfulfilled promises cause disappointment, while truth can be expressed simply.
In this quote, Chief Joseph expresses his frustration with empty rhetoric and unfulfilled commitments, signaling that mere words are meaningless if not backed by action. He emphasizes the importance of honesty and the power of truth, suggesting that authentic communication doesn't need to be verbose; rather, it should resonate with sincerity and integrity.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of integrity in leadership.
We do not want churches because they will teach us to quarrel about God. We do not want to learn that. We may quarrel with men sometimes about things on this earth, but we never quarrel about the Great Spirit. We do not want to learn that.
Let me be a free man, free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose, free to choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to talk, think and act for myself — and I will obey every law or submit to the penalty.
It makes my heart sick when I remember all the good words and the broken promises.
If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian, he can live in peace. There need be no trouble. Treat all men alike. give them all the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow.
The earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it.
All men were made by the Great Spirit Chief. They are all brothers.
The question the doubter does not ask is whether faith was really useless or simply not used. What would you think of a boy who gave up learning to ride a bicycle, complaining that he hurt himself because his bicycle stopped moving so he had no choice but to fall off? If he wanted to sit comfortably while remaining stationary, he should not have chosen a bicycle but a chair. Similarly faith must be put to use, or it will become useless.
A bad day for the ego is a good day for the soul.
Throughout life, we get clues that remind us of the direction we are supposed to be headed if you stay focused, then you learn your lessons.
One of the worst features about worrying is that it destroys our ability to concentrate. When we worry, our minds jump here and there and everywhere, and we lose all power of decision. However, when we force ourselves to face the worst and accept it mentally, we then eliminate all those vague imaginings and put ourselves in a position in which we are able to concentrate on our problem.
No great genius has ever existed without some touch of madness.
'T is fortune gives us birth, But Jove alone endues the soul with worth.
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