Can anyone understand how it is to have lived in the White House and then, suddenly, to be living alone as the President's widow?
Jackie KennedyRead
Whenever I was upset by something in the papers, [Jack] always told me to be more tolerant, like a horse flicking away flies in the summer.
Interpretation
The quote suggests that we should learn to be tolerant and dismiss minor irritations in life.
Jackie Kennedy reflects on advice given to her by Jack, which encourages her to maintain a sense of tolerance in the face of negativity or criticism, much like a horse tolerates the annoyance of flies during summer. This notion of accepting minor disruptions without letting them affect one's overall peace of mind highlights the importance of emotional resilience and the practice of dismissing trivial matters.
In practice
In a team meeting when discussing how to deal with public criticism, one might share this quote to inspire patience.
Can anyone understand how it is to have lived in the White House and then, suddenly, to be living alone as the President's widow?
I think my biggest achievement is that, after going through a rather difficult time, I consider myself comparatively sane.
The only routine with me is no routine at all.
Even though people may be well known they still hold in their hearts the emotions of a simple person for the moments that are the most important of those we know on earth - birth, marriage, death.
Even though people may be well known, they hold in their hearts the emotions of a simple person for the moments that are the most important of those we know on earth: birth, marriage and death.
Now, I think that I should have known that he was magic all along. I did know it - but I should have guessed that it would be too much to ask to grow old with and see our children grow up together. So now, he is a legend when he would have preferred to be a man.
It's amazing how words can do that, just shred your insides apart. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me - such bullshit.
The beauty of the ragamuffin gospel lies in the insight it offers into Jesus: the essential tenderness of His heart, His way of looking at the world, His mode of relating to you and me. 'If you really want to understand a man, don't just listen to what he says, but watch what he does.
Thinking is generally thought of as doing nothing in a production - oriented society and doing nothing is hard to do. It's best done by disguising it as doing something and the something closest to doing nothing is walking.
When I was fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have him around. When I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years. See what happens when you "know it all", at any stage of life? Farther down the track you may see clearly how certain personal opinions, held onto too tightly, could be fogging up the view, and providing incorrect insight. Prosperity is the best protector of principle.
Whenever you wish to do anything against the law, Cicely, always consult a good solicitor first.
The only virtue on which I pride myself is my self-doubt; when a writer loses her self-doubt, the time has come to lay aside her pen.
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