In my years, I had the opportunity to observe peoples and countries. I see some countries doing well, others failing, and my analysis of things is that whether you fail or succeed is a function of your value system.
Interpretation
The success or failure of individuals and nations is determined by their underlying values.
In this quote, Mahathir Mohamad reflects on his observations of various countries and peoples, suggesting that their outcomes—whether prosperous or in decline—are fundamentally rooted in their value systems. He emphasizes that the principles and values upheld by individuals and societies greatly influence their trajectories, thereby highlighting the importance of a strong ethical foundation in achieving success.
In practice
During a keynote speech on economic development, one could mention this quote to emphasize the importance of building a strong value system.
I believe that every leader has a right to implement his own policy. But when I see things that are done that are not right - abuse of power, wrong approaches, wrong strategies, making use of foreign consultants, including those discarded by other countries - I feel that I have to have my say.
If you want to be honest with yourself, you have to take criticism, even if you attract adverse comments from others.
It would seem the people who want to preserve the Penans' way of life are condemning them to a life full of diseases and a shorter life span.
There are certain things that we can deal with by following the rules. But at times, we find the rules restrict you from doing the right things. On such occasions, we have to rethink - either you change the rules or break the rules.
Free press is not absolute. In this country, we say clearly if you start stirring up racial hatred, then we will put a stop to it. We might even close down your paper, because these things can only lead to a lot of riots and bloodshed.
Independence means we enjoy freedom. We are not colonised by people. And we can govern our own country and develop it independently so that our people can live a better life.
The trouble with you and me, is that we don't live in the real world. We dream of fantastic things that may never happen.
And malt does more than Milton can to justify God's ways to man.
I knew what it was to be uncomfortable in a movie theater watching unfolding on the screen images of myself - not me, but black people - that were uncomfortable.
We have power... Our power isn’t in a political system, or a religious system, or in an economic system, or in a military system; these are authoritarian systems... they have power... but it’s not reality. The power of our intelligence, individually or collectively IS the power; this is the power that any industrial ruling class truly fears: clear coherent human beings.
For John was running, and this was terrible. Because if you ran, time ran. You yelled and screamed and raced and rolled and tumbled and all of a sudden the sun was gone and the whistle was blowing and you were on your long way home to supper. When you weren't looking, the sun got around behind you! The only way to keep things slow was to watch everything and do nothing! You could stretch a day to three days, sure, just by watching!
I suppose everyone continues to be interested in the quest for the self, but what you feel when you're older, I think, is that ... you really must make the self. It is absolutely useless to look for it, you won't find it, but it's possible in some sense to make it. I don't mean in the sense of making a mask, a Yeatsian mask. But you finally begin in some sense to make and choose the self you want.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.