#eat

It's because I haven't courage,' said Samuel. 'I could never quite take the responsibility. When the Lord God did not call my name, I might have called his name - but I did not. There you have the difference between greatness and mediocrity. It's not an uncommon disease. But it's nice for a mediocre man to know that greatness must be the loneliest state in the world.' 'I'd think there are degrees of greatness,' Adam said. 'I don't think so,' said Samuel. 'That would be like saying there is a little bigness. No. I believe when you come to that responsibility the hugeness and you are alone to make your choice. On one side you have warmth and companionship and sweet understanding, and on the other - cold, lonely greatness. There you make your choice. I'm glad I chose mediocrity, but how am I to say what reward might have come with the other? None of my children will be great either, except perhaps Tom. He's suffering over the choosing right now. It's a painful thing to watch. And somewhere in me I want him to say yes. Isn't that strange? A father to want his son condemned to greatness! What selfishness that must be. ↗

— John Steinbeck

#father #greatness #john-steinbeck #mediocrity #son

Marilyn and I were rumored to be an item. We were friends. Nothing more. Marilyn was one of the sweetest creatures that ever lived. ↗

— Sammy Davis, Jr.

#ever #friends #i #item #lived

Fear is an aid to the warrior. It is a small fire burning. It heats the muscles, making us stronger. Panic comes when the fire is out of control, consuming all courage and pride. ↗

— David Gemmell

#fear-of-death #inspirational-quotes #courage

That's it then. This is how it ends. I haven't even read Proust. ↗

— James Turner

#death #humor #reading #death

The problems of today's youth were no longer a Sunday supplement, or a news broadcast, or anything so remote and intangible. They were suddenly become a dirty, shivering boy, who told us that in this world we had built for him with our sweat and our blood, he was not only tired of living, but so unscared of dying that he did it daily, sometimes for recreation. ↗

— Spider Robinson

#despondency #drugs #social-problems #youth #death

Within the shadows of honor, courage often walks in silence. -Engraved on the monument Clay built ↗

— Lorraine Heath

#clay #lorraine-heath #courage

Two turtle doves will show thee Where my cold ashes lie And sadly murmuring tell thee How in tears I did die ↗

— Nikolai Gogol

#crying #dead-souls #death #doves #loneliness

Poets may be delightful creatures in the meadow or the garret, but they are menaces on the assembly line. ↗

— Rollo May

#creativity #poets #courage

I see this as the central issue of our time: how to find a substitute for war in human ingenuity, imagination, courage, sacrifice, patience... War is not inevitable, however persistent it is, however long a history it has in human affairs. It does not come out of some instinctive human need. It is manufactured by political leaders, who then must make a tremendous effort--by enticement, by propaganda, by coercion--to mobilize a normally reluctant population to go to war. ↗

— Howard Zinn

#creativity #ingenuity #peace #political-propaganda #war

It was more important for me to try, than to not have the chance at all. ↗

— Rebecca Donovan

#chance #courage #determination #emma #important