#ere

The battle of life is, in most cases, fought uphill; and to win it without a struggle were perhaps to win it without honor. If there were no difficulties there would be no success; if there were nothing to struggle for, there would be nothing to be achieved. ↗

— Samuel Smiles

#battle #cases #difficulties #fought #honor

The very greatest things - great thoughts, discoveries, inventions - have usually been nurtured in hardship, often pondered over in sorrow, and at length established with difficulty. ↗

— Samuel Smiles

#difficulty #discoveries #established #great #greatest

I've been trekking the hills and lanes of the British countryside for nearly four decades now and I've come to associate my passion with overexcited poets rather than pampered painters. ↗

— Arthur Smith

#been #british #come #countryside #decades

It is more interesting to be compared to someone famous, because it lets you gauge what perceptions people have about your appearance. ↗

— Arthur Smith

#appearance #because #compared #famous #gauge

Listening to Chris Moyles on Radio 1 is the most miserable thing any human being can do, but attending awards ceremonies isn't far behind. ↗

— Arthur Smith

#attending #awards #behind #being #ceremonies

Occasionally I find a travel book that is both illuminating and entertaining, where vivid writing and research replace self-indulgence and sloppy prose. ↗

— Arthur Smith

#both #entertaining #find #i #illuminating

The moon puts on an elegant show, different every time in shape, colour and nuance. ↗

— Arthur Smith

#different #elegant #every #every time #moon

The pun exists in a social and political void, caring nothing for the issues of its day, content merely to display itself in its small cleverness. ↗

— Arthur Smith

#cleverness #content #day #display #exists

The Romantic poets were the prototype ramblers, and I've often found myself following in their footsteps - although perhaps not all of their footsteps since a typical walk for Samuel T. Coleridge might last two days and cover 145km. ↗

— Arthur Smith

#cover #days #following #footsteps #found

When I was eight or nine, I wrote a new version of 'Peter Pan' for the school play. They didn't use it - I imagine it was unperformable - but as recompense for not doing my script, I was offered any role, and instinctively went for Captain Hook. I came on trying to be terrifying, but everyone laughed at me. ↗

— Arthur Smith

#came #captain #doing #eight #everyone