#noble

If you happened to be born on third base, you didn't rub it in the face of the guy who wasn't even born in the stadium. Self-interest was generally checked at the door with your coat and hat. ↗

— Ron Suskind

#greatest-generation #magnanimity #noblesse-oblige #education

On some such night as this she remembered promising to herself to live as brave and noble a life as any heroine she ever read or heard of in romance, a life sans peur et sans reproche; it had seemed to her then that she had only to will, and such a life would be accomplished. And now she had learnt that not only to will, but also to pray, was a necessary condition in the truly heroic. Trusting to herself, she had fallen. ↗

— Elizabeth Gaskell

#heroic #individual-will #noble #prayer #strength

In medieval times, contrary to popular belief, most knights were bandits, mercenaries, lawless brigands, skinners, highwaymen, and thieves. The supposed chivalry of Charlemagne and Roland had as much to do with the majority of medieval knights as the historical Jesus with the temporal riches and hypocrisy of the Catholic Church, or any church for that matter. Generally accompanied by their immoral entourage or servants, priests, and whores, they went from tourney to tourney like a touring rock and roll band, sports team, or gang of South Sea pirates. Court to court, skirmish to skirmish, rape to rape. Fighting as the noble's substitution for work. ↗

— Tod Wodicka

#brigands #catholic-church #charlemagne #chivalry #highwaymen

Gratitude is the sign of noble souls. ↗

— Aesop

#noble #sign #souls

For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories. ↗

— Plato

#first #himself #man #noblest #victories

The noblest spirit is most strongly attracted by the love of glory. ↗

— James A. Baldwin

#glory #love #most #noblest #spirit

In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a sure refuge. The young they keep out of mischief; to the old they are a comfort and aid in their weakness, and those in the prime of life they incite to noble deeds. ↗

— Aristotle

#comfort #deeds #friends #incite #keep

The beginning of reform is not so much to equalize property as to train the noble sort of natures not to desire more, and to prevent the lower from getting more. ↗

— Aristotle

#desire #equalize #getting #lower #more

Ambition it is the last infirmity of noble minds. ↗

— J. M. Barrie

#infirmity #last #minds #noble

To attempt the destruction of our passions is the height of folly. What a noble aim is that of the zealot who tortures himself like a madman in order to desire nothing, love nothing, feel nothing, and who, if he succeeded, would end up a complete monster! ↗

— Denis Diderot

#attempt #complete #desire #destruction #end