When people talk listen completely. Don’t be thinking what you’re going to say. Most people never listen” ~ Ernest Hemmingway
Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize? ~ Marcus Aurelius
Be patient and tough; someday this pain will be useful to you ~ Ovid
Come what may, all bad fortune is to be conquered by endurance ~ Virgil
If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by ~ Marcus Aurelius
Educate the children and it won’t be necessary to punish the men ~ Pythagoras
Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald
You’re going to come across people in your life who will say all the right words at all the right times. But in the end, it’s always their actions you should judge them by. It’s actions, not words, that matter ~ Nicholas Sparks
The art of acting morally is behaving as if everything we do matters ~ Gloria Steinem
Qualities such as ‘nice, honest, kind, happy, relaxed, sincere, innocent’ are frowned upon as weaknesses. Yet these values are the essence of a good person ~ Fennel Hudson
If someone is able to show me that what I think or do is not right, I will happily change, for I seek the truth, by which no one was ever truly harmed. It is the person who continues in his self-deception and ignorance who is harmed ~ Marcus Aurelius
The soul that gives thanks can find comfort in everything; the soul that complains can find comfort in nothing ~ Hannah Whitall Smith
Find the good. Seek the Unity. Ignore the divisions among us ~ Aristotle
Marcus Aurelius: Focus on What You Can Control
This quote comes from Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, written around 170-180 CE. It encapsulates Stoic philosophy, focusing on maintaining inner peace by accepting what is beyond one’s control.
You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.
~ Marcus Aurelius
Dalai Lama: Spread Kindness
The Dalai Lama frequently emphasizes compassion in his teachings. This quote comes from his 1998 book The Art of Happiness.
Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.
~ Dalai Lama
Maya Angelou: Live With Courage
Maya Angelou wrote this in her book Letter to My Daughter (2008). It encourages bravery and authenticity.
Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently.
~ Maya Angelou
Ralph Waldo Emerson: Focus on Joy
Emerson wrote this in his essay Circles (1841), highlighting the value of optimism.
For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Booker T. Washington: Lift Others
Booker T. Washington, a prominent African-American educator, said this during a speech in 1895, encouraging acts of service and resilience.
If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.
~ Booker T. Washington
Victor Frankl: Discover Purpose
Viktor Frankl wrote this in Man’s Search for Meaning (1946), inspired by his experiences in Nazi concentration camps.
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.
~ Viktor Frankl
Sheryl Sandberg: Empower Others
Sheryl Sandberg shared this insight in her book Lean In (2013), advocating for confidence and leadership.
Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.
~ Sheryl Sandberg
Jane Goodall: Act with Hope
Jane Goodall said this in a 2015 interview, sharing her perspective on making a difference.
What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.
~ Jane Goodall
Theodore Roosevelt: Dare Greatly
Roosevelt said this in his 1910 “Man in the Arena” speech, celebrating effort and courage.
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
~ Theodore Roosevelt
Barack Obama: Create Change
Obama shared this thought during his 2008 campaign, encouraging personal responsibility.
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
~ Barack Obama
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