If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable. – Seneca What does that mean? To me, the saying is about your destination. If you don’t have one, no wind can possibly take you there. You must have an idea of where you wish to go, what your destination…
There is one kind of robber whom the law does not strike at, and who steals what is most precious to men: time. – Napoleon Bonaparte What does that mean? Time, the most precious of all things to mankind. There is no replacing it, no getting it back. Once it is gone, your choices are to…
If your strength is small, don’t carry heavy burdens. If your words are worthless, don’t give advice. – Chinese Proverbs What does that mean? Most of the quotes that have been discussed here have been about our strengths or developing our strengths. This quote is about the things we aren’t good at. It is about recognizing our…
When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion. – Dale Carnegie What does that mean? We, even the most logical of us, are creatures of emotion. Yes we have our logical moments, but under all that calm logic lurks the chaos of emotion. It might hurt…
Most people have the will to win, few have the will to prepare to win. – Bobby Knight What does that mean? In sports, preparation is everything (with the possible exception of luck). You have to know your plays and plans inside and out. You need to know the other players like you know yourself. If…
If you knew how much work went into it, you would not call it genius. – Michelangelo What does that mean? To many people, the word ‘genius’ makes it sound like something was easy. E=mc², why that’s just genius – and it sounds so simple. What Michelangelo was trying to point out is that no one sees the…
The most important thing is to have a sense of responsibility, commitment, and concern for each of our fellow human beings. – Dalai Lama What does that mean? This saying seems to be about the duty of each human being towards the rest of humanity. This duty has three aspects, and he implies we should have towards…
While we are postponing, life speeds by. – Seneca What does that mean? It means that time waits for no one. If you make a habit of putting things off, you will find you have run out of time to get things done. If you don’t get out and do things, life will speed by you, and…
Who is not satisfied with himself will grow; who is not sure of his own correctness will learn many things. – Chinese Proverbs What does that mean? I just love the Chinese quotes, it seems that they are always translated into such odd English. I’ll take a stab at rewording it into two sentences and see…
You cannot climb the ladder of success dressed in the costume of failure. – Zig Ziglar What does that mean? While I disagree with the old saying “clothes make the man,” I don’t believe this costume of which Zig refers to is clothing. I believe this saying refers to your attitude and your beliefs as the costume….
All men are prepared to accomplish the incredible if their ideals are threatened. – Maya Angelou What does that mean? Maya was part of the American Civil Rights movement, and that may help cast some light on what is being said in this quote. I was unable to find if this was in reference to the people…
Follow your hopes and not your fears. – Unknown Also similarly stated by Pope John XXIII as “Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams.” This is part of a larger quote: “Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern…
Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting. – Napoleon Hill What does that mean? It means as long as you are still trying, there is a possibility that you will win. What ‘victory’ means, of course, is very dependent on the person and the task, as is the definition of ‘fighting.’…
The practice of cultivating altruism has a beneficial effect not only from a religious point of view but also from a mundane point of view. – Dalai Lama What does that mean? At theFreeDictionary.com, altruism is defined as “Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness.” So this saying, using a substitution becomes “The practice of showing…
Poverty wants some, luxury many, and avarice all things. – Seneca What does that mean? I’m not sure if Seneca was that brief, or if the translators tried to tighten up his prose. A more easily read version might go as follows: “Poverty wants some things. Luxury wants many things. Avarice wants all things.” Here,…
