Only the person of worth can recognize the worth in others.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of the potential, for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints, possibility never. And what wine is so sparkling, what so fragrant, what so intoxicating, as possibility!
—Soren Kierkegaard (1813–55) Danish Philosopher, Theologian
The becoming of man is the history of the exhaustion of his possibilities.
—Susan Sontag (1933–2004) American Writer, Philosopher
We know what we are, but know not what we may be.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
It is heartening to realize that although we may crave comfort and routine, we nourish the soul’s growth primarily through what is hard. As Darwin saw it, it’s not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but those who are most responsive to change.
—Robert Cooper (b.1947) British Diplomat
Independent of others and in concert with others, your main task in life is to do what you can best do and become what you can potentially be.
—Erich Fromm (1900–80) German-American Psychoanalyst, Social Philosopher
If I had some idea of a finish line, don’t you think I would have crossed it years ago?
—Richard DeVos (1926–2018) American Businessman, Philanthropist
For he was likely, had he been put on, to have proved most royally.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
We never know how high we are till we are called to rise. And then, if we are true to plan, our statures touch the skies.
—Emily Dickinson (1830–86) American Poet
Questions provide the key to unlocking our unlimited potential.
—Tony Robbins (b.1960) American Self-Help Author, Entrepreneur
Sometimes I think we’re alone in the universe, and sometimes I think we’re not. In either case the idea is quite staggering
—Abraham Maslow (1908–70) American Psychologist, Academic, Humanist
Nothing is impossible; there are ways that lead to everything, and if we had sufficient will we should always have sufficient means. It is often merely for an excuse that we say things are impossible.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Life is too short for theatrics, for face time, for jumping through hoops, for excuses, for blaming, for trying too hard to please others, or for chasing society’s illusion of distant riches or fame.
—Robert Cooper (b.1947) British Diplomat
Our sun is one of 100 billion stars in our galaxy. Our galaxy is one of the billions of galaxies populating the universe. It would be the height of presumption to think that we are the only living things within that enormous immensity.
—Wernher von Braun (1912–77) German-born American Engineer, Scientist
Possibilitizing is overcoming while you’re undergoing.
—Robert H. Schuller (1926–2015) American Christian Televangelist, Author
Two people can do anything as long as one of them is the Lord.
—Indian Proverb
I only wish that ordinary people had an unlimited capacity for doing harm; then they might have an unlimited power for doing good.
—Socrates (469BCE–399BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see the possibilities—always see them, for they’re always there.
—Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) American Clergyman, Self-Help Author
Go far—too far you cannot, still the farther. The more experience finds you: and go sparing. One meal a week will serve you, and one suit, Through all your travels; for you’ll find it certain. The poorer and the baser you appear, The more you look through still.
—John Fletcher
By the year 2000 we will, I hope, raise our children to believe in human potential, not God.
—Gloria Steinem (b.1934) American Feminist, Journalist, Social Activist, Political Activist
Everyone’s got it in him, if he’ll only make up his mind and stick at it. None of us is born with a stop-valve on his powers or with a set limit to his capacities, There’s no limit possible to the expansion of each one of us.
—Charles M. Schwab (1862–1939) American Businessperson
Whenever two people meet there are really six people present. There is each man as he sees himself, each man as the other person sees him, and each man as he really is.
—William James (1842–1910) American Philosopher, Psychologist, Physician
It’s your unlimited power to care and to love that can make the biggest difference in the quality of your life.
—Tony Robbins (b.1960) American Self-Help Author, Entrepreneur
I have always been driven to buck the system, to innovate, to take things beyond where they’ve been.
—Sam Walton (1918–92) American Entrepreneur, Businessperson
The failure wishes he could do things he could never do. He thinks little of what he can do.
—Mark Caine
Culture is the process by which a person becomes all that they were created capable of being.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Historian, Essayist
Reach up as far as you can, and God will reach down all the way.
—Unknown
The Lord doesn’t always choose men for what they are, but for what they can become.
—Unknown
Rich people see opportunities. Poor people see obstacles. Rich people see potential growth. Poor people see potential loss. Rich people focus on rewards. Poor focus on the risks.
—T. Harv Eker (b.1954) American Motivational Speaker, Lecturer, Author
She didn’t know it couldn’t be done, so she went ahead and did it.
—Unknown
Say no to the drug of gradualness. It was Martin Luther King, Jr., who spoke out strongly against making slow changes. Either we risk or we don’t, he said. Either we change or we don’t. There’s no acceptable middle ground because it lulls us into complacency. Lasting changes rarely occur when we ease our way into the future. They come when we leap. The leap themselves can be small or large. Once we take action, we see things differently and for many of us there’s no going back.
—Robert Cooper (b.1947) British Diplomat
Wonder if there is life on another planet? Let’s suppose there is. Suppose further, that only one star in a trillion has a planet that could support life. If that were the case, then there would be at least 100 million planets that harbored life.
—Ben Sweetland
The barriers are not erected which can say to aspiring talents and industry, “Thus far and no farther.”
—Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) German Composer, Musician
You never know what you can do until you try.
—Unknown
Where the telescope ends, the microscope begins. Which of the two has the grander view?
—Victor Hugo (1802–85) French Novelist
What great things would you attempt if you knew you could not fail.
—Robert H. Schuller (1926–2015) American Christian Televangelist, Author
The only limits to the possibilities in your life tomorrow are the buts you use today.
—Les Brown
Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give something back.
—Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–97) English Royal, Humanitarian, Peace Activist
Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!
—Anne Frank (1929–45) Holocaust Victim
I am looking for a lot of men who have an infinite capacity to not know what can’t be done. If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability.
—Henry Ford (1863–1947) American Businessperson, Engineer
Genuine confidence is a way of thinking about yourself and your abilities. Confidence is your perception of your own potential; it’s a kind of long-term thinking that powers you through the obstacles and tough times, helping you solve problems and putting you in the way of success. Your confidence is quite a separate matter from your social skills.
—John Eliot (b.1971) American Psychologist, Academic
We all have the extraordinary coded within us… waiting to be released.
—Jean Houston (b.1937) American New Thought Author, Speaker
Contrary to what most of us believe, happiness does not simply happen to us. It’s something that we make happen, and it results from doing our best. Feeling fulfilled when we live up to our potentialities is what motivates differentiation and leads to evolution.
—Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1934–2021) Hungarian-American Psychologist
The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
Perhaps nobody ever accomplishes all that he feels lies in him to do but nearly every one who tries his power touches the walls of his being occasionally, and learns about how far to attempt to spring.
—Charles Dudley Warner (1829–1900) American Essayist, Novelist
I am neither an optimist nor pessimist, but a possibilist.
—Max Lerner (1902–92) Russian-born American Journalist
Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see farther.
—J. P. Morgan (1837–1913) American Financier, Philanthropist, Art Collector
Some people who think that everything is a nail, are down on themselves because they are not a hammer. They tend to deprecate their own unique talents and capacities to use a chisel or a pair of pliers.
—Unknown
The only way to discover the limits of the possible
is to go beyond them to the impossible.
—Arthur C. Clarke (1917–2008) British Scientist, Science-fiction Writer
It is wise to keep in mind that no success or failure is necessarily final.
—Unknown