Fair play with others is primarily not blaming them for anything that is wrong with us.
—Eric Hoffer (1902–83) American Philosopher, Author
It is what you are inside that matters. You, yourself, are your only real capital.
—Vladimir K. Zworykin (1889–1982) Russian-born American Physicist, Television Pioneer
Up to a point a man’s life is shaped by environment, heredity, and the movements and changes in the world around him. Then there comes a time when it lies within his grasp to shape the clay of his life into the sort of thing he wishes to be. Only the weak blame parents, their race, their times, lack of good fortune, or the quirks of fate. Everyone has it within his power to say, ‘This I am today; that I will be tomorrow.’ The wish, however, must be implemented by deeds.
—Louis L’Amour (1908–88) American Novelist, Short-story Writer
The wise don’t expect to find life worth living; they make it that way.
—Unknown
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbow’d.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Lies but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
—William Ernest Henley (1849–1903) English Poet, Critic, Editor
If people are suffering, then they must look within themselves … Happiness is not something ready-made (Buddha) can give you. It comes from your own actions.
—The 14th Dalai Lama (b.1935) Tibetan Buddhist Religious Leader, Civil Rights Leader, Philosopher, Author
What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
It is vain to ask of the gods what man is capable of supplying for himself.
—Epicurus (c.341–270 BCE) Greek Philosopher
He has not learned the first lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
God hath entrusted me with myself.
—Epictetus (55–135) Ancient Greek Philosopher
I am my own heaven and hell.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
Learn to depend upon yourself by doing things in accordance with your own way of thinking.
—Grenville Kleiser (1868–1935) Canadian Author
No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.
—Buddhist Teaching
One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes. In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And, the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.
—Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American First Lady, Diplomat, Humanitarian
A chief is a man who assumes responsibility. He says, “I was beaten”. He does not say, “My men were beaten”. Thus speaks a real man.
—Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900–44) French Novelist, Aviator
Be thine own palace, or the world’s thy jail.
—John Donne (1572–1631) English Poet, Cleric
There is no reality except the one contained within us.
—Hermann Hesse (1877–1962) German-born Swiss Novelist, Poet
Thinking is like loving and dying. Each of us must do it for himself.
—Josiah Royce (1855–1916) American Idealist Philosopher
The greatest griefs are those we cause ourselves.
—Sophocles (495–405 BCE) Ancient Greek Dramatist
If there is no wind, row.
—Latin Proverb
God loves to help him who strives to help himself.
—Aeschylus (525–456 BCE) Greek Playwright
We have not passed that subtle line between childhood and adulthood until we move from the passive voice to the active voice — that is, until we have stopped saying “It got lost,” and say, “I lost it.”
—Sydney J. Harris (1917–86) American Essayist, Drama Critic
Help yourself, and Heaven will help you.
—Jean de La Fontaine (1621–95) French Poet, Short Story Writer
Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
How we love to blame others for our misfortunes! Almost every individual who has lost money in stock speculation has on the tip of his tongue an explanation which he trots out to show that it wasn’t his own fault at all … Hardly one loser has the manliness to say frankly, “I was wrong”.
—B. C. Forbes (1880–1954) Scottish-born American Journalist, Publisher
The highest manifestation of life consists in this: that a being governs its own actions. A thing which is always subject to the direction of another is somewhat of a dead thing.
—Thomas Aquinas (1225–74) Italian Catholic Priest, Philosopher, Theologian
Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
Every man is the architect of his own future.
—Anonymous
A life of reaction is a life of slavery, intellectually and spiritually. One must fight for a life of action, not reaction.
—Rita Mae Brown (b.1944) American Writer, Feminist
It is our relation to circumstances that determines their influence over us. The same wind that carries one vessel into port may blow another off shore.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
We carry with us the wonders we seek without us.
—Thomas Browne (1605–82) English Author, Physician
To be a man is, precisely, to be responsible.
—Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900–44) French Novelist, Aviator
In the schools of the wrestling master, when a boy falls he is bidden to get up again, and to go on wrestling day by day till he has acquired strength; and we must do the same, and not after one failure suffer ourselves to be swept along as by a torrent. You need but will, and it is done; but if you relax your efforts you will be ruined; for ruin and recovery are both from within.
—Epictetus (55–135) Ancient Greek Philosopher
Self-distrust is the cause of most of our failures.—In the assurance of strength there is strength; and they are the weakest, however strong, who have no faith in themselves or their powers.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
I have ever held it a maxim, never to do through another what it was possible for me to do myself.
—Montesquieu (1689–1755) French Political Philosopher, Jurist
Help thyself, and God will help thee.
—George Herbert (1593–1633) Welsh Anglican Poet, Orator, Clergyman
Circumstances—what are circumstances? I make circumstances.
—Napoleon I (1769–1821) Emperor of France
For non-conformity the world whips you with its displeasure.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
No one’s gonna drag you up to get into the light where you belong.
—Unknown
If you want a thing done, go. If not, send. The shortest answer is doing.
—English Proverb
A man who finds no satisfaction in himself, seeks for it in vain elsewhere.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613–80) French Writer
Religious faith, indeed, relates to that which is above us, but it must arise from that which is within us.
—Josiah Royce (1855–1916) American Idealist Philosopher
The best bet is to bet on yourself.
—Arnold Glasow (1905–98) American Businessman
Things alter for the worse spontaneously, if they be not altered for the better designedly.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
The winds and waves are always on the side of the ablest navigators.
—Edward Gibbon (1737–94) English Historian, Politician
We can be thankful to a friend for a few acres, or a little money; and yet for the freedom and command of the whole earth, and for the great benefits of our being, our life, health, and reason, we look upon ourselves as under no obligation.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
He that has no resources of mind, is more to be pitied than he who is in want of necessaries for the body; to be obliged to beg our daily happiness from others, bespeaks a more lamentable poverty than that of him who begs his daily bread.
—Charles Caleb Colton (c.1780–1832) English Clergyman, Aphorist
We create our fate every day … most of the ills we suffer from are directly traceable to our own behavior.
—Henry Miller (1891–1980) American Novelist