Quotes

One of the fondest memories of my Granddad Nelson was trading quotes regularly over email. Sadly I lost the email archive when I went on my mission, but it has continued to be an interest of mine. I hope you enjoy my collection of quotes. A bit of everything from religion to politics to leadership.

The convoluted wording of legalisms grew up around the necessity to hide from ourselves the violence we intend toward each other. Between depriving a man of one hour from his life and depriving him of his life there exists only a difference of degree. You have done violence to him, consumed his energy. Elaborate euphemisms may conceal your intent to kill, but behind any use of power over another the ultimate assumption remains: “I feed on your energy.”

My life got better when I realized I didn't have to be nice. Nice got me ran over, stressed out and disrespected.

I'm not nice. I'm a good person. There's a difference.

Truth suffers from too much analysis.

One of the hardest things to do as a parent is to let your kids fail. But the truth is that, unless you let them fail, they never learn to succeed. They achieve a sort of helplessness in which they learn to wait for someone to come in and solve their problems.

It's very difficult to watch your children struggle, but letting them fail may be the most important thing you can do.

Give as few orders as possible. Once you’ve given orders on a subject, you must always give orders on that subject.

The American dream is the idea that you are not a victim. No matter how terrible your history, no matter how much you were a victim in the past, you can still rise.

Being rude is easy. It does not take any effort and is a sign of weakness and insecurity. Kindness shows great self-discipline and strong self-esteem. Being kind is not always easy when dealing with rude people. Kindness is a sign of a person who has done a lot of personal work and has come to a great self-understanding and wisdom. Choose to be kind over being right, and you'll be right every time because kindness is a sign of strength.

What do you despise? By this are you truly known.

Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past me I will turn to see fear’s path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

the drowning man who climbs on your shoulders to save himself is understandable—except when you see it happen in the drawing room.