My Favourite Quotes
Jul 5, 2024 · 7 min read
Back in 2022 I used to journal daily. I started each journal with a quote I found online. Here's a couple of the ones that aligned heavily with me.
Aut viam inveniam aut faciam - Hannibal of Carthage
This is one of my favorite quotes. This translates to "I shall either find a way or make one".
The Roman empire went face-to-face with Ancient Carthage owing to their imperial ambitions. Over the course of 3 wars spanning over a century, Rome lay seige to the Carthaginian empire. During the second war, Hannibal, a Carthaginian general, led his army towards Italy. In an effort to surprise the Romans he would have to cross the Alps by elephant. His generals advised him that this would be impossible due to the harsh climate, to which he responded with the above quote.
Fate and destiny have been a hot topic throughout the generations. The stoics believed that everything happens due to a providential order (Logos). Camus believed in the absurd — life is inherently meaningless and that we, as individuals, must create our own purpose in a purposeless world.
I hold the view of a slight compatibilist — the view that free will is compatible with determinism. A tl;dr of it would be that compatibilists think that free will involves acting according to one's internal states (desires, motivations, etc.) without external coercion. Where I differ is that I also believe in Karma — a form of moral determinism where my previous and current actions influence my future life circumstances.
What does any of this have to do with the quote? We don't know what the future holds. Maybe it is all pre-determined and no matter what you do you will end up in the exact same place, or that you are in complete control of everything that happens to you.
Take having a successfull business for example; we only hear about the winners, the ones that ended up exiting via an acquisition or IPO and are know worth millions or even billions. For each successful business, there is a graveyard of failed businesses right alongside them. We don't hear about them because nobody cares about the one that came second. The spotlight is always on the victors, the ones who made it big, while the stories of those who tried and failed fade into obscurity. This does not mean that their efforts were worthless and that their journeys were in vain.
Every failed attempt holds lessons that are invaluable. These stories of struggle and persistance are the backbone of innovation and progress. They remind us that the path to success is rarely a straight line. In fact, many of those that failed more often than not, end up later succeeding in their endeavours; likely using their failures as lighthouses in the ocean of uncertainty.
Hannibal's quote embodies the spirit of perseverance and determination. It's crucial to keep pushing forward and create your own path. Whether you succeed or fail, whether the future is pre-determined or not, every step you take is a testament to your resilience and drive.
But how could you live and have no story to tell - Fyodor Dostoevsky
I actually found this quote on my 22nd birthday; an unfortunate day to feel existential dread to say the least. Dostoevsky is obviously famous for being one of the best novelists in the nineteenth century (and depending on who you ask, in human history). The quote is from a short story of his, White Nights, which is about a lonely man who forms a deep connection with a heartbroken woman. The "Dreamer"'s hopes are dashed when the woman's true love returns, having him return to his solitary life.
Putting that depressing scenario aside, why do I like this quote? It encapsulates a profound truth about the human condition: our innate desire to leave a mark on this world, something that outlives us. Thankfully, we have one word for it — legacy.
Legacy goes beyond material wealth or accomplishments. Imagine sitting with your child, sharing the tales of your own triumphs and struggles, the mistakes that humbled you, and the dreams that pushed you forward. Stories bridge the gap between the past and the future. They provide continuity and remind us that we are part of a long lineage of storytellers, each contributing to a collective legacy.
In the end, the quote "But how could you live and have no story to tell?" is a call to live fully and intentionally. It provokes us to create a legacy of significance, and reminds us that our stories, though ephemeral, are the most enduring gifts we can leave to the world.
The trouble is, you think you have time - Jack Kornfield
Everyone's legacy is limited. There is nobody who has an infinite amount of money, nor somebody who has an infinite amount of stories to tell.
Everything is borrowed. The body you've spent 5 days a week at the gym for, the marriage you cherish, it's all borrowed; you don't get to have it forever. Within two weeks of stopping going to the gym, your body has already started the process of atrophying your muscles since you clearly no longer need them. Addiotnally, if you stopped caring about your marriage and about doing the little things, you are fated to grow apart.
We often fall into the illusion that there will always be more time to achieve our goals, mend relationships, to tell our stories. This illusion is very strong. It makes us complacent, postponing the things that truly matter.
While this may seem like a call to pessimism, it is not. The finite nature of our time is what makes it so worthwhile. Rather than succumbing under the weight of mortality, we can accept it and live with intention and gratitude. Life's challenges and sorrows, though inevitable, do not define us. Each setback, plateau, heartache, is temporary.
As with many things, this too, shall pass.
To understand everything is to forgive everything - Madame de Staël
The original saying is in French — "Car tout comprendre rend très indulgent, et sentir profondément inspire une grande bontée ("To understand everything makes one tolerant, and to feel deeply inspires great kindness").
Have you ever been in a situation where you knew your actions were right, but others couldn't see it? Because the details of the situation were overlooked, you were perceived as the one at fault. It's frustrating, yet you have likely done the same to others many times before.
Deep comprehension of a person's motives, and circumstances leads naturally to a sense of forgiveness. By understanding the full context of someone's behavior or situation, one might find it easier to empathize with them and forgive any perceived wrongs.
Empathy isn't exclusive to just the human race, it's part of many mammals. For example, in 1964 a group of psychiatrists led by Jules Masserman reported that rhesus monkeys refused to pull a chain that delivered food to themselves if doing so gave a shock to a companion. One monkey going so far as stopping pulling the chain for 12 days after witnessing another monkey receive a shock.
Empathy likely evolved in mammals in the context of parental care. Signaling their current state through smiling and crying, human infants urge their parents to respond. This also applies to other primates. During the millions of years of mamallian evolution, females who were cold and distant to their offspring were out-reproduced by those who responded to their needs.
Tying back to the original point, our original judgments and feelings of resentment or anger can be modified when we take the time to understand the underlying factors that contribute to another person's actions. Empathy paves the way for forgiveness