Quotes About Aspiration

For it is said that humans are never satisfied, that you give them one thing and they want something more. And this is said in disparagement, whereas it is one of the greatest talents the species has and one that has made it superior to animals that are satisfied with what they have.

It is the nature of man to rise to greatness if greatness is expected of him.

Lennie said quietly, It ain't no lie. We're gonna do it. Gonna get a little place an' live on the fatta the lan'.

It's almost impossible to read a fine thing without wanting to do a fine thing.

To the stars, on the wings of a pig.

To the heavens on the wings of a pig.

I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an' on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an' that same damn thing in their heads . . . every damn one of 'em's got a little piece of land in his head. An' never a God damn one of 'em ever gets it. Just like heaven. Ever'body wants a little piece of lan'. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land.

Why do men like me want sons? he wondered. It must be because they hope in their poor beaten souls that these new men, who are their blood, will do the things they were not strong enough nor wise enough nor brave enough to do. It is rather like another chance at life; like a new bag of coins at a table of luck after your fortune is gone.

The last clear definite function of men—muscles aching to work, minds aching to create beyond the single need—this is man.

The ancient commission of the writer has not changed. He is charged with exposing our many grievous faults and failures, with dredging up to the light our dark and dangerous dreams for the purpose of improvement. [ Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech ]

But this—this is a ladder to climb to the stars." Lee's eyes shone. "You can never lose that. It cuts the feet from under weakness and cowardliness and laziness.

You are a little boy. You want the moon to drink from as a golden cup; and so, it is very likely that you will become a great man -- if only you remain a little child. All the world'sgreat have been little boys who wanted the moon; running and climbing, they sometimes catch a firefly. But if one grow to a man's mind, that mind must see that it cannot have the moon and would not want it if it could -- and so, it catches no fireflies.' [Merlin]

He has come to be the great man he thought he wanted to be. If this is true, then he is not a man. He is still a little boy and wants the moon.

Ad astra per alia porci

For man, unlike any other thing organic or inorganic in the universe, grows beyond his work, walks up the stairs of his concepts, emerges ahead of his accomplishments.

Ad astra per alia porci (to the stars on the wings of a pig)

It's funny how you want to do a thing and never do it.

A good writer always works at the impossible.

Some children want to be babies and some want to be adults. Few are content with their age.

George si alzò in piedi. «Ce la faremo,» disse. «Prenderemo quella casetta e andremo a viverci.» Tornò a sedersi. I tre stettero queti, tutti imbambolati nel portento della cosa, ciascuno lanciato nel futuro dove la cosa tanto bella si sarebbe avverata.

People moving [...] Movin' cause they got to [...] Movin' cause they want sompin better'n what they got. An' that's the on'y way they'll ever git it.

At this very moment Pablo Sanchez happened to be sitting in the ditch at the side of the road, wishing he had a cigarette and a glass of wine. Ah, the prayers of the millions, how they must fight and destroy each other on their way to the throne of God. Pablo

He used it to haul squids and he liked a fresh breeze to blow in his face. His name was Francis Almones and he had a sad life, for he always made just a fraction less than he needed to live.

In that day an educated rich man was acceptable. He might send his sons to college without comment, might wear a vest and white shirt and tie in the daytime of a weekday, might wear gloves and keep his nails clean. And since the lives and practices of rich men were mysterious, who knows what they could use or not use? But a poor man––what need had he for poetry or for painting or for music not fit for singing or dancing?