Quotes About Purpose

As the sun and each atom of ether is a sphere complete in itself, and yet at the same time only a part of a whole too immense for man to comprehend, so each individual has within himself his own aims and yet has them to serve a general purpose incomprehensible to man.

I'll fail in the same way to understand with my reason why I pray, and yet I will pray—but my life now, my whole life, regardless of all that may happen to me, every minute of it, is not only not meaningless, as it was before, but has the unquestionable meaning of the good which it is in my power to put into it!

I won't say life wouldn't be worth living without it, but it would be dull

The solution of all the possible questions of life could evidently not satisfy me, for my question, simple as it at first appeared, included a demand for an explanation of the finite in terms of the infinite, and vice versa.

I asked: "What is the meaning of my life, beyond time, cause, and space?" And I replied to quite another question: "What is the meaning of my life within time, cause, and space?" With the result that, after long efforts of thought, the answer I reached was: "None.

Ma tu mi dici: entra nella nostra confraternita e noi ti indicheremo lo scopo della vita, la missione dell'uomo, le leggi che governano il mondo. Ma noi chi siamo? Siamo uomini. Perché voi dovreste sapere tutto? Come mai io soltanto non vedrei quello che vedete voi? Voi vedere sulla terra il regno del bene e della verità, ma io non lo vedo.

If no one fought except on his own conviction, there would be no wars," he said. "And that would be splendid," said Pierre. Prince Andrew smiled ironically. "Very likely it would be splendid, but it will never come about. . . ." "Well, why are you going to the war?" asked Pierre. "What for? I don't know. I must. Besides that I am going . . ." He paused. "I am going because the life I am leading here does not suit me!

faith is a knowledge of the meaning of human life in consequence of which man does not destroy himself but lives. Faith is the strength of life. If a man lives he believes in something. If he did not believe that one must live for something, he would not live. If he does not see and recognize the illusory nature of the finite, he believes in the finite; if he understands the illusory nature of the finite, he must believe in the infinite. Without faith he cannot live.

Once admit that human life can be guided by reason, and all possibility of life is annihilated.

Cristo, el hijo de Dios, ha venido a la tierra y nos ha dicho que esta vida no es mas que un corto momento, una prueba, y, sin embargo, nos empeñamos en encontrar en el la felicidad

Che cosa è male? Che cosa è bene? Che cosa bisogna amare, che cosa odiare? Per quale ragione dobbiamo vivere? E io che cosa sono? Che cos'è la vita? Che cos'è la morte? Quale forza guida tutto?» si domandava Pierre. E non trovava risposta ad alcuno di questi interrogativi, tranne una sola illogica risposta, che per contro non rispondeva affatto a queste domande. «Morirai e tutto sarà finito.»

Why was I so reluctant to part with life? There was something in this life I did not and do not understand.

Lo único que importa es la fe, la confianza ardiente, la ausencia total de egoísmo e individualismo, la tensión de todo el ser hacia el servicio, por ingrato que sea, en cualquier lugar, de todos modos, una causa que va más allá del hombre, preguntándole todo, prometiéndole nada

No estamos en este mundo para comer a horas fijas, para dormir con regularidad, para vivir cien o más años. Todo esto es vano y es necio. Sólo una cosa cuenta: tener una vida útil; perfilar el alma; estar pendiente de ella, instante por instante; vigilar sus debilidades y exaltar sus impulsos; servir a los demás derramar a nuestro alrededor la dicha y la ternura; ofrecer el brazo al prójimo, para elevarnos todos, ayudándonos los unos a los otros

The atomists knew that causation must start from something, and that no cause can be assigned to this original something. Motion was simply a given. The atomists asked mechanistic questions and gave mechanistic answers. When they asked "Why?" they meant: what was the cause of an event? When their successors—Plato, Aristotle, and so on—asked "Why?" they were searching for the purpose of an event.

A genealogy is a striking way of bringing before us the continuity of God's purpose through the ages. The process of history is not haphazard. There is a purpose in it all. And the purpose is the purpose of God.

A sailor without a destination cannot hope for a favorable wind.

Lincoln's significance lies in his not hesitating before the most severe means, once they were found to be necessary, in achieving a great historic aim posed by the development of a young nation.

All you have the right to ask of life is to choose a battle in this war, make the best you can, and leave the field with honor.

I don't want to be a star, merely dying.

As he died to make men holy, let us die to make things cheap.

Listen I would have done the same things even if there were no death.

I confess I meant to grow wings and lose my mind I confess that I've forgotten what for Why wings and a lost mind

And where do all these highways go, now that we are free? Why are the armies marching still that were coming home to me?