Quotes About Ideals

Failure comes only when we forget our ideals and objectives and principles.

Ce-ar fi putut face, ?i unul ?i cel?lalt, cu libertatea de gândire? ?i cu toleran?a? Fiindc?, ?i unul ?i cel?lalt, se considerau de?in?tori ai adev?rului.

Tutto ciò che è nel tempo passerà con il tempo e nulla di ciò che appartiene a questo mondo transitorio e fragile merita più di un rispetto un po' distaccato e di un assenso ironico. Si può benissimo morire per la propria patria, per le proprie idee, per quelli che si amano. Non c'è niente di più onorevole. Ma soltanto ciò che è eterno merita un affetto senza riserve.

To say of men that they are bad is to say they are worse than we think we are, or worse than the ideal man whose image we have built up on the basis of a certain few.

the modern generation being flippant and superficial. He says that we are losing the old ideals of earnest endeavour and true scholarship; and particularly is this falling-off noticeable in our disrespectful attitude towards organized authority. We no longer pay a seemly deference to our superiors. I

Dedicating one's life to lofty spiritual ideals is every bit as life-defining and purpose-giving as the quest for heaven or power or money or love. Just because there's a flashing neon sign above the door that says "Free Enlightenment! The Shortest & Easiest Way! The One True Path!" doesn't mean that what goes on inside is really about enlightenment, or that the people who go in really want it.

Sion, pour moi, c'était une idée sainte, divine, un espoir messianique, une prière, un battement de coeur—et non un lieu géographique, une réalité politique, une cause au nom de laquelle on meurt ou on tue.

La imagen de artista trágico que prefiere dejar la pluma antes que alcanzar sus impecables ideales no tiene nada de romántica. Elegir este camino no me parece heroico. Creo que es mucho más honesto seguir en el juego —incluso si salta a la vista que estás perdiendo— que dejar de participar debido a lo delicado de tu sensibilidad. Pero, para seguir en el juego, tienes que renunciar a tus ansias de perfección.

People make mistakes. Ideals don't. Think that's the first lesson that must be learned in any marriage.

Politicians who talk about purity usually end up deciding who is pure and who is not.

I intend to leave after my death a large fund for the promotion of the peace idea, but I am skeptical as to its results.

Children who are respected learn respect. Children who are cared for learn to care for those weaker than themselves. Children who are loved for what they are cannot learn intolerance. In an environment such as this, they will develop their own ideals, which can be nothing other than humane, since they grew out of the experience of love.

We know not of the future, and cannot plan for it much. But we can hold our spirits and our bodies so pure and high, we may cherish such thoughts and such ideals, and dream such dreams of lofty purpose, that we can determine and know what manner of men we will be whenever the hour strikes that calls us to noble action....No man becomes suddenly different from his habit and cherished thought. (Joshua L. Chamberlain

students have powerful images of what a perfect body is and pursue it incessantly. But deprived of literary guidance, they no longer have any image of a perfect soul, and hence do not long to have one. They do not even imagine that there is such a thing.

The students [of the 60s] substituted conspicuous compassion for their parents conspicuous consumption.

Although it is foolish to believe that book learning is anything like the whole of education, it is always necessary, particularly in ages when there is a poverty of living examples of the possible high human types.

No se vestía para atraer miradas de aprobación de su marido ni de ninguna multitud, sino para conformarse a un propio ideal secreto. Una fantasía tomada de una novela decimonómica, una imagen tanto intemporal como perenne. Una heroína romántica de su propia creación.

If you look at great human civilizations, from the Roman Empire to the Soviet Union, you will see that most do not fail simply due to external threats but because of internal weakness, corruption, or a failure to manifest the values and ideals they espouse.

It is the power of words and books - explaining and dramatizing great ideas and articulating high ideals - that is the greatest weapon in the missionary's arsenal.

Another example of that was that even during the economic problems of the 1945 government, we managed to carry out other aspects of our policy and other ideals. Through the establishment of national parks, for instance.

You can't create a political movement out of pabulum.

I'm passionate about politics, but when it comes to political parties, I'm despondent. I'm disappointed at the absence of a sense of humanity and struggle to not become a cynic.

I follow politics avidly. I like sensible people of all political persuasions. My ideal political party would be a pick and mix.

When philosophers try to be politicians they generally cease to be philosophers.