Reading Iron Man and one of the lines is, "By Default, optimists make the world, because pessimists never even try." I'm not sure mow much truth there is to that, but just the basic principle of it is something that caught my attention. Any other motivational or moral platitudes you want to share?
I'm recalling something Kublai Khan's brother said... Ah here it is. After a bitter civil war between the two Mongolian brothers over succession for the empire, Kublai Khan emerges victorious after only a few years as a leader and warrior. Kublai's brother is brought before him, as he looks down at his brother, cuffed and restrained asks him: "So tell me brother, now that the war is over were you in the right, or was I?" "I was in the right...." he uttered. "But now you are." It made me think how the power play between people dictates what is real and truth, how it can change when the strongest stands atop the pile. To the victors go the spoils, history is written by the victors and so on, yet it's just a fascinating concept considering this account actually occurred. Most great quotes come from history, or fictionalised accounts. They somehow speak to us better. I will give comic book writing though for having tremendous quotes, I regret not reading more of them.
I always found this quote striking since we spend so much time wrapped up in our world, our own needs and wishes and things to do, that we forget that there's a whole world filled with other people's worlds out there too. Just because something happens to us individually doesn't mean the world stops spinning. Just as the clock keeps moving forward, so does everything around us. WHICH ALSO (sorta) TIES INTO Love, too, also keeps moving, keeps breathing. We will always lose someone, and people will always lose us. That is the frailty of this life that we're given. But the idea that even with this loss, the love we feel from others will be reborn or re-channeled and will always find a way to come back to you makes it comforting; that for a loved one we lose, although the pain may never leave, we can always come to love another. /avatar is quoteable as shit and i love it
"A smart person is just a failed dumbass" - San-Antonio Those aren' t mutually exclusive. ^^ "The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails." - William Arthur Ward
Ha, were you expecting 'Love conquers all' or something else? I don't think I've found quotes motivating, just profound and activate me to research them, or dig deeper. But I remembered the quote from reading this thread, so i thought i'd mention it. And it is kind of motivational. Kublai lost his father when young, his grandfather, Genghis Khan, had set the bar extremely high to surpass his accomplishments, his mother ruled the nation for years (one of the most powerful women in history) effectively, and he was raised a scholar, not a Mongol warrior, he was the black sheep in the family and was never meant to inherit the nation. But he carved his way through all opposition. It links back into the original posts quote of pessimism. No great people were pessimists, they had a drive to keep going beyond regular human ambition. To have his own brother tell him he was now, basically, the law, the ruler of 1/5 of the world's lands seems significant and inspiring. I can't imagine owning a house, let alone a fifth of the world. The context of who it was said to and what had just happened, along with the history of their family, means a lot. But I go on, I could talk about the wonderfulness of the greatest Mongolian family ever much more but no one cares, I'm guessing.
