Courtesy is the idea “that no one give any kind of preference to himself” (C. S. Lewis, British scholar and author) Does the proliferation of “selfies” on social media suggest something about personal image and self-interest? We even see people “photo-bombing” others’...
A trait of virtue is doing the right thing even when you don’t feel like it. (Stonestreet and Kunkle, authors) When being watched closely, probably most people will try to do the right thing. But, what if no one’s watching or no one will likely find out what you’re...
Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly. (Kary Oberbrunner, motivational speaker and author It’s often been said that “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.” And we would all agree with that, no doubt. Could Oberbrunner be saying,...
Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. (Henry Ford, automaker) Or, as Charles Swindoll writes, “Failures are only temporary tests to prepare us for permanent triumphs.” No one likes to fail, but we all do at one time or...
Enslave the liberty of but one human being and the liberties of the world are put in peril. (William Lloyd Garrison, 19th century American journalist and social reformer) America was founded on the belief not only that all men are created equal but that they have the...
The opinions that we have don’t make a difference like the love that we give. (Ann Voskamp, Canadian author) Everyone seems to have an opinion about any subject you might want to talk about. And most of us hold onto those opinions very tightly. Thus, the expression,...
For morality, a right heart is better than a right law. (Jackson Wu, theologian) Many who are dissatisfied with the current state of society—decrying high crime rates, lack of respect and courtesy—plead for the government “to do something about it.” Hundreds of years...
Discernment is the power to tell the good from the bad [and] the genuine from the counterfeit... (Samuel Johnson, 18th century English literary critic) Johnson went on to say, “...and to prefer the good and the genuine to the bad and the counterfeit.” As important as...
We shouldn’t confuse information with knowledge or knowledge with wisdom. (T. S. Eliot, 20th century British essayist and social critic) Think about these two startling facts as a result of the “information age”: 1) if Wikipedia were made into a book, it would be 2.25...
The true secret of giving advice is, after you have honestly given it, to be perfectly indifferent whether it is taken or not. (Henry Ward Beecher, 19th century clergyman) When we give advice, we most often want to see how faithfully it is followed. If our counsel is...
The miracle isn't that I finished. It's that I had the courage to start. (John Bingham, Marathon Runner) Most people look at marathon runners with admiration and, maybe, a little envy. Don’t we all wish that we could compete well in such a race? But, wishing doesn’t...
The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud. (Coco Chanel, late French fashion designer) Speaking your own mind can be scary. The pressure of strong influence from the media or out-spoken friends might intimidate us so that we are fearful to say what...