This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
There are circumstances of peculiar difficulty and danger, where a mediocrity of talent is the most fatal quality that a man can possibly possess. Had Charles the first, and Louis the Sixteenth, been more wise or more weak, more firm or more yielding, in either case they had both of them saved their heads.
Circumstances | Danger | Difficulty | Man | Mediocrity | Wise | Yielding | Talent |
In pulpit eloquence, the grand difficulty lies here; to give the subject all the dignity it so fully deserves, without attaching any importance to ourselves.
Difficulty | Dignity |
Confucius, aka Kong Qiu, Zhongni, K'ung Fu-tzu or Kong Fuzi NULL
The superior man makes the difficulty to be over come his first interest; success comes only later.
Difficulty | Man | Success |
Confucius, aka Kong Qiu, Zhongni, K'ung Fu-tzu or Kong Fuzi NULL
Wisdom, compassion and courage - these are three universally recognized moral qualities of man. It matters not in what way men come to the exercise of these moral qualities, the result is one and the same. When a man understands the nature and use of these three moral qualities, he will then understand how to put in order his personal conduct and character; he will understand how to govern men.
Character | Compassion | Conduct | Courage | Man | Men | Nature | Order | Qualities | Will | Wisdom | Govern | Understand |
Dale Carnegie, originally spelled Dale Carnegey
Most of us have far more courage than we ever dreamed possible.
Courage |
Coventry Patmore, fully Coventry Kersey Dighton Patmore
To him that waits all things reveal themselves, provided that he has the courage not to deny, in the darkness, what he has seen in the light.
Perfect courage means doing unwitnessed what we would be capable of with the world looking on.
Virtue is never tried but by some difficulty and some struggle.
Difficulty | Struggle | Virtue | Virtue |
No man can answer for his courage if he has never been in peril.
Dwight Eisenhower, fully Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower
You must not retain for one instant any man in a responsible position where you have become doubtful of his ability to do the job… This matter frequently calls for more courage than any other thing you will have to do, but I expect you to be perfectly cold-blooded about it.
Titles, indeed, may be purchased; but virtue is the only coin that makes the bargain valid.
Dwight Eisenhower, fully Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower
This is what I found out about religion. It gives you courage to make the decisions you must make in a crisis, and then the confidence to leave the result to Higher Power. Only by trust in God can a man carrying responsibility find repose.
Confidence | Courage | God | Man | Power | Religion | Repose | Responsibility | Trust | God |
Dwight Eisenhower, fully Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower
There is no victory at bargain basement prices.
Adversity is a severe instructor, set over us by one who knows us better than we do ourselves, as he love us better too. He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper. This conflict with difficulty makes us acquainted with our object, and compels us to consider it in all its relations. It will not suffer us to be superficial.
Adversity | Better | Difficulty | Love | Object | Skill | Will |