WIST Quotations

Rilke, Rainer Maria -- “The Beholder [Der Schauende]”, The Book of Images [Buch der Bilder], Second Book, Part 2 (1902) (paraphrase)

Dave — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 18:46:38 +0000

The purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things.

Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1963) German poet
“The Beholder [Der Schauende]”, The Book of Images [Buch der Bilder], Second Book, Part 2 (1902) (paraphrase)

This looks to be a paraphrase from a couplet in the poem (also known as "The Man Watching"):

Sein Wachstum ist: der Teifbesiegte
von immer Größerem zu sein.
[Source]

Which translates variously as:

His growth is: to be the deeply defeated
by ever greater things.
[tr. Snow (1991)]

This is how he grows: by being defeated, decisively,
by constantly greater beings.
[tr. Bly]

His growth is this: to be defeated
by ever greater forces.
[tr. Barrows and Macy]

Adams, Abigail -- Letter to John Quincy Adams (19 Jan 1780)

Dave — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 14:43:44 +0000

These are times in which a Genious would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. Would Cicero have shone so distinguished an orater, if he had not been roused, kindled and enflamed by the Tyranny of Catiline, Millo, Verres and Mark Anthony. The Habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. All History will convince you of this, and that wisdom and penetration are the fruits of experience, not the Lessons of retirement and leisure. Great necessities call out great virtues. When a mind is raised, and animated by scenes that engage the Heart, then those qualities which would otherways lay dormant, wake into Life, and form the Character of the Hero and the Statesman.

Abigail Adams (1744–1818) American correspondent, First Lady (1797–1801)
Letter to John Quincy Adams (19 Jan 1780)

Written when John Quincy was twelve, in Paris with his father for the peace negotiations with Britain.

Peterson, Wilferd A. -- “The Art of Happiness,” This Week Magazine (1961-02-04)

Dave — Mon, 03 May 2021 16:35:20 +0000

Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best.

Wilferd A. Peterson (1900–1995) American writer, magazine editor
“The Art of Happiness,” This Week Magazine (1961-02-04)

Collected in The Art of Living (1961).

Almost universally credited, without citation, to Theodore Isaac Rubin, but I've been unable to find the phrase in Rubin's works or credited to him earlier than Peterson's essay.

Colton, Charles Caleb -- Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Vol. 1, § 28 (1820)

Dave — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 17:51:22 +0000

Times of general calamity and confusion have ever been productive of the greatest minds. The purest ore is produced from the hottest furnace, and the brightest thunderbolt is elicited from the darkest storm.

Charles Caleb "C. C." Colton (1780–1832) English cleric, writer, aphorist
Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Vol. 1, § 28 (1820)

Adams, Abigail -- Letter to John Quincy Adams (19 Jan 1780)

Dave — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 16:04:39 +0000

These are times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life, or in the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. Great necessities call out great virtues.

Abigail Adams (1744–1818) American correspondent, First Lady (1797–1801)
Letter to John Quincy Adams (19 Jan 1780)

Probable source of the similar "Great necessities call forth great leaders," usually cited (but not found) as a letter to Thomas Jefferson.

Eliot, T. S. -- (Attributed)

Dave — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 15:24:25 +0000

If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?

T. S. Eliot (1888–1965) American-British poet, critic, playwright [Thomas Stearns Eliot]
(Attributed)

Jonson, Ben -- Timber: Or, Discoveries, “Explorata” (1640)

Dave — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:29:15 +0000

He knows not his own strength that hath not met adversity.

Ben Jonson (1572–1637) English playwright and poet
Timber: Or, Discoveries, “Explorata” (1640)

Bacon, Francis -- “Of Adversity,” Essays, No. 5 (1625)

Dave — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 14:50:14 +0000

For prosperity doth best discover vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue.

Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English philosopher, scientist, author, statesman
“Of Adversity,” Essays, No. 5 (1625)