Inspiring Quotes: Why Do They Work?
Many of us post inspiring quotes on the wall to remind us of what we believe in during times when we need strength. This is not a recent phenomena and, in some cases, these quotations are even stronger because they remind us of the character of those who spoke them. Lou Gehrig, who had to quit his record-breaking baseball career after he learned he had ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), still said he considered himself the luckiest man in the work. The way he responded to his "bad break" is part of the reason so many repeat his line when faced with their own unexpected trauma.
Over the years his story has inspired many. In part, this is because Gerhig's attitude toward his situation speaks deeply about his character. The poet Ogden Nash celebrated Gehrig in a verse titled "Lineup for Yesterday, " penned ten years after the ball player's death.
Filmmakers and novelists, too, have taken his words and his story as an inspiration. The American Film Institute voted "The Pride of the Yankees, " starring Gary Cooper among the best 100 films in 2003. Books like the "Luckiest Man, " by Jonathan Eig (2005) further show that his words have become a defining part of his legacy as a person.
A quote like "We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are, " which is from the Talmud, speaks universally to how we address and live in the world. For some, however, the inspiration from a quotation that matches an event or life story goes deeper. Taking a life circumstance and writing about it in a larger sense is evident in the writings of philosophers and literary figures.
In other cases, someone who has penned words or ideas that have grown out of personal experience offers such a robust expression that their works later are defined as literature and/or philosophy. Alphonse Daudet (1840-1897), a French writer, wrote of pain with so much poignant that his words have endured. Similarly, Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), who like Daudet was syphilitic, is frequently quoted. He said, "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger."
The words of creative people who excel also motivate us and encourage a reaching out to life without fear, even when facing the incomprehensible. Stephen W. Hawking, a cosmologist who now holds the professorship at Cambridge University once occupied by Isaac Newton (1664-1669), like Gehrig, was diagnosed with ALS. He was quite young at the time and working toward his PhD.
After learning that he would suffer progressive loss of muscle control and a truncated life, Hawking focused on the cosmological studies that have since made him famous. He has said: "I'm sure my disability has a bearing on why I am well known. People are fascinated by the contrast between my very limited physical powers, and the vast nature of the universe I deal with."
Inspiring quotes speak to a side of life that we often want to put into words and feel are beyond language. One oft quoted individual, Helen Keller, like Gehrig, has inspired many creative works because both her words and her story give us courage to face inexplicable and mysterious situations. One of her most quoted remarks speaks of how important it is to see the door that is open to us, rather than concentrating on the one that is now closed.
Over the years his story has inspired many. In part, this is because Gerhig's attitude toward his situation speaks deeply about his character. The poet Ogden Nash celebrated Gehrig in a verse titled "Lineup for Yesterday, " penned ten years after the ball player's death.
Filmmakers and novelists, too, have taken his words and his story as an inspiration. The American Film Institute voted "The Pride of the Yankees, " starring Gary Cooper among the best 100 films in 2003. Books like the "Luckiest Man, " by Jonathan Eig (2005) further show that his words have become a defining part of his legacy as a person.
A quote like "We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are, " which is from the Talmud, speaks universally to how we address and live in the world. For some, however, the inspiration from a quotation that matches an event or life story goes deeper. Taking a life circumstance and writing about it in a larger sense is evident in the writings of philosophers and literary figures.
In other cases, someone who has penned words or ideas that have grown out of personal experience offers such a robust expression that their works later are defined as literature and/or philosophy. Alphonse Daudet (1840-1897), a French writer, wrote of pain with so much poignant that his words have endured. Similarly, Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), who like Daudet was syphilitic, is frequently quoted. He said, "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger."
The words of creative people who excel also motivate us and encourage a reaching out to life without fear, even when facing the incomprehensible. Stephen W. Hawking, a cosmologist who now holds the professorship at Cambridge University once occupied by Isaac Newton (1664-1669), like Gehrig, was diagnosed with ALS. He was quite young at the time and working toward his PhD.
After learning that he would suffer progressive loss of muscle control and a truncated life, Hawking focused on the cosmological studies that have since made him famous. He has said: "I'm sure my disability has a bearing on why I am well known. People are fascinated by the contrast between my very limited physical powers, and the vast nature of the universe I deal with."
Inspiring quotes speak to a side of life that we often want to put into words and feel are beyond language. One oft quoted individual, Helen Keller, like Gehrig, has inspired many creative works because both her words and her story give us courage to face inexplicable and mysterious situations. One of her most quoted remarks speaks of how important it is to see the door that is open to us, rather than concentrating on the one that is now closed.
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