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Kent Nerburn

Kent Nerburn Quotes

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Famous Kent Nerburn Quotes

“In times past there were rituals of passage that conducted a boy into manhood, where other men passed along the wisdom and responsibilities that needed to be shared. But today we have no rituals. We are not conducted into manhood; we simply find ourselves there.”

MenTodayPastResponsibilityBoysNeededRitualPassagesAdolescenceManhoodTimes Past
Book:Letters to My Son: A Father's Wisdom on Manhood, Life, and Love
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“It is the same for all men. None of us can escape this shadow of the father, even if that shadow fills us with fear, even if it has no name or face. To be worthy of that man, to prove something to that man, to exorcise the memory of that man from every corner of our life--however it affects us, the shadow of that man cannot be denied.”

IfsMenFacesFatherNamesMemoriesOur LivesProveShadowCornersWorthyDenied
Book:Letters to My Son: A Father's Wisdom on Manhood, Life, and Love
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“I want you to consider this distinction as you go forward in life. Being male is not enough; being a man is a right to be earned and an honor to be cherished. I cannot tell you how to earn that right or deserve that honor. . . but I can tell you that the formation of your manhood must be a conscious act governed by the highest vision of the man you want to be.”

MenWantI CanEnoughVisionHe ManHonorHighestConsciousDeserveMalesDistinctionI Want YouManhoodFormationForward In Life
Book:Letters to My Son: A Father's Wisdom on Manhood, Life, and Love
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“...Good leaders wait to be called and they give up their power when they are no longer needed. Selfish men and fools put themselves first and keep their power until someone throws them out. It is no good to have a way where selfish men and fools fight with each other to be leaders, while the good ones watch.”

MenWayGivingFirstsFightingWaitingLeaderWatchesFoolNeededGiving UpSelfishSelfishnessGood LeaderSelfish Men
Book:Neither Wolf Nor Dog: On Forgotten Roads with an Indian Elder
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“Until you have a son of your own . . . you will never know the joy, the love beyond feeling that resonates in the heart of a father as he looks upon his son. You will never know the sense of honor that makes a man want to be more than he is and to pass something good and hopeful into the hands of his son. And you will never know the heartbreak of the fathers who are haunted by the personal demons that keep them from being the men they want their sons to be.”

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Author:Kent Nerburn
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“We are born male. We must learn to be men. Remember, strength is a force. It is an attribute of the heart. Its opposite is not weakness and fear, but confusion, lack of clarity, and lack of sound intention. If you are able to discern the path with heart and follow it even when at the moment it seems wrong, then and only then are you strong. Remember the words of Tao te ching. "The only true strength is a strength that people do not fear." Strength based in force is a strength people fear. Strength based in love is a strength people crave.”

PeopleIfsMenHeartMomentsSeemsAbleRememberStrongForceFearSoundBornLove IsPathWeaknessOppositesIntentionMalesConfusionClarityAttributesTaoCraveBe A ManDo Not FearTao Te ChingTrue StrengthWeakness And Fear
Author:Kent Nerburn
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“Do not grieve. Misfortune will happen to the wisest and best of men. Death will come, always out of season. It is the command of the Great Spirit, and all nations and people must obey. What is past and cannot be prevented should not be grieved for... Misfortunes do not flourish particularly in our lives - they grow everywhere.”

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Author:Kent Nerburn
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“It is not easy for a man to be as great as a mountain or a forest. But that is why the creator gave them to us as teachers. Now that I am old I Iook once more toward them for lessons, instead of trying to understand the ways of men. They tell me to be patient. They tell me I cannot change what is, I can only hope to change what will become. Let the grasses grow over our scars, they say, and let flowers bloom over our wounds.”

MenWayTryingI CanAgeGrowsEasyChangeTeacherFlowerLessonsMountainPatientCreatorWoundsForestsGrassScarBe PatientBlooming Flower
Book:Neither Wolf Nor Dog: On Forgotten Roads with an Indian Elder
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