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Duty Quotes

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Duty Quotes

“The Poet's License! 't is the right, Within the rule of duty, To look on all delightful things Throughout the world of beauty. To gaze with rapture at the stars That in the skies are glowing; To see the gems of perfect dye That in the woods are growing, And more than sage astronomer, And more than learned florist, To read the glorious homilies Of Firmament and Forest.”

World Looks Stars Perfect Growing Sky Poet Duty Woods Forests Glorious Delightful Sage License Glowing Rapture Gems Astronomers Firmament Delightful Things

Book:The Masquerade: And Other Poems

Source: The Masquerade: And Other Poems

“Learn by heart the forms to be found in nature, so that you can use them like the notes in a musical composition. That is what these forms are for. Nature is a marvelous chaos, and it is our job and our duty to bring order into that chaos and - to perfect it.”

Heart Use Jobs Form Order Found Perfect Duty Notes Chaos Musical Composition Marvellous Musical Composition

Author:Max Beckmann

“If all were perfect Christians, individuals would do their duty; the people would be obedient to the laws, the magistrates incorrupt, and there would be neither vanity nor luxury in such a state.”

People Ifs States Would Be Christian Law Individual Perfect Duty Luxury Vanity Obedient Magistrates

Author:Jean-Jacques Rousseau

“Even virtue itself, all perfect as it is, requires to be inspirited by passion; for duties are but coldly performed which are but philosophically fulfilled.”

Passion Perfect Virtue Duty Fulfilled

Author:Anna Brownell Jameson

“Rugged strength and radiant beauty-- These were one in Nature's plan; Humble toil and heavenward duty-- These will form the perfect man.”

Men Character Form Perfect Plans Duty Humble Toil Radiant Rugged Perfect Man Radiant Beauty

Book:Three Hours: Or, The Vigil of Love: and Other Poems

Source: Three Hours: Or, The Vigil of Love: and Other Poems

“Leisure, the highest happiness upon earth, is seldom enjoyed with perfect satisfaction, except in solitude. Indolence and indifference do not always afford leisure; for true leisure is frequently found in that interval of relaxation which divides a painful duty from an agreeable recreation; a toilsome business from the more agreeable occupations of literature and philosophy.”

“What is the most profitable? Fellowship with the good. What is the worst thing in the world? The society of evil men. What is the greatest loss? Failure in one?s duty. Where is the greatest peace? In truth and righteousness. Who is the hero? The man who subdues his senses. Who is the best beloved? The faithful wife. What is wealth? Knowledge. What is the most perfect happiness? Staying at home.”

“The Greeks had considered hope the final evil in Pandora's box. They also gave us an image of perfect nobility: a human being lovingly doing her duty to another human being despite all threats, and going to her death with pride and courage, not deterred by any hope - Antigone.”

Humans Evil Human Beings Perfect Duty Pride Threat Finals Boxes Despite Greek Nobility Pandora Antigone Pandora's Box

Book:The Future of the Humanities

Source: The Future of the Humanities

“Go in all simplicity; do not be anxious to win a quiet mind, and it will be all the quieter. Do not examine so closely into the progress of your soul. Do not crave too much to be perfect, but let your spiritual life beformed by your duties, and by the actions which are called forth by circumstances.”

Mind Soul Action Spiritual Winning Perfect Too Much Progress Duty Circumstances Quiet Simplicity Your Soul Anxious Spiritual Life Crave

Author:Saint Francis de Sales

“[T]he kingdom of heaven is of the childlike, of those who are easy to please, who love and who give pleasure. Mighty men of their hands, the smiters and the builders and the judges, have lived long and done sternly and yet preserved this lovely character; and among our carpet interests and twopenny concerns, the shame were indelible if we should lose it. Gentleness and cheerfulness, these come before all morality; they are the perfect duties.”

“The greatest threat to civility - and ultimately civilization - is an excess of certitude. The world is much menaced just now by people who think that the world and their duties in it are clear and simple. They are certain that they know what - who - created the universe and what this creator wants them to do to make our little speck in the universe perfect, even if extreme measures - even violence - are required.”

Source: One Man's America: The Pleasures and Provocations of Our Singular Nation

“Perfection is something we should all strive for. It's a duty and a joy to perfect one's nature... The most difficult thing is love. A loveless, driving person that just competes in the rat race is far from perfection in my book.”

Should Persons Book Joy Difficult Perfect Race Duty Perfection Strive Driving Rats Difficult Things Rat Race Loveless Perfect One

Author:R. D. Laing

“And what is true education? It is awakening a love for truth; giving a just sense of duty; opening the eyes of the soul to the great purpose and end of life. It is not so much giving words, as thoughts; or mere maxims, as living principles. It is not teaching to be honest, because 'honesty is the best policy'; but because it is right. It is teaching the individual to love the good, for the sake of the good; to be virtuous in action because one is so in heart; to love and serve God supremely, not from fear, but from delight in his perfect character.”

“What I must do is all that concerns me, not what people think. This rule,equally arduous in actual and intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.”

Source: Selected Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson