Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
It is right that men should value the soul rather than the body; for perfection of soul corrects the inferiority of the body, but physical strength without intelligence does nothing to improve the mind.
What strength belongs to every plant and animal in nature. The tree or the brook has no duplicity, no pretentiousness, no show. It is, with all its might and main, what it is, and makes one and the same impression and effect at all times.
We do not always have enough strength to bear the misfortunes of others.
That principle is, that the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.
Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.
Solitary trees, if they grow at all, grow strong.
We have not enough strength to follow all our reason.
It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.
