What with making their way and enjoying what they have won, heroes have no time to think. But the sons read more

What with making their way and enjoying what they have won, heroes have no time to think. But the sons of heroes -- ah, they have all the necessary leisure.

Every hero becomes a bore at last.

Every hero becomes a bore at last.

Claret is the liquor for boys; port for men; but he who aspires to be a hero must drink brandy.

Claret is the liquor for boys; port for men; but he who aspires to be a hero must drink brandy.

True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but read more

True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.

You lived too long, we have supped full with heroes, they waste their deaths on us.

You lived too long, we have supped full with heroes, they waste their deaths on us.

Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism -how passionately I read more

Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism -how passionately I hate them!

The opportunities for heroism are limited in this kind of world: the most people can do is sometimes not to read more

The opportunities for heroism are limited in this kind of world: the most people can do is sometimes not to be as weak as they've been at other times.

..one of the strongest motives that lead men to art and science is escape from everyday life with its painful read more

..one of the strongest motives that lead men to art and science is escape from everyday life with its painful crudity and hopeless dreariness, from the fetters of one's own ever-shifting desires. A finely tempered nature longs to escape from the personal life into the world of objective perception and thought

The characteristic of genuine heroism is its persistency. All men have wandering impulses, fits and starts of generosity. But when read more

The characteristic of genuine heroism is its persistency. All men have wandering impulses, fits and starts of generosity. But when you have resolved to be great, abide by yourself, and do not try to reconcile yourself with the world. The heroic cannot be common, nor the common heroic.