You May Also Like / View all maxioms
A boy doesn't have to go to war to be a hero; he can say he doesn't like pie when read more
A boy doesn't have to go to war to be a hero; he can say he doesn't like pie when he sees there isn't enough to go around.
Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism -- how passionately read more
Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism -- how passionately I hate them!
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.
The idol of today pushes the hero of yesterday out of our recollection; and will, in turn, be supplanted by read more
The idol of today pushes the hero of yesterday out of our recollection; and will, in turn, be supplanted by his successor of tomorrow.
Listen, my friend, there are two races of beings. The masses teeming and happy -- common clay, if you like read more
Listen, my friend, there are two races of beings. The masses teeming and happy -- common clay, if you like -- eating, breeding, working, counting their pennies; people who just live; ordinary people; people you can't imagine dead. And then there are the others -- the noble ones, the heroes. The ones you can quite well imagine lying shot, pale and tragic; one minute triumphant with a guard of honor, and the next being marched away between two gendarmes.
Be your own hero, it's cheaper than a movie ticket.
Be your own hero, it's cheaper than a movie ticket.
Firemen are going to get killed. When they join the department they face that fact. When a man becomes a read more
Firemen are going to get killed. When they join the department they face that fact. When a man becomes a fireman his greatest act of bravery has been accomplished. What he does after that is all in the line of work. They were not thinking of getting killed when they went where death lurked. They went there to put the fire out, and got killed. Firefighters do not regard themselves as heroes because they do what the business requires.
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.