The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because read more

The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper

The more characteristic American hero in the earlier day, and the more beloved type at all times, was not the read more

The more characteristic American hero in the earlier day, and the more beloved type at all times, was not the hustler but the whittler.

..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 system of heroism depends on women to be weak so men can be strong.

The system of heroism depends on women to be weak so men can be strong.

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.

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.

How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!

How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!

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.

Bardot, Byron, Hitler, Hemingway, Monroe, Sade: we do not require our heroes to be subtle, just to be big. Then read more

Bardot, Byron, Hitler, Hemingway, Monroe, Sade: we do not require our heroes to be subtle, just to be big. Then we can depend on someone to make them subtle.