Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing.
The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.
The fiery trials through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor to the last generation.
Nothing can resist a will which will stake even existence upon its fulfillment.
Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?
Risk! Risk anything! ... Do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth.
Who dares nothing, need hope for nothing.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
He that is overcautious will accomplish little.
Do not be too timid and squeamish. ... All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better.
Courage is rarely reckless or foolish ... courage usually involves a highly realistic estimate of the odds that must be faced.
Valour lies just halfway between rashness and cowardice.
It takes courage to lead a life. Any life.
The method of the enterprising is to plan with audacity and execute with vigor.
When something does not insist on being noticed, when we aren't grabbed by the collar or struck on the skull by a presence or an event, we take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.
To avoid an occasion for our virtues is a worse degree of failure than to push forward pluckily and make a fall.
Calculation never made a hero.
Necessity is the mother of taking chances.
All work of man is as the swimmer's: a vast ocean threatens to devour him; if he front it not bravely, it will keep its word.
The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it.
