One must be something in order to do something.
Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everyone I’ve ever known.
No matter how hard you try to be what you once were, you can only be what you are here and now.
No man can ever feel his own identity aright except his eyes be closed; as if darkness were indeed the proper element of our essences, though light be more congenial to our clayey part.
Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their life a mimicry, their passions a quotation.
Mine honor is my life, both grow in one; take honor from me, and my life is done; then, dear my liege, mine honor let me try; in that I live and for that will I die.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
Life has ups and it has downs. I don’t care who you are.
Knowledge of the Idea of the absolute ethical order depends entirely on the establishment of perfect adequacy between intuition and concept, because the Idea itself is nothing other than the identity of the two. But if this identity is to be actually known, it must be thought as a made adequacy.
It’s vital to remember who you really are. It’s very important. It isn’t a good idea to rely on other people or things to do it for you, you see. They always get it wrong.
It’s not to much fun to know yourself too well or think you do – everyone needs a little conceit to carry them past – the through & past the falls.
It will do you no harm to find yourself ridiculous. Resign yourself to be the fool you are.
