The World, thinking itself affronted by superior merit, takes delight to bring it down to its own level.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
There's some way in which we would prefer not to see very clearly the immense gifts and intelligence of some of the people who live in our most abject conditions. Maybe there are some things at work in deciding who gets to be society's winners and who gets to be society's losers that don't have to do with merit.
Those who occupy their minds with small matters, generally become incapable of greatness.
Be above it! Make the world serve your purpose, but do not serve it.
Gradually, everything that happens in the world is coming to be of interest everywhere in the world, and, gradually, thoughtful men and women everywhere are sitting in judgment upon the conduct of all nations.
I am a believer in people succeeding on merit.
We think of ourselves as our titles or our jobs or our position in a family. We depend on being praised by others. But something happens when that praise is undermined.
The essence of greatness is neglect of the self.
People that are conceited of their own merit take pride in being unfortunate, that themselves and others may think them considerable enough to be the envy and the mark of fortune.
Mediocre minds usually dismiss anything which reaches beyond their own understanding.
There is a loftier ambition than merely to stand high in the world. It is to stoop down and lift mankind a little higher.