Talent develops in quiet places, character in the full current of human life.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe -
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) was a German poet, playwright and natural scientist, author of Faust and the novel The Sorrows of Young Werther. Alongside literature he worked seriously on botany and a theory of colour, and held state office in Weimar for over fifty years. His output covers nearly every genre available to him.
About this theme: Growth
Growth is one of the few subjects the Stoics and modern psychologists agree on: a person is not a finished product. What shifts across the centuries is not the belief that we can change, but how comfortable that belief is made to sound. Ancient writers treat growth as a duty, almost severely — Seneca opens his letters by reproaching himself. Contemporary writing prefers the language of potential and possibility.
More by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
- Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.
- He who moves not forward goes backward.
- In the realm of ideas everything depends on enthusiasm; in the real world all rests on perseverance.
- Nothing is worth more than this day.
- As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.
More on Growth
- An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.— Benjamin Franklin
- The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.— Confucius
- True life is lived when tiny changes occur.— Leo Tolstoy
- Associate with people who are likely to improve you.— Seneca
- He who learns but does not think is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.— Confucius