I don't care about legacy – not because I'm not thinking of legacy, but because I'm thinking about how to make the greatest positive difference in the current moment I'm living in, and not obsessing about how I'll be looked back on. You're setting yourself up for misery if you focus too much on legacy honestly, but if you try and make a positive difference in the current moment of your life, you're doing the right thing.
— Hamish McKenzie“Grief is perhaps the most universal human experience—live long enough, and you will grieve. When I see grief in another, whether a friend or a perceived adversary, what do I choose to do? In moments of shared grief, we find ourselves reflecting each other; your grief mirrors mine.”— Tembi Locke
The quote archive
Philosophy
A growing archive of 3,000+ moments, drawn from every interview.
My dad always said you can't win until you don't care. That's how I approached it. My goal was to ski the best I could, as fast as I could, and I didn't care. I would rather crash than come to the finish line knowing I could have done better.
— Lindsey VonnOlympic Alpine Skier with Most World Cup Wins by Female Athlete
We have learned that the things that matter are not the physical, and material things. What matters in life is hope. Tomorrow is not a given, and we must be happy about small things and we must seize the day.
— Kira RudikUkrainian politician and head of Servant of the People party faction
Hope is the only choice I have. What gives me hope is that people are able to find love and humanity in their hearts in spite of everything that is happening here in Ukraine.
— Kira RudikUkrainian politician and head of Servant of the People party faction
Mill has this thoughtful chapter on freedom of thought, but it is all based on the assumption that you have the ability to think freely inside your mind and that part can't be penetrated. We are very porous now, and it isn't just through neurotechnology, it is through all modes of technology that are designed to interpret and change our cognitive and effective functioning.
— Nita FarahanyNeuroethicist & Duke Law professor specializing in neurorights and genetics policy
The essence of this connection lies in an enduring quest to effect positive change in the world. The judgement criteria revolve around whether the individual endeavored to make the world a better place. This book holds the key to one of the universe's greatest mysteries: the deciding factors for entry into heaven.
— Maurice SaatchiCo-Founder of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Agency
I wanted to impart this fundamental philosophy that a person should endeavour to better the world, an aspiration divorced from monetary considerations. While some might contend that financial power is a prerequisite for effecting change, I don't subscribe to this belief.
— Maurice SaatchiCo-Founder of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Agency
The true measure of success, as I see it, lies in the effort to effect positive change in the world. However, this perspective isn't universally embraced. The feeling of success, it's crucial to clarify, has little to do with financial gain or even fame. These are two entirely distinct concepts.
— Maurice SaatchiCo-Founder of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Agency
Our relationship with the ocean is beautiful – you frequently see people at the shoreline, just in prayer or meditating… connecting with the ocean, letting the waves wash over them… Being around the ocean is our connection to something bigger- you can just lay in the ocean and let your worries wash away.
— Sally FitzgibbonsProfessional surfer and multiple-time world championship competitor
There's just enough in your control where you think you should be able to perform or deliver on any given day – but when you really sit and think about it, you're basically trying to be predictive text for the ocean.
— Sally FitzgibbonsProfessional surfer and multiple-time world championship competitor
When you step off land into the ocean, you're at the mercy of the most powerful energy source there is – you can paddle out into the water with a picture in your mind of what the surf might be like and what waves might come, and things can change… the wind… the tide… the swell… in Hawaii, I've paddled out into a 2 feet swell in the morning, and a few hours later, it's 20ft, it's really something to behold.
— Sally FitzgibbonsProfessional surfer and multiple-time world championship competitor
I think most limits are self imposed. The limits we place on ourselves are between our ears – it's our minds telling us we could never do X, or achieve Y. It's our minds deciding what is possible, or impossible. Guess what… when you go out and do something you thought was impossible, it expands your perspective on everything.
— Dean KarnazesUltramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures
To me, the very definition of success is living up to your potential – and the very definition of failure is not living up to your potential, simple.
— Dean KarnazesUltramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures
I have this feeling that everyone should run a marathon once in their life- like a rite-of-passage. Most people think, 'that's not me, I could never run a marathon!' That's precisely why you should do it – a marathon is a way of proving to yourself that you're better than you think- that you can go further- and endure more.
— Dean KarnazesUltramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures
So many things in life divide us – the colour of our skin, the language we speak, the god we worship, but when we run, we're the same. When we run, we're united, it's a commonality across our species like nothing else. You feel deeply connected with other people when running together.
— Dean KarnazesUltramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures
Running is beautiful and simple – you just put one foot in front of the other at an accelerated pace. There's something primordial about it though – something within us – it's like we're born to run... in this modern era, people choose to run we don't have to run – we're not being pursued by Saber-Toothed Tigers anymore, but we still choose to run. It's something to do which is hard, it connects us to something – and when life gets easy, to feel alive, we need to do something hard.
— Dean KarnazesUltramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures