Cool quotes from historical figures! A collection of great sayings by luminaries that resonate across the ages
Great figures who have etched their names into history have left behind stirring words along with their achievements.
The strength to overcome adversity, profound insights that pierce the essence of life, and an unwavering belief in the future.
The words of those who have colored world history contain something that resonates across time.
Would you like to encounter the cool, spine-straightening quotes of these great individuals? In this article, we introduce quotations from historical figures that will ignite your spirit.
Surely, they will give you the courage to take a step forward starting tomorrow.
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Cool quotes from historical figures! A collection of inspiring sayings from great people that resonate across time (31–40)
As you stretch yourself to broaden your horizons, it’s possible you’ll actually grow taller. That’s part of what makes life interesting.Saburō Shiroyama
This quote left by the novelist Saburō Jōyama teaches us the importance of taking on challenges.
Don’t you sometimes find yourself thinking with a narrow perspective? It’s easy to let yourself be carried along without broadening your view or attempting anything new.
But if you widen your perspective just a little, you may realize that what you face is easier to overcome than you thought.
When you stretch yourself to take on a challenge, you begin to see a different landscape—as if you’ve actually grown taller.
When you want to take that first step, remember these words.
It is the heart that makes a world without amusements into an interesting one.Shinsaku Takasugi
“Make an unamusing world amusing”…
It is said that Shinsaku Takasugi composed only this upper line.
Shinsaku Takasugi was a feudal retainer of the Choshu domain at the end of the Edo period and is known as the founder of the Kiheitai militia.
He fell ill before fulfilling his ambitions, and this is the verse he composed at that time.
The lower line, “It is the heart that makes a place livable,” is said to have been composed by Nomura Botoni, who was nursing him.
Takasugi wrote that whether one lives amusingly in a world that is, by nature, not amusing depends on one’s state of mind, while Nomura Botoni answered that whether the world feels unamusing or not also depends on one’s own feelings.
It’s a verse through which you can enjoy the differing values of Shinsaku Takasugi and Nomura Botoni.
Beneath mud and earth lies solid rock; above clouds and mist shines the sun. At the height of discontent, there is still fortune, nor is hope absent.Kanzo Uchimura
I would like to introduce a famous saying by Kanzo Uchimura: “Beneath the mud lies bedrock; above the clouds and mist shines the sun.
Even at the height of complaint, happiness and hope are not absent.” Kanzo Uchimura was a Christian thinker active in the Meiji era.
Disasters can bring many hardships.
At such times, Uchimura left words he hoped we would remember.
It is said to mean that even when times are painful and difficult now, a stable and bright future surely awaits beyond.
He likens difficult situations to mud, and the bedrock represents the strength within us that lies beneath these serious problems.
Furthermore, he tells us that even when we feel or voice complaints, happiness and hope still exist.
Life brings all kinds of experiences, doesn’t it? Even so, we are reminded of the importance of maintaining a positive outlook.
Earthquakes will strike again and again. To prevent severe damage, we will build parks and roads.Shinpei Gotō
I would like to introduce a famous quote left by Shinpei Goto: “Earthquakes will come again and again.
To prevent great damage, we must build parks and roads.” From this saying, one can sense his conviction to protect human life.
Shinpei Goto devoted himself to the reconstruction after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, making present-day Tokyo a city resilient to disasters.
Immediately after the earthquake, he became Minister of Home Affairs and then Minister for Reconstruction to rebuild Tokyo, which had suffered immense damage.
Along with the quote, he conceived reconstruction measures, but at the time he faced criticism from those around him.
It is said that enormous funds were required to put them into action, and landowners opposed the purchase of tracts that had been reduced to burned-out fields by the quake.
Although his budget was cut, Goto poured his efforts into building a disaster-resilient city.
Thanks to those efforts, Tokyo became stronger against earthquakes than it had been in the past.
While there is life, there is hope.Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes, a Spanish novelist who was active in the early 17th century and is also known as the author of Don Quixote de la Mancha.
His famous saying, “Where there is life, there is hope,” literally makes us feel that as long as we are alive, opportunities will come around.
Even when we feel despair, its message—that it’s not over yet—can give many people courage.
It’s a quote that reminds us of the importance of never giving up to the very end, and one to recall when you want to encourage yourself when you’re feeling down.
No matter how many times a person fails, as long as they don’t lose the courage to try once more, they will surely make something of themselves.Konosuke Matsushita
Konosuke Matsushita, a business leader known by the nickname “the God of Management,” devoted himself to activities beyond the realm of business, including ethics education, publishing, and the cultivation of politicians.
His famous saying, “No matter how many times a person fails, as long as they don’t lose the courage to try ‘one more time,’ they will surely succeed,” teaches that anyone can start over as many times as needed.
When we face difficulties, everything ends the moment we give up, but as long as we keep the will to challenge ourselves, we are made to believe that our efforts will one day be rewarded.
It’s a powerful message that gives us the courage to take risks without fearing failure.
Go your own way and let people say whatever they want.Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri, a philosopher hailed as the greatest poet of Italian literature and known for his profound influence on Renaissance culture.
His famous words, “Follow your own path, and let people talk,” resonate with the life he led—continuing his writing during a wandering existence after being exiled from the political sphere.
People often worry about how others see even the dreams they themselves have drawn, and they waver at the voices of those who have nothing to do with them.
Yet he teaches us that there is no need to lend an ear to the words of those who irresponsibly deny us.
Etched in your heart as a personal motto, this quote will help you keep the courage to stand by your convictions.
Rather than follow a paved path, forge your own way where there is none and move forward.Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American thinker known as a philosopher, writer, poet, and essayist—and also recognized as a leader of transcendentalism—famously said, “Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” This quote conveys the message that you should decide your own life for yourself.
As the Japanese proverb okame hachiken suggests, a third party often sees things more calmly and accurately than those directly involved, so we sometimes receive well-intentioned advice.
Of course, if you truly agree with that advice, there’s no problem.
But if you have something you really want to do, this message teaches that you will have fewer regrets if you stick to it.
You can’t change other people or the past, but you can change yourself and the future.Eric Berne
Eric Berne, a Canadian psychiatrist known for proposing Transactional Analysis in 1957, once said, “You can’t change other people or the past, but you can change yourself and the future.” It’s a quote that makes you nod in recognition of its simple truth.
Indeed, it’s hard to change others through your efforts alone, and nothing can alter what has already happened.
But if you work at it, you can change yourself and shape what lies ahead from this moment on.
It’s a positive message that points us toward where to direct our efforts and sustains hope for the future.
Humans possess all possibilities within themselves.Leo Tolstoy
Count Lev Tolstoy, a towering figure of 19th-century Russian literature and also known as a proponent of nonviolence.
His famous saying, “Human beings carry every possibility within themselves,” may give courage to many.
When we meet someone who seems more capable than we are, it’s common to lose confidence or feel like giving up.
But if we can believe that everyone possesses limitless potential, doesn’t that give us the courage to move forward? This is a message I hope you’ll engrave in your heart as a personal motto, so your spirit won’t break no matter the circumstances.