Short maxims by great figures that you’ll want to etch into your heart and remember
When it comes to living our lives, doesn’t everyone have their own guiding principles?
They can take many forms—relationships, work, romance, and more.
Because the criteria we use to make decisions lead directly to our actions, having a consistent core makes life easier both for yourself and for those around you.
With that in mind, here are some short maxims left to us by great figures of the past.
If you don’t yet have a clear set of guiding principles, I hope you’ll find something in this article.
And of course, even if you already have your own philosophy, I encourage you to take a look!
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I want to etch these into my heart! Short maxims by great figures to remember (11–20)
Without trust, there is no friendship; without sincerity, there is no trust.Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson was an 18th-century British poet, critic, and philologist, also known for compiling an English dictionary.
This quote says that merely sharing pleasant times does not constitute true friendship.
The foundation is sincerity—whether you can trust the other person.
Keeping promises, not lying, and not betraying others—such steady accumulation breeds trust and only then leads to friendship.
Johnson’s words are stern but highly realistic.
When a relationship wavers, they serve as a guide for reflecting on what was missing.
It is a timeless saying that those who value friendship would do well to keep in mind.
A true friend is someone who stands by you especially when you are in the wrong.Mark Twain
Mark Twain, who was active as a writer in the United States, is best known for his representative work, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
These are words left by that great author that express his view of how true friends behave.
A friend is not someone who always affirms you; sometimes, a friend sets you back on the right path, and together you can grow.
It’s a message that makes us reflect on the compassion embedded in stern critiques and advice.
Genius is nothing more than a mediocre person who works hard.Albert Einstein
When we encounter people whom the world calls geniuses, we sometimes suffer by feeling the difference in talent between them and ourselves.
Sharing what such so-called geniuses are really like, these words from Albert Einstein tell us that anyone has the potential to become a genius.
Genius is not determined solely by innate talent; it is something forged through sustained effort.
If you keep trying without giving up, the power to be called a genius can be granted to anyone.
These words give us the courage to keep moving forward without quitting, especially when our efforts don’t seem to lead to the results we hope for.
Those who do not advance will surely retreat, and those who do not retreat will surely advance.Yukichi Fukuzawa
The world changes as time passes, and some people may feel they’re struggling to keep up.
Here are words from Yukichi Fukuzawa that convey how we should frame our mindset as we move through the flow of life’s time.
As time flows, our actions amount to one of two things: advancing or falling behind, and he asks which we will choose.
Standing still also leads to retreat, which suggests an encouragement to take on challenges and keep moving forward.
A person who tries to be everyone’s friend is no one’s friend.Wilhelm Pfeffer
We might sometimes think that people with lots of friends are wonderful and look happy.
But for that person, can the people around them really be called true friends? These words by Wilhelm Pfeffer, the German plant physiologist said to have laid the foundations of modern plant physiology, prompt us to reflect on the pros and cons of what in Japanese is called happō bijin—that is, trying to please everyone.
Having many friends isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when you’re in trouble, will those people truly help you? Will they stay by your side? It may be more important to find one friend who genuinely cares about you than to have many friends.
Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt, who served as the 26th president of the United States as well as governor of New York.
His words tell us to set firm goals and move forward with our feet planted on the ground to achieve them.
If your steps are light and unsteady, you may have your feet swept out from under you or be easily discouraged by small setbacks.
Even if there are walls you must overcome, take strong steps so you won’t be defeated by things that happen when you’re not grounded.
And always be sure not to lose sight of your goals, no matter what.
Your happiness in life depends on the quality of your thoughts.Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, one of the Five Good Emperors and the 16th Roman emperor.
He is also known for leaving behind his work Meditations, and can be regarded as a model of a philosopher-king who preferred learning over war.
He was also a thinker within Stoic philosophy.
The happiness of life changes according to the quality of one’s own thoughts.
Controlling the mind and emotions through thought also affects how we ultimately interpret things.
In other words, a single way of thinking can make you happy—or unhappy.
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.
Imagination without action has no meaning.Charles Chaplin
Having a rich imagination is very important, but have you heard the saying that says it’s not enough on its own? The words are by the British actor Charles Chaplin.
Through this quote, he wanted to say that no matter how vivid your imagination is, it’s meaningless without the drive to put it into action.
In other words, when you come up with something, the most important thing is to act on it.
Let’s strive not to be all talk, but to always follow through on our words.
To conquer oneself is the greatest victory.Plato
Have you ever found yourself slacking off when you were trying to take action toward a goal? I’m sure many people have had the experience of being too easy on themselves.
In other words, for many of us, our greatest enemy is ourselves.
From this quote by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, we can sense the message that “the hardest thing is to overcome yourself without indulging yourself, and once you can do that, all that remains is to keep moving forward.” It’s a phrase worth remembering whenever we take on a challenge.