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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Etch it into your heart! Short maxims by great figures you should remember (31–40)
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.
What Japan gained after losing everything was hope… It planted the seeds of hope within us, who had been captivated by wealth.Ryu Murakami
I would like to share a famous quote by Ryū Murakami: “What Japan, having lost everything, gained was hope… It planted the seeds of hope within us, whose hearts had been captivated by wealth.” The Great East Japan Earthquake caused immense damage.
Many people must have spent their days in deep anxiety.
Yet it is precisely in such times that we must not forget “hope.” As the writer Ryū Murakami says, what we gain when everything is lost in a disaster is hope—the hope to live earnestly now and to dream of a brighter future.
In a Japan where everything is close at hand and life has become affluent, perhaps many of us have lost hope in exchange.
This also resonates with the story of Pandora’s box, in which hope remained at the end.
Prepare pessimistically, act optimistically.Kazuo Inamori
Let me introduce a famous quote left by Kazuo Inamori: “Prepare pessimistically, act optimistically.” Kazuo Inamori was a Japanese entrepreneur and engineer.
He founded Kyocera and Daini Denden, which is now KDDI, and served as chairman of the Inamori Foundation, a public-interest incorporated foundation.
He was also honorary chairman of Japan Airlines.
In the planning stage, with a strong will that says, “No matter what, we must accomplish this,” one should reexamine the plan with a pessimistic eye; then, in the execution stage, with the confidence that “We can definitely do it,” one should carry it out optimistically—brightly and with dignity.
Doesn’t this conviction also apply to disaster preparedness?
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.Abraham Lincoln
In the United States, the politician Abraham Lincoln is known as the “greatest president in history.” His famous words, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” carry special weight precisely because he overcame the challenges of abolishing slavery and the threat of national division.
The message that even the steepest path will open up if you hold fast to your will also implies, conversely, that without will, you cannot move forward.
This quote teaches us that without our own intention and action, nothing will not only succeed, but won’t even begin.
The goddess of fate favors those who act boldly.Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò Machiavelli was a Renaissance political thinker known for founding a realist political theory in an age dominated by idealism.
His famous quote, “Fortune favors the bold,” may give us the courage to take the first step.
Simply waiting and doing nothing will not bring us any closer to our dreams and ideals.
Taking action can lead to failure or discouragement, but it is precisely through this that we grow and move forward.
It’s a message I want to keep as a personal maxim, always close to my heart.
Heaven does not extend a helping hand to those who do not act for themselves.William Shakespeare
The poet William Shakespeare, who left behind numerous works including the four great tragedies and is hailed as a leading figure of English Renaissance drama.
The famous quote, “Heaven helps those who help themselves,” may prompt us to confront our own actions.
Reality is not so easy that miracles will happen if we leave things to fate or to others.
This saying teaches us that things turn around as if aided by heaven precisely because of what we have built up through our own actions.
To see what is right and not do it is a lack of courage.Confucius
Confucius, a philosopher from China’s Spring and Autumn period and known as the founder of Confucianism.
His famous saying, “To see what is right and not do it is a lack of courage,” means that failing to do what one ought to do as a human being stems from a deficiency of courage.
Even in everyday life, helping those in need is something we naturally should do as people, yet don’t we sometimes pretend not to notice out of embarrassment or similar feelings? This saying reminds us of the reality that there are people who could be saved if only we mustered the courage.
Start with the most important thing first.Peter Drucker
Have you ever found yourself wanting to start something new but not knowing where to begin? Whether you’re looking for a new hobby or, as a working professional, launching a new project, there are many such situations.
At times like that, remember Peter Drucker’s famous quote: “Start with what’s most important.” Once you sort out what should take priority and what can wait, what you need to do now becomes clear, and everything moves forward more smoothly.
Doing nothing that is of no use.Miyamoto Musashi
Takehiko Inoue’s smash-hit manga Vagabond is a work that puts the spotlight on two figures: Musashi Miyamoto and Kojiro Sasaki.
Although it’s still ongoing, its character portrayals are remarkable—so much so that they almost make you feel the climactic duel awaiting them at the end no longer matters.
What’s depicted isn’t merely the two men’s lives, but their very way of living.
These words from Musashi remind me of the episode in the manga where he briefly engages in farming.
In the end, it’s you yourself who decides what is useful and what isn’t; thinking that way makes these words resonate even more deeply.
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.Hideyo Noguchi
These words embody Hideyo Noguchi’s belief that the efforts and patience we practice in everyday life will, in the end, surely be rewarded.
When people can’t see results while they’re working hard, their spirits can waver, but this teaches us that by enduring that time, sweet fruits await in the future.
The words carry special weight because they come from someone who produced numerous achievements over a long career of research.
It conveys a strong message that sustained effort leads to later fulfillment and success.
It’s a quote to remember especially when you’re in the midst of hardship.
