“Don’t worry, Paddy’s not a typical army officer or guerrilla leader. He’s not a typical anything, he’s himself … a sort of Gypsy Scholar.
– Daphne Fielding, friend of Patrick Leigh Fermor (as quoted in Christopher McDougall, Natural Born Heroes)
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“A genius is the one most like himself.”
– Thelonius Monk
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In retrospect, people who are celebrated, often are a bit of a rebel, or a bit unusual.
Those seen as pioneers or innovators are so because they were the most like themselves.
It helps to be reminded that when we want to do something that we believe is right, we should care less about what people think now and behave as if we will be celebrated in the future.
It’s easier to understand with the perspective of time.
How could someone talk about us retrospectively?
I think it would give us a lot of confidence to trust in being ourselves.
I need a reminder to just be more myself today.
You know, they will laugh about your audacity in the future.
But why not laugh about it now?
Conversations With Quotations 