19 quotes
A man doesn't begin to attain wisdom until he recognizes that he is no longer indispensable.
Alone (1938)
Few men during their lifetime come anywhere near exhausting the resources dwelling within them. There are deep wells of strength that are never used.
Alone (1938)
The details and distractions are infinite. It is only natural, therefore, that we should never see the picture whole. But the universal goal — the attainment of harmony — is apparent.
Alone (1938)
A discordant mind, black with confusion and despair, would finish me off as thoroughly as the cold.
Alone (1938)
Half the confusion in the world comes from not knowing how little we need.
Alone (1938)
What people think about you is not supposed to matter much, so long as you yourself know where the truth lies; but I have found out, as have others who move in and out of newspaper headlines, that on occasion it can matter a good deal.
Alone (1938)
What I had not counted on was discovering how closely a man could come to dying and still not die, or want to die.
Alone (1938)
It is often necessary to fight to lessen discord. This is the paradox.
Alone (1938)
The human race, my intuition tells me, is not outside the cosmic process and is not an accident. It is as much a part of the universe as the trees, the mountains, the aurora, and the stars.
Alone (1938)
No woman has ever stepped on Little America — and we have found it to be the most silent and peaceful place in the world.
I am hopeful that Antarctica in its symbolic robe of white will shine forth as a continent of peace as nations working together there in the cause of science set an example of international cooperation.
If I had never seen a watch and should see one for the first time, I should be sure its hands were moving according to some plan and not at random.
Alone (1938)
A static hero is a public liability. Progress grows out of motion.
Struggle : The Life and Exploits of Commander Richard E. Byrd (1928)
If the expedition had failed, which it might well have done with all hope centered in just one plane, I should still be trying to pay back my obligations.
This book is the account of a personal experience — so personal that for four years I could not bring myself to write it. It is different from anything else I have ever written.
Alone (1938)
I did take away something that I had not fully possessed before: appreciation of the sheer beauty and miracle of being alive, and a humble set of values.
Alone (1938)
I very nearly died before it was over.
Alone (1938)
The right things lead to rational behavior — such as the substitution of reason for force — and so to freedom. The wrong things lead to brute force and slavery.
But the peace I describe is not passive. It must be won.
Alone (1938)
Solitude is greater than I anticipated. My sense of values is changing, and many things which before were in solution in my mind now seem to be crystallizing. I am better able to tell what in the world is wheat for me and what is chaff. In fact, my definition of success itself is changing.
Alone (1938)