Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
— Winston Churchill
Interesting that this wisdom comes from Churchill: he was extremely partial to speaking out, and not nearly so notable for the patience to listen to others. And yet he makes a shrewd observation. Most of us feel threatened by opposition or difference (I speak from my own experience, but by this great age know that nothing I think or feel is unique but is always shared by others), and we are far more inclined to attack than to listen. This bulldog of a man, Winston Churchill, nonetheless was aware of the importance of opening one’s mind.
Touch2Touch 
He also said, “A man does what he must – in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures – and that is the basis of all human morality.”
(Don’t you just love Google?)
Which reminds me of a Shel Silverstein quote; “Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
So now we have a moral dilemma – do we, or don’t we?
Hope your boxes are unpacked, the sun is shining in your windows, and that if I come to visit we can order Chinese!
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The sun is shining, the quotes are hovering, and Chinese is eminently do-able! All systems are go (after May 2nd)!!!!!!!
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“Interesting that this wisdom comes from Churchill: he was extremely partial to speaking out, and not nearly so notable for the patience to listen to others.”
Churchill is a great example of a man prone to be wiser in his words than his behaviour, at least some of the time. Still, posterity does favour those with a good stock of nifty aphorisms, and with his fondness for history, I think he would be happy enough with that!
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“Do as I say, not as I do,” as with so many of us.
You’re quite right, an aptitude for aphorisms gets a lot of mileage — and he certainly did have a brilliant way with words.
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I love *your* comment: “…by this great age know that nothing I think or feel is unique but is always shared by others…” – THAT is wisdom I would do well to heed and remember. Just when I think there’s something ‘wrong’ with me, I can take comfort in knowing that it likely isn’t ‘me’ personally, but really more just the human condition. I find solace in that solidarity…
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Absolutely, Stef. If there’s one thing I’ve learned that’s important — that’s it.
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