The quote database

Neither let us be slandered from our duty by false accusations against us, nor frightened from it by menaces of destruction to the government, nor of dungeons to ourselves.

If our sense of duty forbids this, then let us stand by our duty fearlessly and effectively.

Antarctic exploration is seldom as bad as you imagine, seldom as bad as it sounds.

Polar exploration is at once the cleanest and most isolated way of having a bad time which has been devised.

Such extremity of suffering cannot be measured: madness or death may give relief.

If you are a brave man you will do nothing: if you are fearful you may do much, for none but cowards have need to prove their bravery.

Exploration is the physical expression of the Intellectual Passion.

More than once in my short life I have been struck by the value of the man who is blind to what appears to be a common-sense certainty: he achieves the impossible.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

Man is but a reed, weakest in nature, but a reed which thinks.

Resolution is an act of courage in single instances, and if it becomes a characteristic trait, it is a habit of the mind.

Theory must also take into account the human element; it must accord a place to courage, to boldness, even to rashness.

Mere intelligence is still not courage, for we often see the cleverest people devoid of resolution.

War is the province of uncertainty: three-fourths of those things upon which action in War must be calculated, are hidden more or less in the clouds of great uncertainty.

There are persons who possess the keenest perception for the most difficult problems, who are also not fearful of responsibility, and yet in cases of difficulty cannot come to a resolution.

War is the province of danger, and therefore courage above all things is the first quality of a warrior.

If I’m going to fall, I don’t want to fall back on anything, except my faith.

I want to fall… forward. At least I figure that way I’ll see what I’m about to hit.

To not only take risks, but to be open to life. To accept new views and to be open to new opinions.

And when you fall throughout life—and maybe even tonight after a few too many glasses of champagne—fall forward.

I’ve found that nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks.

The point is, every graduate here today has the training and the talent to succeed. But do you have guts to fail?

It’s also about knowing what you know and what you don’t know. It’s about being open to people and ideas.

The spirit of the frontier is written into our hearts.

I find I want courage to marry where I do not like