Quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
I confess that altruistic and cynically selfish talk seem to me about equally unreal. With all humility, I think whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might, infinitely more important than the vain attempt to love one's neighbor as one's self. If you want to hit a bird on the wing you must have all your will in focus, you must not be thinking about yourself, and equally, you must not be thinking about your neighbor; you must be living with your eye on that bird. Every achievement is a bird on the wing.
Summary
This quote suggests that the speaker finds both selflessness and selfishness to be equally false or insincere. The speaker emphasizes the importance of embracing a task with one's full dedication rather than attempting to love others as oneself, stating that achieving success requires complete focus and attention. The analogy of hitting a bird on the wing emphasizes the need to disregard thoughts of oneself and others, and instead, prioritize the task at hand. In this perspective, every achievement is compared to a fleeting bird, challenging individuals to fully commit themselves to their pursuits.
Topics
Humility
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