This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
Aikido can be summed up like this: True victory is self-victory; let that day arrive quickly! "True victory" means unflinching courage; "self-victory" symbolizes unflagging effort; and "let that day arrive quickly" represents the glorious moment of triumph in the here and now.
Mahatma Gandhi, fully Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, aka Bapu
There are seven things that will destroy us [seven sins of the world]: Wealth without work; Pleasure without conscience; Knowledge without character; Religion without sacrifice; Politics without principle; Science without humanity; Business without ethics.
Business | Destroy | Knowledge | Pleasure | Politics | Religion | Science | Wealth | Will | Business |
True victory does not come from defeating an enemy, true victory comes from giving love and changing an enemies heart.
Muriel Spark, fully Dame Muriel Sarah Camberg Spark
Final perseverance is the doctrine that wins the eternal victory in small things as in great.
Doctrine | Eternal | Perseverance |
Bawa Mahaiyadden, fully Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
Children of any religion who have true faith must realize that God is the only One who knows all of everything. Therefore, only God can judge whether a person has faith, certitude, and determination or not and whether a person lives with that purity that can be called Islam or not. No one else can give that judgment. Do not wave your religion like a banner and go out to capture others. Only one kind of war is permissible in the eyes of God: the war you wage within yourself to defeat the demonic forces of lust, anger, jealousy, desire for revenge, and other evil feelings and attributes that may exist within your heart. God has sent each of the prophets as witnesses to the grace of God and as supports to help us in this inner war. This is the reason for the Qur'an. It is to help the true Muslim fight this inner battle and win victory over his own base desires that God sent the Messenger with the Qur'an.
Battle | Defeat | Desire | Determination | Evil | Faith | Feelings | God | Grace | Purity | Reason | Religion | War | God |
Bawa Mahaiyadden, fully Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
My precious children, please bear with me when I plead with you, you who are like those whom I have given birth to, born of me, to such of you, I gift this Knowledge of Truth, which is, that your belief, that Trust in the Almighty, is your Power and your Strength, your Purity and the Perfection of your Soul. These will determine the destiny of your Soul and ensure the victory of your existence, victory of Perfection and Purity, the victory of Unity, when you attain that conviction that all other lives are like your own life.
Birth | Destiny | Knowledge | Perfection | Power | Purity | Soul | Trust | Will |
Napoleon Bonaparte, Napoleon I
It is only a step from victory to disaster. My experience is that, in a crisis, some detail always decides the issue.
Nachman of Breslov, aka Reb Nachman Breslover or Bratslav, Nachman from Uman NULL
Human fallibility being what it is, victory and truth do not always go together. Therefore, if you have to always win, you can't always be true.
Truth |
Napoleon Bonaparte, Napoleon I
In politics stupidity is not a handicap.
Some princes are born in palaces. Some are born in mangers. But a few are born in the imagination, out of scraps of history and hope....Barack Hussein Obama did not win because of the color of his skin. Nor did he win in spite of it. He won because at a very dangerous moment in the life of a still young country, more people than have ever spoken before came together to try to save it. And that was a victory all its own.
Nelson Mandela, fully Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
The victory of democracy in South Africa is the common achievement of all humanity.
Achievement | Democracy |
Nelson Mandela, fully Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.
Nikolai Berdyaev, fully Nikolai Alexandrovich Berdyaev, also spelled Nichlas Berdiaev
In art there is liberation. The essential in artistic creativity is victory over the burden of necessity. In art man lives outside himself, outside his burdens, the burden of life. Every creative artistic act is a partial transfiguration of life.
Art | Creativity | Man | Art |
Nelson Mandela, fully Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
Success in politics demands that you must take your people into confidence about your views and state them very clearly, very politely, very calmly, but nevertheless, state them openly.
Confidence | People | Politics |
Nicholas D. Kristof, fully Nicholas Donabet Kristof
Abortion politics have distracted all sides from what is really essential: a major aid campaign to improve midwifery, prenatal care and emergency obstetric services in poor countries.
Otto von Bismarck, Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg
Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied.
Politics |
Oswald Spengler, fully Oswald Manuel Arnold Gottfried Spengler
The secret of all victory lies in the organization of the non-obvious.
Government means politics, and interference by government carries with it always the implication of coercion. We may accept the expanding power of bureaucrats so long as we bask in their friendly smile. But it is a dangerous temptation. Today politics may be our friend and tomorrow we may be its victims.
Friend | Government | Means | Politics | Power | Tomorrow | Government |