I'll give you the link up front
http://www.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment/top-10-quotes-about-men-that-every-man-should-live-by.html
And then I shall list the quotes in reverse order, as they do, with my own annotations, and why I hate this website.
10. "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" ~JFK
outstanding quote, but I will say it now, and know that it is to apply to (almost) all of the quotes to follow: I think that this should apply to the old form of the word "men," meaning people (i.e. mankind) and if they didn't write it that way, then they are assholes.
9. "Men are like steel. When they lose their temper, they lose their worth" ~Chuck Norris
possibly the best thing Mr. Norris has ever said. I am a huge supporter of keeping your temper, and I believe that when you lose it, you start making stupid decisions that get you nowhere.
8. "After a certain age every man is responsible for his face" ~Albert Camus
This was explained to mean "we are all products of our past, and at a certain point, who you are is a reflection of what you have done, and when you reach that age, you'd better be proud of the choices you've made." I like that, physical decay as a metaphor for moral decay. If only having a good moral life would assure your health and attractiveness into your senior years.
7. "Big jobs usually go to the men who prove their ability to outgrow small ones" ~Teddy Roosevelt
I really like this one, and the more general meaning, which is (to me) to work hard at everything you do, because only then can you get to the "doing" of better things.
6. "Few men have the virtue to withstand the highest bidder" ~ G. Washington
Whether you are talking monetary price or a less tangible price, I do think that every man (person) has his (or her) price and that you should be able to resist the opportunity to compromise your morals at all costs - ideally...
5. "Between men and women there is no friendship possible. There is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship" ~Oscar Wilde
Before I comment on this one, I'm gonna give you the website's annotations:
"It’s an old quote that’s revisited by Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally -- there’s no such thing as a platonic relationship between a man and a woman. The man is usually consumed with the idea of sleeping with her. It’s a belief widely acknowledged by men, but rarely accepted by women. Remember that. Movie and dinner nights might mean one thing to you, but she certainly doesn’t view it as a precursor to intercourse."
To which a commenter on this page responded:
"Just to give you what you deserve...
Quotations are the tools of the witless - Oscar Wilde
And platonic relationships ARE possible, so don't blame the whole gender for your sexual desperation. "
I agree with the second thing this guy said. This quote is terrible, but worse than that is the comment that was said about it... "it is a belief widely acknowledged by men." I love generalizations, I do, but this one is terrible. I have nothing more to say.
4. "it is not titles that make men illustrious, but men who make titles illustrious" ~Machiavelli
I think this one goes along with the Roosevelt quote - if you work hard and take pride in what you do, things will be better than if you don't work hard and don't care.
3. "When men speak ill of thee, live so as nobody may believe them" ~Plato
I think this one goes on my favorite quotes of all time list. I do my best to live this way, not to say I do, but I try. I am not yet perfect, but that doesn't mean I cannot strive to be.
2. "There is one kind of robber whom the law does not strike at, and who steals what is more precious to men: time" ~Napoleon
Life is short, and if you want to get done what you need to, you had better use all the time you have - go Napoleon, you marauding dick-head!
1. "A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do" ~Bob Dylan
I think that you should do what you love and love what you do, and if you can pull that off, you are truly successful - but doing what you love and doing what you want are not the same thing i my book. I love circus and dance, but I don't want to do them all day every day - even though I hope that is what my job will be.
And now, miscellaneous quotes put in comments that people thought should have been in the list.
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power"
"The masculine imagination lives in a state of perpetual revolt against the limitations of human life" I would like it better if masculine was changed to human.
"Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind."
-Bruce Lee
Goodnight, until my next update - most likely on friday or saturday!
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