"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him."
"Everyone holds his fortune in his own hands, like a sculptor the raw material he will fashion into a figure. But it's the same with that type of artistic activity as with all others: We are merely born with the capability to do it. The Skill to mold the material into what we want must be learned and attentively cultivated."
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Source: Conversations with Goethe 15 October (1825)
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More quotes by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"We do not have to visit a madhouse to find disordered minds; our planet is the mental institution of the universe."
"Every day we should hear at least one little song, read one good poem, see one exquisite picture, and, if possible, speak a few sensible words."
"The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves, too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never have otherwise occurred...unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way."
"The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. Whatever you think you can do, or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, power and grace."
"Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen."