Self Reliance Quotes

“Thoughtless consistency is the glitch of little minds, adored by little statesmen and conformists. With consistency a grand soul simply has nothing to do. He might as well stare at his feet. Say whatever you think now in hard words, and tomorrow speak what you think again in hard words, even if it contradicts everything you said today. "Ah, surely you will be misunderstood." But is it so bad to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, along with Socrates, Jesus, Luther, Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took human form. It takes being misunderstood to be great.”
― James Harris, Self Reliance: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

“Trust yourself and accept the position God has given you among the peers of your time and the sequence of events that have unfolded since birth. Great men have always done so, and remained childlike in regards to the future beyond their years and age, withholding their perception from it, and having absolute trust for that which is in their heart, labouring with the mind, body and soul. Men must accept in the highest form of the mind the same heavenly destiny; and not act as children and disabled, protected and cared for by others; and not act as cowards fearing a revolution, but become guides, protectors, rescuers, and leaders, manifesting God’s work, and advancing through chaos and obscurity.”
― James Harris, Self Reliance: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader

“Speak your strongest convictions and they will make sense to all. Because the internal becomes the external in due course, and the firmest thoughts are fired back at us from the outside. Each man is familiar with his internal voice, and we credit this most to Moses and Plato for being able to hear themselves clearly, because they did not teach from books or tradition, but that which they thought.”
― James Harris, Self Reliance: Adapted for the Contemporary Reader