Greatness. It’s just something we made up. Somehow we’ve come to believe that greatness is a gift, reserved for a chosen few — for prodigies, for superstars — and the rest of us can only stand by watching. You can forget that. Greatness is not some rare DNA strand. It’s not some precious thing. Greatness is no more unique to us than breathing. We’re all capable of it, all of us.

Ideas are scary. They come into this world ugly and messy. Ideas are frightening, because they threaten what is known. They are the natural born enemy of the way things are. Yes, ideas are scary and messy and fragile. But under the proper care, they become something beautiful.

Ladies and gentlemen:

We will take off immediately. Please fasten your seatbelt, close your tray table, and put your seat back to the upright position. If you are sitting beside a window, please help us by opening the sunshades. Please ensure that all of your portable electronic devices are switched into flight mode and WIFI is switched off at all times. This is a non-smoking flight, please do not smoke on board. Now flight attendants will start safety check.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have just landed at Beijing Capital International Airport. The local time is now 8 p.m. The outside temperature is 30 degrees Celsius, 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Our plane is taxiing. Please remain seated and keep your seatbelts fastened until the “fasten seatbelt” sign has been turned off. When you disembark, please take all your belongings. Your checked baggage may be claimed in the baggage claim area. Passengers with connecting flights, please go to the transfer counter in the terminal.

Thank you for choosing our airline and we look forward to serving you again.

An astronomer used to go out at night to observe the stars. One evening, as he wandered through the suburbs with his whole attention fixed on the sky, he fell accidentally into a deep well. While he cried loudly for help, a neighbor heard and rushed to the well. When he learned what happened, he said: “Why, in trying to see into what is in heaven, do you not manage to see what is on earth?”

A Donkey once found a Lion’s skin which the hunters had left out in the sun to dry. He put it on and went towards his native village. All fled at his approach, both men and animals, and he was a proud Donkey that day. In his delight he lifted up his voice and brayed, but then every one knew him, and his owner came up and gave him a sound cudgelling for the fright he had caused. And shortly afterwards a Fox came up to him and said: “Ah, I knew you by your voice.”

Fine clothes may disguise, but silly words will disclose a fool.

Being proactive means thinking and acting ahead of anticipated events. Not only is it a great method for avoiding more work down the road, it can also be extremely important for averting problems.

To be proactive, start taking action, embracing your responsibility, and controlling your responses. By doing things such as anticipating your future and focusing on solutions instead of problems, you'll maintain a happier and more proactive outlook.

By Brian Tracy

Clarity is the most important concept in personal productivity. The number one reason why some people get more work done faster is because they are absolutely clear about their goals and objectives and they don't deviate from them.

A major reason for procrastination and lack of motivation is vagueness, confusion and fuzzy mindedness about what you are supposed to do, and in what order and for what reason. You must avoid this common condition with all your strength by striving for ever greater clarity in everything you do.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the Umbrella Corporation had become the largest commercial entity in the United States. Nine out of every ten homes contain its products. Its political and financial influence is felt everywhere. In public, it is the world's leading supplier of computer technology, medical products, and healthcare. Unknown, even to its own employees, its massive profits are generated by military technology, genetic experimentation and viral weaponry.

Once upon a time there was a lovely princess. But she had an enchantment upon her of a fearful sort, which could only be broken by love's first kiss. She was locked away in a castle guarded by a terrible fire-breathing dragon. Many brave knights had attempted to free her from this dreadful prison, but none prevailed. She waited in the dragon's keep, in the highest room of the tallest tower, for her true love, and true love's first kiss…

(Laughing)

Like that's ever gonna happen.

Industrial Light and Magic has created some of the most iconic imagery that cinema has ever seen. For the past 35 years, they have transported us to worlds beyond the reaches of our imagination. Their pioneering and breathtaking visual effects have transformed the way we see movies. Through their masterful blend of art and technology, they have revolutionized movie-making and helped to define popular culture. They’ve made us wonder. They’ve made us marvel. They’ve made us belief.

In 2001, ILM brought history to life like never before with the epic World War Ⅱ battle sequences in Pearl Harbor, another series of landmark achievements for the company. The realism paved the way for the highly anticipated Pirates of the Caribbean films. The Pirates of the Caribbean series made extensive use of in-camera motion capture technology, otherwise known as iMoCap. This advanced system of sensors records actions of human actors and uses the information to animate digital characters.

By Simon Sinek

There is a big difference between repeat business and loyalty. Repeat business is when people do business with you over and over and over again. Loyalty is when people are willing to turn down a better product at a better price or suffer inconvenience to continue to do business with you. Loyal customers often don't even bother to research the competition or entertain other options. Loyalty is not easily won. Repeat business, however, is. All it takes is more manipulations.

By Simon Sinek

A simple claim of better, even with the rational evidence to back it up, can create desire and even motivate a decision to buy, but it doesn't create loyalty. If a customer feels inspired to buy a product, rather than manipulated, they will be able to verbalize the reasons why they think what they bought is actually better. Good quality and features matter, but they are not enough to produce the dogged loyalty that all the most inspiring leaders and companies are all able to command. It is the cause that is represented by the company, the brand, or their products that inspires loyalty.

This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

I am particularly proud and happy about the young filmmakers, actors, singers, writers, producers that are coming up behind my generation, in particular Barry Jenkins. Young people understand, this young man made 10, 15, 20 short films before he got the opportunity to make Moonlight, so never give up. Without commitment you'll never start, but more importantly, without consistency you'll never finish. It's not easy. Ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship. So keep moving, keep growing, keep learning. See you at work.

In China, the social structure is formal and hierarchical. You know where you fit in the structure and you abide by the rules there. There is no crossing into other areas. In America, it is much more loose and informal. It is not uncommon to see those of various social levels socializing and knowing each other. There are very few lines that socially are not allowed to be crossed. This can cause problems in business relationships if the visiting culture is unaware of it.

The Chinese looks more at the group collective than at individualism. America has become known for its push of individualism which has been a source of conflict with other cultures that look collectively. A person from China is more prone to look at how their acts affect the whole instead of how it affects them personally. They are more willing to give up and sacrifice for the greater good. America’s individualism has been its backbone and the reason for its success as a world power, but when visiting China it needs to be reined in.

Audrey Hepburn - with her charm and elegance, she was the definition of perfection in Hollywood and around the world. Long before Sex and the City, Audrey Hepburn portrayed the epitome of the New York single woman in the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The film remains one of the most popular romantic movies ever made, thanks to her memorable performance. Audrey Hepburn never understood how she became a movie star. She once said: "My career is a complete mystery to me, it’s been a total surprise since the first day.”

Walk into any diner in America, and you're likely to see his name - on ketchup bottles, on pickle jars. Henry J. Heinz has been a part of American culture for more than a century. He said: “I will do the common thing uncommonly well.” Then did it. Heinz sold his products on every continent. He coined one of the most memorable lines in the history of advertising: 57 varieties. He was an obsessive genius, yet in an era of domineering bosses and robber barons, Heinz motivated his employees with kindness.

How far from birth to death

is in the length of our breath

How far from confusion to consonance

When comes a sudden chance

How far from love to hate

You can't anticipate

How far from then or now

When laughter spreads somehow

How far from you and me

Forgiveness only

How far from heart to heart

The sky to the earth

You are my adversary, but you are not my enemy.

For your resistance gives me strength, your will gives me courage, your spirit ennobles me.

And though I aim to defeat you, should I succeed, I will not humiliate you; instead, I will honor you.

For without you, I am a lesser man.

If you know someone who’s depressed, please resolve never to ask them why. Depression isn’t a straightforward response to a bad situation; depression just is, like the weather.

Try to understand the blackness, lethargy, hopelessness, and loneliness they’re going through. Be there for them when they come through the other side. It’s hard to be a friend to someone who’s depressed, but it is one of the kindest, noblest, and best things you will ever do.

There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state with another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness. We must have felt what it is to die that we may appreciate the enjoyments of life.

Live, then, and be happy, beloved children of my heart, and never forget, that until the day God will deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is contained in these two words: Wait and Hope.

Eighty-seven years in the making, all in one place. HBO presents the complete Oscars experience from the stars, the glamour, to the celebration of cinemas’ best. HBO brings you live and exclusive access to Hollywood's biggest night, including the Oscars, live with a same-day encore at prime time, plus even more exclusive content online.

The complete Oscars experience on HBO.

In just moments, 16 complete strangers from across America will move into this house with one goal in mind: to be the last HouseGuest standing and win the half million dollar grand prize. But it won't be easy. For the next three months they'll be completely cut off from the outside world. No internet, no TV, no cell phones, only these cameras and microphones to capture every emotionally charged moment like never before. It’s summertime, America, and that can only mean one thing: It's time for Big Brother.

A parrot named Hariyal was detained by Indian police after persistently verbally abusing an 85-year-old woman. The owner, Suresh Sakharker, had trained his parrot to curse at his stepmother during an on-going dispute over land and property. Officials called all three parties into the police station, but the parrot kept silent whilst in custody. Despite keeping silent, the parrot was handed over to forestry officials, as there is no law to imprison parrots.

Allie Carter, a 25-year-old from Indiana, was hospitalised after her pet dog shot her with a gun. Allie had been hunting waterfowl, and upon her return, left her 12-gauge shotgun on the ground without the safety on. Her chocolate Labrador stepped on it, and released the trigger, shooting her in the foot and causing her toe injuries. Perhaps the dog was just living up to his name: Trigger.

By Oscar Wilde

There is no such thing as a good influence, because to influence a person is to give him one's own soul. He does not think his natural thoughts, or burn with his natural passions. His virtues are not real to him. His sins, if there are such things as sins, are borrowed. He becomes an echo of some one else's music, an actor of a part that has not been written for him.

The aim of life is self-development. To realize one's nature perfectly - that is what each of us is here for. People are afraid of themselves, nowadays. The terror of society, which is the basis of morals, the terror of God, which is the secret of religion - these are the two things that govern us.

By George Orwell

"Now, comrades, what is the nature of this life of ours? Let us face it: our lives are miserable, laborious, and short. We are born, we are given just so much food as will keep the breath in our bodies, and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength; and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty. No animal in England knows the meaning of happiness or leisure after he is a year old. No animal in England is free. The life of an animal is misery and slavery: that is the plain truth.”

Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

At Mercedes-Benz, we’ve never been satisfied with resting on our laurels. Quite the opposite, for over 120 years, we’ve strived with utmost meticulousness and immense experience to set ourselves apart. To do this, one needs the courage to follow new paths, the passion to push oneself to the limit, and the will to be better with each day. It is about being ready for life-long learning, to continually surpass oneself, committed to a tradition of excellence, where success stimulates the desire to better oneself time and time again, then as now.

At IHG, we’re committed to delivering True Hospitality for everyone. We believe in making you feel welcome and valued, wherever you are in the world. That’s because we truly care about people and the communities we serve, and because we pride ourselves on providing the highest quality of service.

Each of our hotel brands caters to guests in their own distinct way. And our reach spans the globe. So, whether you’re travelling for business, fun with friends and family, or pure luxury, we have a hotel for you.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Classic American comfort food, crave-able bar snacks, plus unique cocktails & an extensive wine list in an upscale yet casual environment. Our intimate restaurant features a chic island bar, walls of glass and a spacious outdoor patio, perfect for people watching. Our exhibition kitchen highlights the talents of our passionate culinary team.

Nick’s is dedicated to perfecting the dining experience through continuous innovation, offering the highest quality food and beverage, and executing impeccable standards of hospitality. The deeply instilled Nick’s culture is personified by its Ladies and Gentlemen – professionals who share a single focus and are inspired and committed to offering great service and creating positive memorable experiences.

A man wished to purchase an Ass, and agreed with its owner that he should try out the animal before he bought him. He took the Ass home and put him in the stable with his other Asses, upon which the new animal left all the others and immediately chose a place next to the laziest and greediest beast.

Seeing this, the man put a halter on him and led him back to his owner. On being asked how, in so short a time, he could have made a trial of him, he answered, “I do not need a trial; I know that he will be just the same as the one he chose for his companion.”

A man is known by the company he keeps.

Mercury once determined to learn in what esteem he was held among mortals. For this purpose he assumed the character of a man and visited in this disguise a Sculptor’s studio. Having looked at various statues, he demanded the price of two figures of Jupiter and Juno. When the sum at which they were valued was named, he pointed to a figure of himself, saying to the Sculptor, “You will certainly want much more for this, as it is the statue of the Messenger of the Gods, and author of all your gain.” The Sculptor replied, “Well, if you will buy these, I’ll fling you that into the bargain.”

The oldest stories ever told are written in the stars - stories of time before man and gods, when Titans ruled the earth. The Titans were powerful but their reign was ended by their own sons: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Zeus convinced his brother Hades to create a beast so strong it could defeat their parents. And from his own flesh Hades gave birth to an unspeakable horror... the Kraken. Zeus became king of the heavens. Poseidon, king of the seas. And Hades, tricked by Zeus, was left to rule the underworld in darkness and in misery. It was Zeus who created man, and man's prayers fed the gods' immortality. But in time, mankind grew restless. They began to question the gods, and finally, rise up against them.

Before time began, there was the Cube. We know not where it comes from, only that it holds the power to create worlds and fill them with life. That is how our race was born. For a time, we lived in harmony, but like all great power, some wanted it for good, others for evil. And so began the war, a war that ravaged our planet until it was consumed by death, and the Cube was lost to the far reaches of space. We scattered across the galaxy, hoping to find it and rebuild our home, searching every star, every world. And just when all hope seemed lost, message of a new discovery drew us to an unknown planet called Earth. But we were already too late.

It began with the forging of the great rings. Three were given to the Elves, immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings. Seven to the Dwarf lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. And nine, nine rings were gifted to the race of Men, who above all else, desire power. For within these rings was bound the strength and will to govern each race.

But they were all of them deceived, for another ring was made. In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged in secret a master ring, to control all others. And into this Ring, he poured his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all life.

One Ring to rule them all.

When I was a kid, I thought Zootopia was this perfect place where everyone got along and anyone could be anything. Turns out, real life's a little bit more complicated than a slogan on a bumper sticker. Real life is messy. We all have limitations. We all make mistakes. Which means, hey, glass half full, we all have a lot in common. And the more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each of us will be. But we have to try. So no matter what type of animal you are, from the biggest elephant to our first fox, I implore you: try. Try to make the world a better place. Look inside yourself and recognize that change starts with you. It starts with me. It starts with all of us.

The powerful potential behind change lies in the possibility that each new beginning will bring us greater joy and freedom than we have ever known. Whether or not that actually happens - whether or not we continue to grow through the cycles of our lives - is largely up to us. We play a part in what happens by choosing how we see our changes, our beginnings, our endings. We can see each ending as a tragedy and lament and resist it, or we can see each ending as a new beginning and a new birth into greater opportunities. What the caterpillar sees as the tragedy of death, the butterfly sees as the miracle of birth.

Sometimes what you think will work great, doesn’t work at all. But that doesn’t mean that nothing will work. Sometimes you build your hopes up, only to be disappointed. But that doesn’t mean that your hopes have lost their value.

On the contrary, your hopes and ideas have great value, even though they may expose you to great frustration. Though it may be over difficult and uneven terrain, they do push you forward. Pick yourself up, adjust your approach based on what you’ve learned, and make another attempt. Feel the joy of knowing that you can persevere. Transform the power of the challenge into your own inner strength.

Grow your way forward, through the triumphs and the setbacks. Persist, and anything is within your reach.

By Malcolm Gladwell

Giants are not what we think they are. The same qualities that appear to give them strength are often the sources of great weakness. And the fact of being an underdog can change people in ways that we often fail to appreciate: it can open doors and create opportunities and educate and enlighten and make possible what might otherwise have seemed unthinkable.

We spend a lot of time thinking about the ways that prestige and resources and belonging to elite institutions make us better off. We don’t spend enough time thinking about the ways in which those kinds of material advantages limit our options.

By Malcolm Gladwell

Conventional wisdom holds that a disadvantage is something that ought to be avoided—that it is a setback or a difficulty that leaves you worse off than you would be otherwise. But that is not always the case.

Most of the learning that we do is “Capitalization Learning”. It is easy and obvious. If you have a beautiful voice and perfect pitch, it doesn’t take much to get you to join a choir. “Compensation Learning”, on the other hand, is really hard. Most people with a serious disability cannot master all those steps. But those who can are better off than they would have been otherwise, because what is learned out of necessity is inevitably more powerful than the learning that comes easily.

By David Brooks

We live in a society that encourages us to think about how to have a great career but leaves many of us inarticulate about how to cultivate the inner life. The competition to succeed and win admiration is so fierce that it becomes all-consuming.

The consumer marketplace encourages us to live by a utilitarian calculus, to satisfy our desires and lose sight of the moral stakes involved in everyday decisions. The noise of fast and shallow communications makes it harder to hear the quieter sounds that emanate from the depths.

We live in a culture that teaches us to promote and advertise ourselves and to master the skills required for success, but that gives little encouragement to humility, sympathy, and honest self-confrontation, which are necessary for building character.

By David Brooks

Humility is freedom from the need to prove you are superior all the time, but egotism is a ravenous hunger in a small space—self-concerned, competitive, and distinction-hungry. Humility is the awareness that there’s a lot you don’t know and that a lot of what you think you know is distorted or wrong. This is the way humility leads to wisdom.

Montaigne once wrote, “We can be knowledgeable with other men’s knowledge, but we can’t be wise with other men’s wisdom.” That’s because wisdom isn’t a body of information. It’s the moral quality of knowing what you don’t know and figuring out a way to handle your ignorance, uncertainty, and limitation.

Martin Luther King Jr.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will they be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility. I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it. And the glow from that fire can truly light the world.

And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.

A short time ago, an American airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima and destroyed its usefulness to the enemy. That bomb has more power than 20,000 tons of TNT.

The Japanese began the war from the air at Pearl Harbor. They have been repaid manyfold. And the end is not yet. With this bomb we have now added a new and revolutionary increase in destruction to supplement the growing power of our armed forces. In their present form these bombs are now in production and even more powerful forms are in development.

It is an atomic bomb. It is a harnessing of the basic power of the universe. The force from which the sun draws its power has been loosed against those who brought war to the Far East.

We are now prepared to destroy more rapidly and completely every productive enterprise the Japanese have in any city. We shall destroy their docks, their factories, and their communications. Let there be no mistake: we shall completely destroy Japan’s power to make war.

It was to spare the Japanese people from utter destruction that the ultimatum of July the 26th was issued at Potsdam. Their leaders promptly rejected that ultimatum. If they do not now accept our terms, they may expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth. Behind this air attack will follow sea and land forces in such numbers and power as they have not yet seen, and with the fighting skill of which they are already well aware.

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.

Slavery is a system of forced labor that has existed throughout the world for thousands of years. In America, slavery began in the 17th century when people in Africa were overpowered and forced to leave their native land, their culture and their families behind.

By 1860, there would be 4 million African slaves in the United States. This enormous population of slaves was owned by a small group of the wealthiest and most powerful whites in American society. As African slaves toiled in the fields, laws were created to enforce their low-status. They were prohibited from participating in lawsuits, from owning property of firearms, and from possessing alcohol. Most states did not recognize slave marriages and often prohibited slaves from learning to read and write.

Henry Ford had only a modest education. He didn't invent the gasoline engine. He didn't invent the automobile. In fact, he never really invented anything. And yet by the time he died in 1947, Ford and the company he founded had a profound effect on the world he taught to drive.

Given all that he accomplished, it's hard to believe that Henry Ford was almost 40 when he established the Ford Motor Company. At the time America was more agricultural than industrial, and horseless carriages were toys for a wealthy few. But in just four decades, Henry Ford had, in his own words, “invented the modern age.”

His name was synonymous with outrageous costumes, candelabras, and extravagant performances. He sold out concerts from Las Vegas to Australia, playing to royalty, presidents, and devoted fans everywhere. His Emmy award-winning television series in the 50s was watched by more people than “I Love Lucy”.

Liberace knew from an early age that he wanted to be an entertainer. He soared to fame by giving audiences what they wanted and then some. And everywhere he went, crowds loved him. But behind the outrageous showman, there lay a dark secret that colored his private life until the day he died. The public’s perception of Liberace's life was carefully controlled by him, and his secret was not revealed until just a few years before his death.

I think it's fair to call him the father of the self-help movement that swept across America. Sixty years ago, Dale Carnegie wrote How to Win Friends and Influence People, since then thirty million copies have been sold.

Carnegie called himself “a common man from the midwest with a simple philosophy for self-improvement”. Enough people agreed that his book and his courses remain popular around the world.

Dale Carnegie had his critics. The writer Sinclair Lewis called his methods “yessing the boss and making big business right with God”. But as Biography discovered, Carnegie also won a legion of disciples and ignited a revolution built on a set of ideas that are remarkable, only for being so basic.

Arnold Schwarzenegger blasted his way to stardom in blockbuster action films like the Terminator. When he did the unexpected and shifted into comedy, his fan base expanded. But his road to the top was not a smooth one.

He was a body builder from Austria with a thick accent, the funny sounding name, and almost no acting experience. And when he showed up in Hollywood and told people he was determined to become a star, he was laughed at. But what the experts did not know about this former Mr. Universe was that his most well-developed muscle was his brain. And with it, he orchestrated career moves that took him to the top.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: “I’ll be back.” (From Terminator)

By Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)

The fountains mingle with the river,

And the rivers with the ocean;

The winds of heaven mix forever

With a sweet emotion;

Nothing in the world is single;

All things by a law divine

In one spirit meet and mingle—

Why not I with thine?

See, the mountains kiss high heaven,

And the waves clasp one another;

No sister-flower would be forgiven

If it disdained its brother;

And the sunlight clasps the earth,

And the moonbeams kiss the sea—

What is all this sweet work worth

If thou kiss not me?

By Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–1861)

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of being and ideal grace.

I love thee to the level of every day's

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

By Ann Landers

Class never runs scared. It is sure-footed and confident. It can handle anything that comes along. Class has a sense of humor. It knows a good laugh is the best lubricant for oiling the machinery of human relations. Class never makes excuses. It takes its lumps and learns from past mistakes. Class bespeaks an aristocracy that has nothing to do with ancestors or money. Some wealthy “blue bloods” have no class, while individuals who are struggling to make ends meet are loaded with it.

Class is real. It can’t be faked. Class never tried to build itself up by tearing others down. Class is already up and need not strive to look better by making others look worse. Everyone is comfortable with the person who has class because that person is comfortable with himself. If you have class, you’ve got it made. If you don’t have class, no matter what else you have, it doesn’t make any difference.

By Albert Einstein

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day. Never lose a holy curiosity. Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value. He is considered successful in our day who gets more out of life than he puts in. But a man of value will give more than he receives.

By John Steinbeck

When a child first catches adults out—when it first walks into his grave little head that adults do not always have divine intelligence, that their judgements are not always wise, their thinking true, their sentences just—his world falls into panic desolation. The gods are fallen and all safety gone. And there is one sure thing about the fall of gods: they do not fall a little; they crash and shatter or sink deeply into green muck. It is a tedious job to build them up again; they never quite shine. And the child’s world is never quite whole again. It is an aching kind of growing.

By Marcel Proust

We believe that we can change the things around us in accordance with our desires—we believe it because otherwise we can see no favourable outcome. We do not think of the outcome which generally comes to pass and is also favourable: we do not succeed in changing things in accordance with our desires, but gradually our desires change. The situation that we hoped to change because it was intolerable becomes unimportant to us. We have failed to surmount the obstacle, as we were absolutely determined to do, but life has taken us round it, led us beyond it, and then if we turn round to gaze into the distance of the past, we can barely see it, so imperceptible has it become.

This is the coast of Florida. Here, strange scars on the sea bed hint at one animal’s remarkable strategy.

These are bottlenose dolphins, one of the most intelligent animals on Earth. Their prey is very elusive, fast-swimming fish. But the dolphins have invented a completely new way of hunting. By beating its tail down hard, this dolphin stirs up the shallow silt. And by swimming in a tight circle, it creates a ring of mushrooming mud around a shoal of fish. The contracting ring traps the fish just like a net. Panicked, the fish jump to escape, right into the open mouths of the waiting dolphins. Again and again, the lead dolphin creates a circle before they all line up with perfect timing.

These dolphins are the only ones known to have developed this hunting behavior, and it gives them an edge.

Reptiles and amphibians must warm their bodies before they can become active, and until then they are slow-moving and vulnerable. The quickest way to gain heat is to bask in the sun, as this basilisk lizard from Central America is doing. The trouble is that exposing yourself inevitably makes you easily seen. But a conspicuous perch over a river like this seems to be making yourself unnecessarily prominent.

This basilisk’s greatest threat comes from the sky. Dark shapes overhead make it nervous. A hunting bird might expect it to flee to the trees. In fact, it does the opposite. This skitter across the surface of the water earns it precious seconds and the nickname: Jesus Christ Lizard. It drives its feet down so hard and so fast that it never sinks deeper than a few inches. A human would need to run at 65 miles an hour to do this.

One of the most bizarre of all reptiles hunts insects here in Madagascar. The praying mantis has a 360-degree vision, but it hasn’t seen the danger that is now approaching. A panther chameleon. Every part of its body has become specialised for a life of stealth among the branches. Its toes have become grasping pincers. Its eyes rotate so it can look in all directions. Its skin can change color for camouflage or to signal emotions.

The chameleon body is concealed from both predator and prey, so it can launch a surprise attack. The tongue is like a missile, aimed at its prey’s head to neutralise its defences. Chameleons, in short, are so perfectly adapted to a life spent hunting in trees that it’s hard to imagine how they could live anywhere else.

The Venus flytrap. Like the sundew, it makes itself very attractive, oozing nectar across the brim of each leaf. But any visiting insect had better watch out for these six tiny hairs.

This fly has to tread carefully. If it strikes one hair, it can carry on feeding but a timer has been set. A second strike in less than 20 seconds and the fly is doomed. An electrical impulse is triggered and the leaf snaps shut in just a fraction of a second. The tips lock together like prison bars. If the fly is very big or very small, it may just manage to escape. But most are trapped and die.