The discussion about true person, true love, and hard truth in class today got me to change some of my thoughts this post. I really like Abraham Lincoln’s quote “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed but I am bound to live the best life that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right and part from him when he goes wrong.” The quote itself reminds me of the Special Olympics. For the Special Olympics, people prepare themselves for their events, just like how athletes prepare for the Olympics. Although the participants do not necessarily win in the same way as other people, they still try their best to participative as best they can. Through the process, the athletes seem to be able to enjoy their lives to the best of their abilities. Watching people I know try as hard as they can in these kinds of events, along with the dedication of their helpers and the organizers of the event reminds me of some of the qualities I think are needed to become a ‘true person’. Being around people, who are so dedicated and positive, really makes my day sometimes.
When it comes to the quote, “The pursuit of truth will set you free; even if you never catch up with it” by Clarence S. Darrow, I choose to interpret the quote a little differently. For the idea I have in my head right now, I am taking ‘the pursuit of truth’ as digging for the truth or more information in this case. With that in mind, the saying can be used in a lot of different contexts. There were a few times when I tried to look up information about my family as a side project that started from a school project a while back. It is a lot of fun when I find out new things about my family. Part of me knows that I will never find out everything about my family; because as the family grows, and some of the older documents and facts get lost and forgotten, it makes me feel like I will never ‘catch up with it.’ Or, when taking the quote a little more literally, for an innocent person who is accused of a crime, when the truth of the situation is found, they are set free.
This post is really got me thinking, and looking more closely at the words and events around me. When thinking about these quotes in a deeper level, it reminds me of how many things I take for granted a lot of times. Combining these two quotes, and some of my own life experiences, I remember how important it is to live the best life that I have.
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vky,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I read both of your posts concerning the topic of truth and I love how you were able to think of so many different ways of interpreting the quotes you chose. I especially liked how you thought the Abraham Lincoln quote to resemble the Special Olympics. I was on my High School Track & Field team and one year we had to mentor a "buddy" who was going to compete in the Special Olympics Track & Field Meet. Unfortunately, I spent all day with just one person and didn't get to meet the many other participants but the dedication and pride I noticed in my buddy's work ethnic was astonishing. She wasn't trying to win or get some sort of medal for placing, she simply had fun running down the runway and jumping into the sand pit and, to her, that was winning. It made me so content to watch the absolute joy on her face for something the rest of us might see as menial. I totally agree with you when you say that somebody's kindness and positive attitude can make your day!