Morale Quotes

“You are well aware that it is not numbers or strength that bring the victories in war. No, it is when one side goes against the enemy with the gods' gift of a stronger morale that their adversaries, as a rule, cannot withstand them. I have noticed this point too, my friends, that in soldiering the people whose one aim is to keep alive usually find a wretched and dishonorable death, while the people who, realizing that death is the common lot of all men, make it their endeavour to die with honour, somehow seem more often to reach old age and to have a happier life when they are alive. These are facts which you too should realize (our situation demands it) and should show that you yourselves are brave men and should call on the rest to do likewise.”
― Xenophon, The Persian Expedition

“Morale and attitude are fundamentals to success.”
― Bud Wilkinson

“A little girl was sitting beside him, with huge, doomy eyes, a bear suit with all the buttons done up in the wrong buttonholes, and very dark, straggly hair that stuck straight out of her head at odd angles. She seem to read his mind. "Shh," said the little girl. A lot of her teeth had recently fallen out and she was very serious for such a small person. "We're not allowed to talk about the Lost. It's bad for morale.”
― Cressida Cowell, How to Seize a Dragon's Jewel

“What was war, after all, but morale in helmets and jeeps? And what was morale if not one hundred million little conversations, the sum of which might leave men brave enough to advance? The true heart of war was in small talk.”
― Chris Cleave, Everyone Brave Is Forgiven

“Mon père détestait les gens qui font des leçons de morale. Nous sommes tous très bons lorsque cela nous arrange, disait-il souvent. C'est quand nous sommes sur le point de commettre une mauvaise action que nous avons besoin de règles, quand nous sommes sur le point de faire fortune grâce à une malhonnêteté, quand nous baisons les douces lèvres de la femme du voisin ou quand nous disons un mensonge pour nous sortir d'un mauvais pas. L'intégrité est comme une épée, assenait-il encore. Il ne faut la brandir que si l'on est déterminé à s'en servir. Non pas qu'il ait été un spécialiste en matière de chevalerie.”
― Ken Follett

“Chaque être est plus ou moins capable de joie. Chaque être doit tendre à la joie.”
― André Gide, La Symphonie pastorale

“But there is no conceivable way of making people do things they do not wish to do. What is possible is to alter their desires by a system of rewards and penalties, among which social approval and disapproval are not the least potent. The question for the legislative moralist is, therefore: How shall this system of rewards and punishments be arranged so as to secure the maximum of what is desired by the legislative authority? If I say that the legislative authority has bad desires, I mean merely that its desires conflict with those of some section of the community to which I belong. Outside human desires there is no moral standard.”
― Bertrand Russell, What I Believe

“If you keep your morale high, you’ll keep everything high! And to keep your morale high, try to benefit from nature’s energy! And to benefit from nature’s energy, make the nature as your favourite port!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“While motivation fires up our interest and willingness to run the race, encouragement helps get us across the finish line.”
― Cathy Burnham Martin, Encouragement: How to Be and Find the Best

“And he said to me, "Truly, nay; for you Christians care not how untruly you serve God. You should set an example to the
common people to do well, and you set them an example of doing evil. For the commons, upon festival days, when they
should go to church to serve God, go to taverns, and are there in gluttony all day and night, and eat and drink as beasts that have no reason, and know not when they have enough. And also, the Christians encourage one another, in
all ways that they may, to fight, and to deceive one another. And they are so proud that they know not how to be clothed; now long, now short, now straight, now large, now with sword,
now with dagger, and in all manner of guises. They should be simple, meek, and true, and full of alms-deeds, as Jesus was,
in whom they believe ; but they are all the contrary, and ever inclined to evil, and to do evil. And they are so covetous, that
for a little silver they sell their daughters, their sisters, and their own wives, to put them to lechery. And one seduces the wife of another, and none of them holdeth faith to another ; but they break their law, that Jesus Christ gave them to keep for their salvation. And thus, for their sins, have they lost all this land which we hold.”
― Thomas Wright

“But that’s part of being in charge, Jan. Maybe the most important part. You can’t let your people get fucked over. Not if you expect them to follow you.”
― Henry V. O'Neil, Orphan Brigade

“La richesse en conséquence fut privée de sens, en dehors de la valeur productive. L'oisiveté contemplative, le don aux pauvres, l'éclat des cérémonies et des églises cessèrent d'avoir le moindre prix ou passèrent pour un signe du démon. La doctrine de Luther est la négation achevée d'un système de consumation intense des ressources. Une immense armée de clercs séculiers et réguliers dilapidait les richesses excédantes de l'Europe, provoquant les nobles et les marchands à des dilapidations rivales: c'est le scandale qui dressa Luther, mais il n'y sut opposer qu'une négation plus entière du monde. L'Église, faisant d'un gaspillage géant le moyen d'ouvrir aux hommes les portes du ciel donnait un pénible sentiment: elle avait moins réussi à rendre céleste la terre que le ciel terre à terre. Elle avait tourné le dos en même temps à chacune de ses possibilités. Mais elle avait maintenu l'économie dans une stabilité relative. Il est singulier que l'Église romaine, dans l'image qu'une ville médiévale a laissée du monde qu'elle créa, ait figuré d'une façon heureuse l'effet d'un usage immédiat des richesses. Cela s'est joué dans un écheveau de contradictions, mais la lumière en est parvenue jusqu'à nous: à travers le monde de la pure utilité qui lui succéda, où la richesse perdit sa valeur immédiate, et signifia principalement la possibilité d'accroître les forces productives, elle rayonne encore à nos yeux.”
― Georges Bataille, Œuvres complètes, tome VII

“English: "The point is not to have original opinions, but to have the right ones."

Česky: „Nejde tolik o to mít originální, nýbrž správné názory.”
― Sebastián Wortys, Vtiposcifilo-z/s-ofie

“Attenzione, dunque, alla lezione di morale. C'era una volta, nell'antico paese delle favole, una famiglia in cui c'erano un padre, una madre, un nonno che era il padre del padre e quel già citato bambino di otto anni, un ragazzino. Si dava il caso che il nonno fosse già avanti con l'età, perciò gli tremavano le mani e gli cadeva il cibo dalla bocca quando erano a tavola, il che suscitava grande irritazione al figlio e alla nuora, sempre lì a dirgli di fare attenzione a ciò che faceva, ma il povero vecchio, per quanto lo volesse, non riusciva a trattenere il tremito, peggio ancora se lo sgridavano, e il risultato era che sporcava sempre la tovaglia o faceva cadere per terra il magiare, per non dire poi del tovagliolo che gli legavano al collo e che bisognava cambiare tre volte al giorno, a colazione, a pranzo e a cena. Erano ormai le cose a questo punto e senza alcuna aspettativa di miglioramento quando il padre decise di farla finita con la sgradevole situazione. Si presentò a casa con una scodella di legno e disse al padre, da oggi in poi mangerete qui, vi siederete sulla soglia della porta perché è più facile da pulire e così vostra nuora non dovrà più preoccuparsi di tante tovaglie e tanti tovaglioli sporchi. E così fu. Colazione, pranzo e cena, il vecchio seduto da solo sulla soglia della porta, che portava il cibo alla bocca come gli era possibile, metà si perdeva per strada, una parte dell'altra metà gli scivolava giù per il mento, e non era granché la quantità che finalmente gli scendeva giù per quello che il volgo chiama il gargarozzo. Non sembrava che al nipote importasse molto del pessimo trattamento riservato al nonno, lo guardava, poi guardava il padre e la madre, e continuava a mangiare come se lui non c'entrasse niente in quella faccenda. Finché un pomeriggio, rientrando dal lavoro, il padre vide il figlio che scolpiva con un temperino un pezzo di legno e credette, com'era normale e usuale a quei tempi remoti, che stesse costruendo un giocattolo con le sue stesse mani. L'indomani, però, si rese conto che non si trattava di un carrettino, per lo meno non si vedeva dove si potevano incastrare delle ruote, e allora domandò, che stai facendo. Il ragazzo finse di non aver udito e continuò a scavare il legno con la punta del temperino, questo avvenne nel tempo in cui i genitori erano meno timorosi e non correvano a togliere dalle mani dei figli uno strumento tanto utile per la fabbricazione dei giocattoli. Non hai sentito, che stai facendo con quel pezzo di legno, di nuovo domandò il padre, e il figlio, senza alzare gli occhi, rispose, sto facendo una scodella per quando sarete vecchio, babbo, e vi tremeranno le mani, per quando vi manderanno a mangiare sulla soglia della porta, come avete fatto con il nonno. Furono parole sante. Caddero le fette di salame dagli occhi del padre, che vide la verità e la sua luce, e che all'istante andò a chiedere perdono al progenitore e quando arrivò l'ora della cena con le sue stesse mani lo aiutò a sedersi sulla sedia, con le sue stesse mani gli avvicinò il cucchiaio alla bocca, con le sue stesse mani gli pulì dolcemente il mento, perché lui poteva ancora farlo mentre il suo amato padre non più.”
― José Saramago, Death with Interruptions

“Become a Morale Booster Extraordinaire. Lift others up and celebrate their hard-earned successes. Win by achieving. Respect the achievements of others.”
― Cathy Burnham Martin, Healthy Thinking Habits: Seven Attitude Skills Simplified

“Worthiness alone is not the key to learning and will do little to boost your morale; be prepared to enjoy yourself.”
― Viv Levy, The Beginner's Guide to Life Drawing

“Au fond, ce sont toujours aux faibles que l'on fait la morale, tandis qu'on finit par blanchir les puissants.”
― Simone Veil, Une vie

“The most important thing is those letters... They keep soldiers connected to the most significant people in their lives. Their families, their children, their wives and mothers. That keeps them motivated to fight and to remember what they are trying to win victory for. You get them those letters, you inspire them to live and fight another day. Without the mail, morale sinks.”
― Joshunda Sanders, Women of the Post

“Something you do to boost your morale is one of the greatest favors you can do for yourself!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“They ask me, do I ever worry about losing my magic? I tell them, my only worry is that, some day I might lose the morale that makes the magic possible.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Dervis Vadisi: 100 Promissory Sonnets

“They ask me, do I ever worry about losing my magic? I tell them, my only worry is that, some day I might lose the morale that makes the magic possible. I pour magic because my mind is ablaze - the day the fire goes out, so does my magic.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Dervis Vadisi: 100 Promissory Sonnets

“Ten days passed, ten days of total idleness. The novelty of our surroundings wore off and the battalion began to suffer from a spiritual disease called la cafard by the French soldiers when they were in Indochina. Its symptoms were occasional fits of depression combined with an inconquerable fatigue that made the simplest tasks, like shaving or cleaning a rifle, seem enormous. Its causes were obscure, but they had something to do with the unremitting heat, the lack of action, and the long days of staring at that alien landscape; a lovely landscape, yes, but after a while all that jungle green became as monotonous as the beige of the desert or the white of the Arctic.”
― Philip Caputo, A Rumor of War: The Classic Vietnam Memoir

“KAPHAR HUNNU BHANDA MARNU RAMRO!’ Gaaz shouted at the top of his voice.

This is the Gurkha motto. ‘It is better to die than be a coward.”
― Kailash Limbu, Gurkha: Better to Die than Live a Coward - My Life in the Gurkhas

“For the first time, I was truly afraid.

‘Guruji,’ said Gaaz quite quietly – his face only inches from mine – ‘we’re gonna die. We are, aren’t we?’

He’s right, I thought. We probably are.

But then again—what are we?

We are GURKHAS!

‘KAPHAR HUNNU BHANDA MARNU RAMRO!’ I shouted.

‘KAPHAR HUNNU BHANDA MARNU RAMRO!’ Nagen yelled in reply.

‘KAPHAR HUNNU BHANDA MARNU RAMRO!’ Gaaz shouted at the top of his voice.

This is the Gurkha motto. ‘It is better to die than be a coward.”
― Kailash Limbu, GURKHA: Better to Die than Live a Coward: My Life in the Gurkhas

“Homecoming Sonnet

Salutations to all, today is my homecoming,
To dwell in grief is treachery on life.
I sought plenty escape in translations,
but true ointment lies in the soil of life.

So I return, shattering shackles of sorrow -
Reignite me oh life, resuscitate me unto duty!
I want no more to sob through the alleys of pity -
Sanctify me oh divine nature, with renewed tenacity.

Today I break all spell of ominous cowardice,
Today I vivify my veins as the volcanic vanguard!
I refuse to be castrated by pathetic redundancy,
Today I revive my vows as defender of the world!”
― Abhijit Naskar, World War Human: 100 New Earthling Sonnets

“Hope is Nature's Defibrillator (The Sonnet)

Hope is nature's defibrillator that,
Electrifies the heart to unsubmission.
Hope rescues us from the depths of despair,
Hope drags the being even out of cremation.

Hope lights the way when clouds convene,
Hope brings sight when smog sets in.
Hope is the bird that heralds the dawn,
Hope is the answer to all things disheartening.

Never let intellect trod on the sapling of hope,
When things get rough intellect is first to scarper.
The brain needs backbone to trudge through hardship,
Without hope, backbone is first to lose its caper.

But again, most times inaction sets in, disguised as hope.
Real hope sets you on fire, it doesn't make you mellow.”
― Abhijit Naskar, Himalayan Sonneteer: 100 Sonnets of Unsubmission

“Equip your life physically and mentally can reverse your biological age.”
― Guru Deepik Kariyawasam

“What is it like to be rich in wealth, power, fame but poor health”
― Guru Deepik Kariyawasam

“I have been a member of and inspected dozens of commands in my military tenure. Unit morale is always readily detectable. Morale posts itself front and center to experienced organizational leaders and fresh recruits alike. Does that have anything to do with a unit's inherent limitations? Absolutely not. Those units are comprised of personnel cut from the same cloth as those of others. The difference is inspired leadership. It takes inspired executive leadership to foster healthy organizational cultures.
Too often, leadership is assumed rather than considered. Implied rather than piloted. It takes thoughtful communication to develop the potential of those under one's charge. Organizational climates require molding, lest unhealthy ones smolder unchecked. Leadership properly executed is a calculated act. There are thousands of ways to skin this cat, but one certainty is that the skinning should be surgical.”
― Miles Garrett, Executive Leadership: A Warfighter's Perspective

“It doesn't seem right to me. I'd rather folks paid more for oil, than pay for their oil with my life.”
― Robert Fisk, The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East