“The real test of a man is not how well he plays the role he has invented for himself, but how well he plays the role that destiny assigned to him.”

— Václav Havel , book Disturbing the Peace

Source: Disturbing the Peace (1986), Ch. 2 : Writing for the Stage, p. 72

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "The real test of a man is not how well he plays the role he has invented for himself, but how well he plays the role th…" by Václav Havel?

Václav Havel photo

Václav Havel 126

playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and 1st President of … 1936–2011

Related quotes

“I was astonished at how well he played live. I had no idea he was that good.”

John Mayer (1977) guitarist and singer/songwriter

Eric Clapton, on seeing Mayer perform at the Crossroads Music Festival in 2004. (2005) ( From Cleaveland.com http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/friday/1128072649185000.xml&coll=2)

“During his time working for me, Andy has carried out his role with complete professionalism. He has been a brilliant member of my team and has thrown himself at the job with skill and dedication. He can be extremely proud of the role he has played, including for the last eight months in Government.”

David Cameron (1966) Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

2010s, 2011

“He who is subjected to a field of visibility, and who knows it, assumes responsibility for the contraints of power; he makes them play spontaneously upon himself; he inscribes in himself the power relation which he simultaneously plays both roles; he becomes the principle of his own subjection.”

Michel Foucault book Discipline and Punish

Part Three, Panopticism
Discipline and Punish (1977)

“He who is subjected to a field of visibility, and who knows it, assumes responsibility for the constraints of power; he makes them play spontaneously upon himself; he inscribes in himself the power relation in which he simultaneously plays both roles; he becomes the principle of his own subjection.”

Michel Foucault book Discipline and Punish

Discipline and Punish (1977)

“There is no happiness without forgetfulness. I have never known a real man of action to be unhappy during action. How could he be? Like a child at play, he stops thinking of himself.”

André Maurois (1885–1967) French writer

Un Art de Vivre (The Art of Living) (1939), The Art of Happiness

“Listen to me: a family man is never a real family man. An assassin is never entirely assassin. They play a role, you understand. While a dead man, he is really dead. To be or not to be, right?”

Jean Paul Sartre Dirty Hands

Hugo, Act 4, sc. 6
Dirty Hands (1948)

“Most noteworthy was Vytautas Juozapaitis in the title role. He nailed the role with his well projected baritone.”

Vytautas Juozapaitis (1963) Lithuanian opera singer

"Don Giovanni showcases singers", The Desert Sun (November, 2004) http://www.jennykellyproductions.com/prod_mozart_review.htm

“How come we play war and not peace?"
"Too few role models.”

Bill Watterson (1958) American comic artist

The Essential Calvin and Hobbes

“Just as the good actor perform well whatever role the poet assigns, so too must the good man perform whatever Fortune assigns. For she, says Bion, just like a poet, sometimes assigns the leading role, sometimes that of the supporting role; sometimes that of a king, sometimes that of a beggar. Do not, therefore, being a supporting actor, desire the role of the lead.”

Bion of Borysthenes (-325–-246 BC) ancient greek philosopher

As quoted by Teles of Megara, fr. 2, On Self-Sufficiency

“With second-form Cell as well, I liked him well enough. Actually, I had wanted him to play a more active role. But since I was told he looked stupid, I had no choice but to change him. (laughs) So I made him into his cool-looking perfect form, which was to Kondō-san's liking.”

Akira Toriyama (1955) manga artist and video game character designer

Akira Toriyama ( mangaka http://mangakaotaku.com/akira-toriyama-2.html/) Daizenshuu 2, 1995
Interview with Shōnen Jump

Related topics