Source: 1960s, Strength to Love (1963), Ch. 1 : A tough mind and a tender heart
Context: Jesus recognized the need for blending opposites. He knew that his disciples would face a difficult and hostile world, where they would confront the recalcitrance of political officials and the intransigence of the protectors of the old order. He knew that they would meet cold and arrogant men whose hearts had been hardened by the long winter of traditionalism. … And he gave them a formula for action, "Be ye therefore as wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." … We must combine the toughness of the serpent with the softness of the dove, a tough mind and a tender heart.
“The woman who survives intact and happy must be at once tender and tough.”
“Women should be tough, tender, laugh as much as possible, and live long lives.”
“Be tough minded but tenderhearted.”
Source: Life's Little Instruction Book: 511 Suggestions, Observations, and Reminders on How to Live a Happy and Rewarding Life
“Tough-minded, realistic, and very pro-American.”
About South Korean president Lee Myung-bak, as quoted in Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War http://www.amazon.com/Duty-Memoirs-Secretary-at-War/dp/030794963X (12 May 2015), by R.M. Gates, p. 416.
“Hearts are tough, Most times they don't break. Most times they are only bend”
Source: Hearts in Atlantis
“There's a bluebird in my heart that wants to get out, but I'm too tough for him.”
Source: 1960s, Strength to Love (1963), Ch. 1 : A tough mind and a tender heart
Context: The tough mind is sharp and penetrating, breaking through the crust of legends and myths and sifting the true from the false. The tough-minded individual is astute and discerning. He has a strong austere quality that makes for firmness of purpose and solidness of commitment.
Who doubts that this toughness is one of man's greatest needs? Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.
