Quotes about ability (1809 quotes, page 18)

“We must show our ability to become One with All, the whole of this planetary life: with our fellow beings... We must stop exploiting the planet and misusing its resources; stop exploiting the lower kingdoms and misusing their life; show that this is One World, One Humanity, One Life. This is the destiny of mankind.”

Benjamin Creme (1922–2016) artist, author, esotericist

The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom (1980)

World , Life

“Activists have been encouraged by his ability to listen, learn and change...”

Norman Solomon (1951) American journalist, media critic, antiwar activist

Bernie’s Likely 2020 Bid Could Transform the Political Landscape (29 Jan 2019)

Learning , Change

“Dictators may torture or kill us, but they shall not succeed in demoralizing the soul of our movement, in bringing it to a state where for the sake of saving its life it is willing to renounce its ideal. Our cause will conquer in spite of everything, for in economic life as well as in politics the highest ability to accomplish and to advance things belongs to communities and organizations of free men working in free cooperation. These free communities will far outstrip every collective body, every organization that is built on compulsion and that can be maintained only by brute force; and ultimately the communities based on oppression will perish.”

Karl Kautsky (1854–1938) Czech-Austrian philosopher, journalist, and Marxist theoretician

Chap. V, The Period of Dictatorship
"Hitlerism and Social Democracy" (1934) https://www.marxists.org/archive/kautsky/1934/hitler/index.htm

Communication , Soul , Life , Men

“[T]he first characteristic of the human species is man's ability, as a rational being, to establish character for himself, as well as for the society into which nature has placed him. This ability, however, presupposes an already favorable natural predisposition and an inclination to the good in man, because the evil is really without character”

Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) German philosopher

since it is at odds with itself, and since it does not tolerate any lasting principle within itself

Kant, Immanuel (1996), page 246
Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View (1798)

Evil , Nature

“Progress is impossible without the ability to admit mistakes.”

Masaaki Imai (1930) Japanese business theorist and consultant

“Any organization’s competitiveness, ability to adapt, and culture arise from the routines and habits by which the people in the organization conduct themselves every day. It is an issue of human behavior.”

Mike Rother (1958) American business academic

Behavior , People

“The ability of your organization to be competitive and survive lies not so much in solutions themselves, but in the capability of the people in your organization to understand a situation and develop solutions.”

Mike Rother (1958) American business academic

People , Understanding

“The competitive advantage of an organization lies not so much in the solutions themselves—whether lean techniques, today’s profitable product, or any other—but in the ability of the organization to understand conditions and create fitting, smart solutions.”

Mike Rother (1958) American business academic

Understanding

“Leadership is mostly a power over imagination, and never more so than in combat. The bravest man alone can only be an armed lunatic. The real strength lies in the ability to get others to do your work.”

Lois McMaster Bujold Vorkosigan Saga

Source: Vorkosigan Saga, Shards of Honor (1986), Chapter 3 (p. 40)

Imagination

“The issue here really is not whether international trade shall be free but whether or not it makes any sense for a country — or, for that matter, a region — to destroy its own capacity to produce its own food. How can a government, entrusted with the safety and health of its people, conscientiously barter away in the name of an economic idea that people’s ability to feed itself? And if people lose their ability to feed themselves, how can they be said to be free?”

Wendell Berry (1934) author

"A Bad Big Idea"
Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community (1993)

Food , Country , People , Health

“We are working on a number of fronts (against 2019-nCoV), firstly to make sure that there is support for those Australians and we are also working on, as are other countries, to try to secure their ability to return to Australia.”

Greg Hunt (1965) Australian politician

Greg Hunt (2020) cited in: " Wuhan virus: Australia confirms fifth coronavirus case from last flight out of Wuhan https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/wuhan-virus-australia-confirms-fifth-coronavirus-case-from-last-flight-out-of-wuhan" in The Straits Times, 27 January 2020.

Support , Making love , Country

“The extraordinary ability of a woman to forget is not the same as the talent of a lady not to be able to remember.”

Karl Kraus (1874–1936) Czech playwright and publicist

Half-Truths and One-And-A-Half Truths (1976)

Forgetting

“There is a general time period, cosmically determined, but the exact timing of such events depends on humanity’s readiness and ability to respond.”

Benjamin Creme (1922–2016) artist, author, esotericist

Maitreya's Mission Vol. I (1986)

Time , Dependency

“Fabricating astronomical data going back thousands of years calls for knowledge of Newton’s Law of Gravitation and the ability to solve differential equations.”

N. S. Rajaram (1943–2019) Indian mathematician

N.S. Rajaram: The Politics of History, p.47.

Knowledge , Law

“The redeeming character of Franciscan enthusiasm-it's ability to change, brace and expand the most unlikely spirits and impel them to exacting discipline and selfless work-are fully shown in her.”

Evelyn Underhill (1875–1941) British saint, poet, novelist

Angela of Fogligno
The Mystics of the Church (1925)

Change

“Much more seriously, in those traditional eco-systems that we chose to retain, millions of non-human animals will continue periodically to starve, die horribly of thirst and disease, or even get eaten alive. This is commonly viewed as "natural" and hence basically OK. It would indeed be comforting to think that in some sense this ongoing animal holocaust doesn't matter too much. We often find it convenient to act as though the capacity to suffer were somehow inseparably bound up with linguistic ability or ratiocinative prowess. Yet there is absolutely no evidence that this is the case, and a great deal that it isn't.”

David Pearce (philosopher) (1959) British transhumanist

1.9 The Taste of Depravity https://www.hedweb.com/hedethic/hedon1.htm#taste
The Hedonistic Imperative https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/514875 (1995)

Suffering , Nature , Animals , Thinking

“It is not about your ability to read, it is about your ability to learn.”

Christian Canlubo (2002) Filipino Internet Entrepreneur

Source: Christian Canlubo https://en.everybodywiki.com/Christian_Canlubo| Christian Canlubo profile on EverybodyWiki

Christian Canlubo https://en.everybodywiki.com/Christian_Canlubo response to a one person question that says he doesn't learn even he reads a multiple pages of a book in an event in the Philippines.

Learning , Reading

“Men of all countries are brothers, and the different peoples should help one another to the best of their ability, like citizens of the same state.”

Maximilien Robespierre (1758–1794) French revolutionary lawyer and politician

"Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, proposed by Maximilien Robespierre" (24 April, 1793)
Original: (fr) XXXV. Les hommes de tous les pays sont frères, et les différents peuples doivent s'entraider selon leur pouvoir comme les citoyens du même état.

Country , People , Men , Help

“We know with certainty that never could man have acquired the sciences and arts by himself guided only by his natural abilities and without the benefit of instruction. (This applies, e.g., to) medicine, the knowledge of the physiological temperaments, the diseases and their causes, in all their numerous varieties, and the invention of adequate treatment and cure of each of them by drugs or preparations, which could never have been actually tried out. For how could anyone test every prescription on every disease since this would take tens of thousands of years and necessitate the examination of every sick person in the world?”

Ibn Hazm (994–1064) Arab theologian

Regarding the role of experiment and observation, Ibn Hazm: Kitab al-fisal fi’l-milal wa-l-ahwa wa-l-nihal, 5 parts in two vols; Cairo, 1899 and 1903; Vol I, p. 72.

Personality , Art , Knowledge , Nature

“Leadership requires two things: a vision of the world that does not yet exist and the ability to communicate it.”

Simon Sinek (1973) British/American author and motivational speaker

Source: Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

World , Communication

“I don’t have a job - I have a career. This may sound like semantics, (maybe it is) but to me a job is something you depend on from an employer. It’s theirs to give and theirs to take away... A career is something i have to be responsible for based on my reputation, my ability, and my preferences.”

Will Finn (1958) American animator

Why You Shouldn’t Want A Job In Animation http://willfinn.blogspot.com/2015/04/why-you-shouldnt-want-job-in-animation.html (April 1, 2015)

Dependency

“[A] hundred years ago the selling of goods at retail had settled into a system of small shops, each confining itself to a particular class of merchandise. The comprehensive trade of the sixteenth century had been divided into small sections, and the smaller the section the smaller was the study, the amount of experience and the capital required. The retail trade of shop-keeping became in consequence a petty and insignificant undertaking, necessitating little risk, little profit, and little ability, and so generally was this fact accepted that the name of shop-keeper became a term of reproach and of disrespect.”

Harry Gordon Selfridge (1858–1947) America born English businessman

The Romance of Commerce (1918), A Representative Business of the Twentieth Century

Study

“This ability... to organize, to breathe into others that fire of enthusiasm, that quality of judgment, that spirit of progress, has long been considered by thinking men of commerce as the final and greatest of all qualities, the test of supreme commercial genius.”

Harry Gordon Selfridge (1858–1947) America born English businessman

The Romance of Commerce (1918), A Representative Business of the Twentieth Century

Thinking , Men

“No one has more than a given number of minutes... in which he can work, and no matter how great his ability he will soon find his limitations. If, however, he uses that ability in finding and teaching others as capable as himself, or in certain details even more so, the limits to his sphere of operations are hard to set.”

Harry Gordon Selfridge (1858–1947) America born English businessman

The Romance of Commerce (1918), A Representative Business of the Twentieth Century

“Men of genius and wonderful nerve and determination, who in the Dark Ages would have been conquering princes, have... thrown their ability into Commerce and have conquered, not territory and slaves, but trade and its child, money, from any and every part of the world where trade was to be found.”

Harry Gordon Selfridge (1858–1947) America born English businessman

The Romance of Commerce (1918), A Representative Business of the Twentieth Century

Money , Age , World , Parting

“The Phoenicians a thousand years before the Christian era were fearless, progressive and splendid, but... [t]hey traded individually as did the Venetians and even the great Fuggers of Augsburg, leaving no trace of that ability which selects and teaches others to assist in any remarkable enterprise.”

Harry Gordon Selfridge (1858–1947) America born English businessman

The Romance of Commerce (1918), A Representative Business of the Twentieth Century

“Intuition is light itself, and when it is functioning, the world is seen as light and the light bodies of all forms become gradually apparent. This brings with it the ability to contact the light centre in all forms, and thus again an essential relationship is established and the sense of superiority and separateness recedes into the background.”

Alice A. Bailey (1880–1949) esoteric, theosophist, writer

Source: Glamour: A World Problem (1950), Certain Preliminary Clarifications

Sense , World , Light

“It is very difficult to edit something that I direct. It’s having to remake decisions that I’ve already made on set and now have to undo or reimagine. I always warn Directors sitting down with me to edit not to watch the film and footage too much. The ability to have fresh eyes and be able to watch the movie as a viewer is the most valuable tool a director has.”

Misty Talley American film director and editor

Source: The Shark Lady: An Interview with Misty Talley https://www.bigeasymagazine.com/2019/07/01/the-shark-lady-an-interview-with-misty-talley/ (July 1, 2019)

Decision

“If I could play 100 more matches with my 200 wickets, then I could have been a more important bowler. Perhaps everyone would have been very proud of me if I was a bowler of 300 or 350 wickets. I believe I have the ability to play for a long time, but even though I have played for 14 years for the country, I still lost three to four years due to the injury.”

Mashrafe Mortaza (1983) Bangladeshi international cricketer and politician

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&u=https%3A%2F%2Fbani.com.bd%2F402%2F2015%2F

Time , Country

“Every individual being has the ability to acquire intuitive knowledge.”

Shah Badakhshi Indian poet

Source: The Sayings and Teachings of the Great Mystics of Islam (2004), p. 203

Knowledge

“Ours is a culture where we wear our ability to get by on very little sleep as a kind of badge of honor that symbolizes work ethic, or toughness, or some other virtue—but really, it’s a total profound failure of priorities and of self-respect.”

Timothy Ferriss book Tools of Titans

Self-confidence , Sleep , Failure

“Don't be afraid to assert yourself, have confidence in your abilities.”

Michael Bloomberg (1942) American businessman and politician, former mayor of New York City

“I know that God only works for good in the lives of His children. Our responsibility is to search for God's will, find it, and do it to the best of our imperfect ability. The outcome is already decided. And it is always for good. As a matter of faith, I never question outcomes.”

L. Lin Wood (1952) American lawyer

20 May 2021 https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1395227279748255745/photo/1

Search , God , Faith , Question

“It’s the word of God. It’s in the Bible. You can choose, and God’s given us the ability to choose to reject that or not. But it is truth.”

Greg Steube (1978) U.S. Representative from Florida

Rep. Greg Steube Rejects Democrat Colleagues’ Dismissal of Scripture:’ It’s Pertinent to the Discussion’ https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/03/02/rep-greg-steube-rejects-democrat-colleagues-dismissal-of-scripture-its-pertinent-to-the-discussion/ (2 March 2021)

Truth , God

“Just remember: I was a kid who loved the same things you do. I had no special powers or abilities. Just able to dream big and figure out the steps that needed to be taken to realize those dreams.”

Jeff Gomez American writer

Jeff Gomez - Creator of Hot Wheels Highway 35 Universe - Ask Me Anything https://www.reddit.com/r/Acceleracers/comments/8ybyoh/jeff_gomez_creator_of_hot_wheels_highway_35/ (July 12, 2018)

Dreams , Love , Making love

“The noblest principle in our nature is the regard to general justice, and that good-will which embraces all the world. ... Though our immediate attention must be employed in promoting our own interest and that of our nearest connexions; yet we must remember, that a narrower interest ought always to give way to a more extensive interest. In pursuing particularly the interest of our country, we ought to carry our views beyond it. We should love it ardently, but not exclusively. We ought to seek its good, by all the means that our different circumstances and abilities will allow; but at the same time we ought to consider ourselves as citizens of the world, and take care to maintain a just regard to the rights of other countries.”

Richard Price (1721–1791) Welsh nonconformist preacher and radical

Source: A Discourse on the Love of Our Country (1789), p. 10

Time , Justice , Country , Nature

“Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers. It may not be difficult to store up in the mind a vast quantity of facts within a comparatively short time, but the ability to form judgments requires the severe discipline of hard work and the tempering heat of experience and maturity.”

Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933) American politician, 30th president of the United States (in office from 1923 to 1929)

Time , Knowledge , Wisdom

“With the realization of ones own potential and self-confidence in ones ability, one can build a better world.”

Tenzin Gyatso (1935) spiritual leader of Tibet

Confidence , Self-confidence , World , Powerful

“I will not be concerned at other men is not knowing me;I will be concerned at my own want of ability.”

Confucius (-551–-479 BC) Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher

Men

“Although there may be tragedy in your life, there's always a possibility to triumph. It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always.”

Oprah Winfrey (1954) American businesswoman, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist

Life

“Heaven weeps, but free will is sacred. The meaning of yes is created by the ability to say no.”

Lois McMaster Bujold book The Hallowed Hunt

Source: World of the Five Gods series, The Hallowed Hunt (2005), Chapter 24 (pp. 442-443)

“The aged are cared for until death; adults are employed in jobs that make full use of their abilities; and children are nourished, educated, and fostered;...orphans... the disabled and the diseased are all well taken care of....”

Confucius (-551–-479 BC) Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher

The Analects, A Great Utopia (The World of Da-Tong)

Children , Age , Education , Disease

“Life is a slippery thing to define, but it consists of two very different skills: the ability to replicate, and the ability to create order.”

Matt Ridley book Genome

Source: Genome (1999), Chapter 1 “Life” (p. 12)

Life

“Art is work. It is the ability to give life to the emotions of others through one's talent.”

Prevale (1983) Italian DJ and producer

Original: (it) L'arte è lavoro. È la facoltà di dar vita alle emozioni altrui tramite il proprio talento.
Source: prevale.net

Art , Life

“Courage, strength and value of a person are measured by the ability to face up difficulties.”

Prevale (1983) Italian DJ and producer

Original: (it) Coraggio, forza e valore di una persona si misurano dalla capacità di affrontare le difficoltà.
Source: prevale.net

Courage

“I am optimistic and sentimental to the point of being annoying, especially to people who think that being cynical and cold is cool. Everyday, I thank Allah for everyday things like the ability to breathe, the ability to love, the ability to laugh, and the ability to eat and drink.”

Yasmin Ahmad (1958–2009) Malaysian film director

Yasmin Ahmad Personal Blog Introduction - Archived Account Page https://web.archive.org/web/20181126063521/https://www.blogger.com/profile/08042254853021235053
MTAS Production Article - Yasmin Ahmad https://mtasproduction.com/yasmin-ahmad/ - Archive https://web.archive.org/web/20210821091902/https://mtasproduction.com/yasmin-ahmad/
In Social Science and Knowledge in a Globalising World by Gareth Richards and Zawawi Ibrahim - Chapter 19, Pg. 439 - Remembering Yasmin Ahmad: Social Criticism and Forgiveness - A Tribute to Yasmin Ahmad https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287216758_Remembering_Yasmin_Ahmad_Social_Criticism_and_Forgiveness - January 2012 - Archive https://web.archive.org/web/20210821092949/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287216758_Remembering_Yasmin_Ahmad_Social_Criticism_and_Forgiveness
From Yasmin Ahmad

People , Drink , Thinking , Love

“I certainly want to give my viewer the ability to “step into” an image and have a physical and mental experience, so it is necessary that the print be large enough; for me, that’s fifty to sixty inches wide, which is rather modest.”

An-My Lê (1960) American photographer

Interview with ARTNews (3 March 2020)

“There is no correlation between having the ability to punish and being right. More often than not, the wrong people get punished. And the punishers use their power to keep from being accountable.”

Sarah Schulman (1958) American writer

Conflict Is Not Abuse: Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility, and the Duty of Repair (2016)

People