Benjamin E. Mays Quotes

• The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn't a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream...It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for. Not failure, but low aim is sin.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Dream, Stars, Lying

  347 Copy quote

• It is not your environment, it is you- the quality of your mind, the integrity of your soul and the determination of your will that will decide your future and shape your life.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Determination, Integrity, Soul

  278 Copy quote

• Whatever you do,strive to do it so well that no man living and no man dead and no man yet to be born could do it any better.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Men, Strive, Born

  279 Copy quote

• The tragedy of life is not found in failure but complacency. Not in you doing too much, but doing too little. Not in you living above your means, but below your capacity. It's not failure but aiming too low, that is life's greatest tragedy.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Leadership, Motivation, Mean

  191 Copy quote

• Every man and woman is born into the world to do something unique and something distinctive and if he or she does not do it, it will never be done.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Unique, Men, Doe

  190 Copy quote

• We, today, stand on the shoulders of our predecessors who have gone before us. We, as their successors, must catch the torch of freedom and liberty passed on to us by our ancestors. We cannot lose in this battle.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Battle, Liberty, Today

  175 Copy quote

• Whatever you do, do it so well that people looking on will feel that the task was reserved especially for you by God Himself.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  People, Tasks, Wells

  148 Copy quote

• It isn't more light we need, it isn't more truth, and it isn't more scientific data. It is more Christ, more courage, more spiritual insight to act on the light we have.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  God, Spiritual, Light

  155 Copy quote

• He who starts behind in the great race of life must forever remain behind or run faster than the man in front.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Running, Men, Race

  129 Copy quote

• It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Lying, Goals Dreams, Mind

  131 Copy quote

• You have the ability, now apply yourself.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Ability

  76 Copy quote

• A child must learn early to believe that she is somebody worthwhile, and that she can do many praiseworthy things.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Inspirational, Children, Believe

  92 Copy quote

• [H]owever hard the road, however difficult today, tomorrow things will be better. Tomorrow may not be better, but we must believe that it will be.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Believe, May, Today

  84 Copy quote

• Honest communication is built on truth and integrity and upon respect of the one for the other.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Integrity, Communication, Honest

  75 Copy quote

• It isn't a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Stars, Goals And Life, Reaching Goals

  84 Copy quote

• The tragedy of this life is not failure, but low aim.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Tragedy, Life Is, Lows

  68 Copy quote

• I believe everyone is born into the world to do something unique and distinctive.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Life, Believe, Unique

  18 Copy quote

• Failure isn't in not reaching your goal but in having no goal to reach.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Swimming, Goal, Reaching

  56 Copy quote

• . . . the circumference of life cannot be rightly drawn until the center is set.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  56 Copy quote

• Man is what his dreams are.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Dream, Men

  41 Copy quote

• In this perilous world, if a black boy wanted to live a halfway normal life and die a natural death he had to learn early the art of how to get along with white folks.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Art, Boys, White

  Benjamin E. Mays (2011). “Born to Rebel: An Autobiography”, p.22, University of Georgia Press

  53 Copy quote

• If what is communicated is false, it can hardly be called communication.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Communication, Ifs

  20 Copy quote

• It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideal, but it is a disaster to have no ideal to capture.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Disaster, Capture, Ideals

  47 Copy quote

• The creation of the spiritual was no accident. It was a creation born of necessity, so that the slave might more adequately adjust himself to the conditions of the New World.

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Spiritual, World, Slavery

  32 Copy quote

• The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach

  Benjamin E. Mays

  Lying, Weight Loss, Goal

  37 Copy quote

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