Thomas Edward Lawrence, CB, DSO (August 16, 1888 - May 19, 1935), known professionally as T.E. Lawrence, was a British Army officer renowned especially for his liaison role during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign and the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turkish rule of 1916–18. The breadth and variety of his activities and associations, and his ability to describe them vividly in writing, earned him international fame as "Lawrence of Arabia," a title which was used for the 1962 film based on his World War I activities. (Click for full Wikipedia article.)
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All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.
He was old and wise, which meant tired and disappointed...
Nine-tenths of tactics are certain, and taught in books: but the irrational tenth is like the kingfisher flashing across the pool, and that is the test of generals.
Many men would take the death-sentence without a whimper, to escape the life-sentence which fate carries in her other hand.
Mankind has had ten-thousand years of experience at fighting and if we must fight, we have no excuse for not fighting well.
What I have done, what I am doing, what I am going to do, puzzle and bewilder me. Have you ever been a leaf and fallen from your tree in autumn and been really puzzled about it? That’s the feeling.
Immorality, I know. Immortality, I cannot judge.
The printing press is the greatest weapon in the armory of the modern commander.
To have news value is to have a tin can tied to one's tail.
This creed of the desert seemed inexpressible in words, and indeed in thought.
Isn't it true that the fault of birth rests somewhat on the child? I believe it's we who led our parents on to bear us, and it's our unborn children who make our flesh itch.
I loved you, so I drew these tides of men into my hands and wrote my will across the sky in stars.
An opinion can be argued with; a conviction is best shot. The logical end of a war of creeds is the final destruction of one.
Cling tight to your sense of humor. You will need it every day.
I prefer lies to truth, especially when the lies are about me.
It is difficult to keep quiet when everything is being done wrong, but the less you lose your temper the greater your advantage. Also then you will not go mad yourself.
The literature of disease is more interesting to me than all the healthy books.
The sword also means clean-ness and death.
There could be no honor in sure success, but much might be wrested from a sure defeat
Your success will be proportioned to the amount of mental effort you devote to it.
This death's livery which walled its bearers from ordinary life was sign that they have sold their wills and bodies to the State: and contracted themselves into a service not the less abject for that its beginning was voluntary.
As for fame after death, it’s a thing to spit at; the only minds worth winning are the warm ones about us. If we miss those, we are failures.
Categories: Quotes of the day, T.E. Lawrence
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