Post 1 - 104. What is your favorite quotation and why? (Princeton)

Although I believe that great sayings from great people have power and meaning, I have never had an interest in quotes or other similar forms of expression; though despite this I do have a favorite quote. Thomas Edward Lawrence said “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 on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.”

This, from my limited exposure to such things, is not only my favorite quote, but something which I feel is in close proximity to my personality and beliefs. The reasons for this quote being my favorite are translucent, abstract, and nothing as simple as me just liking the feel or the sound of the quote. I do not even completely agree with this quote to some extent yet I feel that the quote rings true about the personalities of some people, the way some people might act, and the reasons behind those actions.

I recently discovered that I am a risk-taker of sorts, and this discovery changed my life. I started looking at things in my life in a different manner; obstacles as opportunities, and opportunities as ways I could explore the person I am, to figure out who I am. I feel that when Lawrence says “dreamers of the day” he means risk-takers, people who are unafraid to pursue what they desire even at a cost. Because I found myself out to be a risk-taker, and I identify with what Lawrence is saying in his quote, I feel as if the quote has great meaning to my life. I feel proud when I think of myself as a “[dreamer] of the day”, I feel unafraid when others identify me as one, I welcome the thought of “dreaming during the day” and I relish in the fact that I enjoy every bit of it. This quote by Thomas Edward Lawrence is my favorite quote because I feel as if he is talking about me, to me, when he describes his “dreamers of the day.”