3 of my favorite speeches/letters. warning - none is short
martin luther king's letter from birmingham jail. read it first in a favorite college class, intensive writing - a powerful message with great clarity. then heard it again recently reading king's autobiography. i was also pleased to learn that bill george, a new personal hero, uses the letter in his leadership classes at hbs.
bill gates' 2007 harvard commencement remarks on solving the world's biggest problems, "whether through democracy, strong public education, quality health care, or broad economic opportunity – reducing inequity is the highest human achievement." reading about his preparation for the speech made it all the more impressive to me.
hank paulson's restoring investor confidence, now secretary of treasury, but CEO of goldman at the time, "I [believe] passionately in the strength of our free market system -- a system that generates growth, creates jobs, rewards initiative and fosters innovation like no other in history...this [is] an opportunity to...rebuild the trust that is so fundamental to our markets and their vitality."
do you have a favorite speech?
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Another quote I've grown fond of is Thomas Payne's opening lines of "The Crisis" pamplets (December 23, 1776):
"THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated."
Scott B and I found that quote again a couple of years ago in a work devotional. Scott took the quote and memorized it.
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