Steven Pressfield Quotes

Biography: Steven Pressfield is known for his historical fiction and motivational... more Biography: Steven Pressfield is known for his historical fiction and motivational books, including the bestselling novel "Gates of Fire." Born in 1943, he began his career as an advertising copywriter before finding success as an author. Pressfield's works often explore themes of ancient warfare and human perseverance. less

"Cultivate the art of patience, persistence, and resilience""The pain of being human is that we can’t accept our own greatness""Do not overcomplicate things. Complexity creates confusion""The writer's life is a life of solitary work""The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death""Our greatest fear is not that we will fall short, but that we will be powerful beyond measure""The paradox seems to be, as Socrates demonstrated long ago, that the truly free individual is free only to the extent of his own self-mastery. While those who will not govern themselves are condemned to find masters to govern over them""The act of courage calls forth infallibly that deeper part of ourselves that supports and sustains us""Our job is not to judge""This is the other secret that real artists know and wannabe writers don’t. When we sit down each day and do our work, power concentrates around us""The sign of the amateur is overglorification of and preoccupation with the mystery""It’s better to be in the arena, getting stomped by the bull, than to be up in the stands or out in the parking lot""The amateur waits for inspiration; the professional knows that it will come after he starts""When we’re rewarded for weaknesses, we develop weaknesses""We must do our work for its own sake, not for fortune or attention or applause""You are wrong if you think Joy emanates only or principally from human relationships""Are you paralyzed with fear? That’s a good sign""The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it""Most of us have two lives. The life we live and the unlived life within us""The truly free individual is only free to the extent of his own self-mastery"

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