10 pieces of advice that every gentleman should live by
Forget 'live, laugh, love': these are the inspirational maxims you really need to know – from the very people who lived by them
Words: Gentleman's Journal
Whether you're 22 or 92, you're never too old to learn from the advice of others. So here, we bring you 10 pieces of sage advice from some of history's wisest figures who really knew their stuff...
1. Embrace life's difficulties
“Man needs difficulties; they are necessary for health.” – Carl Jung
2. Don't be afraid to fail
"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." – Samuel Beckett
3. Feel the fear and do it anyway
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do, so go explore, dream, discover.” – Mark Twain
Mark Twain. Image: Getty
4. Keep your eye on the prize
“I don’t worry about any other players. I’ve always concentrated on what my job is more than anything, more than how good the other team is, no matter who the opponent is – even off the field. If you do your job, then there’s nothing else.” – David Beckham
5. Listen to others
“Every man, however wise, needs the advice of some sagacious friend in the affairs of life.” – Plautus
6. Have a sense of humour
“Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny.” – Stephen Hawking
7. Don't sweat the small stuff
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” – Robert Frost
8. Chase happiness instead of success
"Success? I don't know what that word means. I'm happy. But success, that goes back to what in somebody's eyes success means. For me, success is inner peace. That's a good day for me." – Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington. Image: Getty
9. Be your genuine self
“It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.” – André Gide, Autumn Leaves
10. Treat everyone the same
“I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.” – Albert Einstein
For more failsafe life advice, read our A-Z guide to being a gentleman in 2024...
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