Silence

"History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people."

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Personal Take:
I find this quote to resonate today, at a time in which our governments have been taking the rights of the people in order to "protect" the people from themselves and capitalism.  While this quote was most certainly significant during the war for civil rights, it is also shockingly accurate for the fight to retain and regain the rights given to us in the constitution.

Leadership

"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus."

- Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Personal Take:
I find this quote to resonate particularly since it seems as though throughout my entire adult life (I was 18 in 1995) our presidents have governed as populists rather than leaders.  Yet we proclaim that they are the leaders of the Free World.  Until we find someone who governs by the law of the land and acts on their principles rather than public opinion, our leaders are, in fact, followers.  This quote alone explains why Martin Luther King, Jr. was and will always be a respected leader, whereas our so-called present day leaders will be remembered as anything but. 

Experience

"Good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment."

- Fred Brooks

Personal Take:
Exactly. 

Faith

"Faith is not something to grasp, it is a state to grow into."

-  Mohandas Gandhi

Personal Take:
To me, faith is one of the strongest bonds one can have and is one that a person must ponder and actively think about before accepting it.  Faith is synonymous with trust.  Neither is to be given blindly or taken lightly. 

Listen

"He that speaks much, is much mistaken."

- Benjamin Franklin

Personal Take:
In other words, listen more than you talk...  or don't trust those who speak all the time.  I have often found that when I have actively listened that I have learned innumerable amounts of information from others.  I just wish that action was easily replicable for me! 

Reputation

"It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it."

- Benjamin Franklin

Personal Take:
It is always easiest to take the short cut or break the rules... until you get caught.  If we kept this lesson in our head, imagine how different the world would be.

Doubt

"When in doubt, don't."

- Benjamin Franklin 

Personal Take:
I cannot tell you how many times I have gone against my gut feeling, only to find it to have been right all along.  It is these experiences from which I find myself needing to trust my instinct, which are also, non-coincidentally, some of my biggest regrets or mistakes.

Success

"To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions."

- Benjamin Franklin

Personal Take:
I find this quote by Franklin to be interestingly worded.  To me, this quote means to take one's time in drawing a conclusion and then jumping at the opportunity presented.  This is key, I find, as it is very easy to waste precious time on bad opportunities.

Experience

"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes."

- Oscar Wilde 

Personal Take:
Very true.  Unfortunately, we all need to find our own experiences; they are not transferable, no matter how much we try to share them with others.

Truth

"Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth."

-  Mohandas Gandhi

Personal Take:
Amen!  Too bad there aren't very many people in the world that, seemingly, still believe in the truth being told.  It would be a much better place if it were.