I am the Master of my Fate and the Captain of my Destiny. – Nelson Mandela
Destiny: the undeniable “mystery” (i.e. the events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future) which unravels itself with time.
Are we free from the clutches of destiny? Can a man completely control his destiny? Are we the puppets of fate, or the masters of our own fate? These are questions which pose themselves before every man at some point in his life, depending on the circumstances he finds himself in. We didn’t choose what we were born as, or what or whom we were born with; but at the same time we can choose whom to associate or relate with, or where or what we could be.
Katsumoto: You believe a man can change his destiny?
Nathan Algren: I think a man does what he can, until his destiny is revealed.
Life at times appears as a mixture of pre-determinism and free will: but most of the time our free will helps us to shape the reality we can create—even if it may be through extensive effort.
Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate. ― C.G. Jung
Yet the more you see at life, the more one realizes that man’s control over his circumstances, no matter how great it may be, is still limited. And more so, is his control over fellow beings. The impermanence of circumstances and people’s behavior due to the certainty of change in life renders most of man’s control over these factors in life as: limited. Sometimes shit happens when you least expect it….
..yet, you can still decide how to deal with it.
Thus, the greatest (and most complete) control what a man can actually achieve in his life is over his own self—which unfortunately most men fail to accomplish, or even pursue.
Modern society often argues that it is easier to control others, than ourselves—but in reality on the flip side, it is also easy to control the self, which would help us better control and influence others if we devote ourselves to learning how to do it.
You will never have a greater or lesser dominion than that over yourself…the height of a man’s success is gauged by his self-mastery; the depth of his failure by his self-abandonment. …And this law is the expression of eternal justice. He who cannot establish dominion over himself will have no dominion over others.
― Leonardo da Vinci
The mastery of one’s own self to forge one’s own destiny is possibly the ultimate test a man could face in his life. How we maintain our frame in the face of life’s uncertainties can give us important clues on how far we have gone down the path of self mastery. There are only two things in life which are certain: change, and the grim reaper. Every human being has to experience them some time or the other, so the time we have in life is what is our greatest possession.
Self mastery possibly represents the ultimate goal that a man could achieve (or could seek to achieve)— for it is a potent tool that helps us to create the reality or destiny that we seek for ourselves…
The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be. ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
…and self mastery plays an important role in that, as it encompasses the attributes necessary for often creating a self-willed reality.
If you do not create your destiny, you will have your fate inflicted upon you. – William Irvin Thompson
We can only control what we can control. And the most cherished thing that we can control is the self.
If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self.” – Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich
Since the journey of self mastery is possibly the most difficult (and important) journey a man can undertake in his life, there are certain factors which are extremely important and necessary for the process, and the subsequent attainment of it. They are:
1.The knowledge of self-discovery, and courage
Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. – Aristotle
This is the seed, the first step towards self mastery. Who are you—as a person, taking in regard the complete sum of your nature-given gifts and flaws? Do you really know yourself? Have you discovered your true self and the purpose of your life?
You cannot control or estimate who you are or what you can do, unless you know first who you are or what you can do. Answering these questions honestly is the least a man can do for himself, to begin self-discovery. You cannot master the self until you know what your own self is – for many are often afraid to take the plunge into the abyss of their own selves to face their personal “demons” – but rather choose to “safely” spend their lives trying to “discover” others.
And you? When will you begin that long journey into yourself? ― Rumi
We can control others because we know what they think, how they’d act, or what they can or would do; but do we know what our own selves are capable of? Thus self discovery becomes very important for the formation and correct estimation of the true self in one’s own mind, as we can’t see ourselves in first person as others do.
The formation of the true self image after self discovery leads to the correct visual reality or the goals we can properly visualize for ourselves. Such is the power of self-discovery, for it grants us with the true knowledge of what we realistically are and what we are capable of, which itself is Power. This power, coupled with courage, is an important catalyst on the path to self mastery.
Courage in the context of self mastery is not recklessness; rather it is the ability to face the truth (knowledge) of the flaws within ourselves and the dangers (fears) around us which limit us, and to make efforts to overcome them.
A man’s fears often limit him unnecessarily, which stunt his identity. Fear can be of two types: the known and the unknown—but can be overcome with the shrewd, sincere, and dedicated use of courage, coupled with knowledge – for the masterful man knows which battles to pick wisely. The man who rises up to his fears is thus the master of his own self, and can take charge of his destiny.
Knowledge and Courage are the elements of Greatness. They give immortality, because they are immortal. Each is as much as he knows, and the wise can do anything. A man without knowledge, a world without light. Wisdom and strength, eyes and hands. Knowledge without courage is sterile. – Baltasar Gracian, The Art of Worldly Wisdom
2. Self-Belief
Within the self, that is. If you don’t believe or trust in yourself, no one can help you.
To be a champ you have to believe in yourself when no one else will. – Sugar Ray Robinson
Belief (or faith) in oneself is possibly the greatest belief that a man could harbor (after belief in God). The human body and mind is incredible, when it comes to feats of greatness. All of these were possible with the power of belief.
To become masters of the self, we must first believe that we can become masters of the self. That self-belief is the dynamo which unrelentingly fuels the journey of a man on the path of self mastery, in face of failures and pitfalls.
3. Willpower and Discipline
Will power is to the mind like a strong blind man who carries on his shoulders a lame man who can see. – Arthur Schopenhauer
“When there is a will, there is a way,” as the saying goes. To control the self, willpower is undoubtedly necessary. Man, created free, is possibly the greatest slave to his own volition. But how many men ever manage to control their own volition—and train their own minds?
If you are going to win any battle, you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do… the body is never tired if the mind is not tired. ― George S. Patton
Willpower and discipline are important tools in the arsenal of the masterful man. Learn how to generate them, even if the process may be mutually exclusive.
4. The art of delaying self-gratification
As mentioned above, most men are slaves to their own volition.
Find out each man’s thumbscrew. ‘Tis the art of setting their wills in action. It needs more skill than resolution. You must know where to get at anyone. Every volition has a special motive which varies according to taste. All men are idolaters, some of fame, others of selfinterest, most of pleasure. Skill consists in knowing these idols in order to bring them into play. – Baltasar Gracian (1601-1658)
Now imagine, if a man knew his own thumbscrews—and mastered them. Would he be at the easy disposal of others who would set “his will into action”? The masterful man who is the master of his own pleasure is not only the one who can attain or create his pleasure easily, but also the one who can delay its gratification – at his own will.
5. Minimalism
To be a true master of yourself, you must be free from others. The more you’re free from external obligations, the more you’re free to lead the life you’d want. That’s where minimalism can be expressed in your life – by de-cluttering and making your life free from external interferences as much as possible.
Live a minimalist life—free from unnecessary things, ideas and even people—which and who limit your freedom. Learn the ways of how to create your own freedom. Cultivate simplicity, frugality and austerity. In today’s commercial times, not only will this help to conserve your resources and maintain your financial freedom—which lubricates other types of freedom—but it will also bestow onto you the survivor’s mindset, which will help you to make the best of any situation, how matter how difficult and trying it may be.
6. Emotional Detachment
Directly linked to the factor above, the virtues of emotional detachment cannot be explained enough. You cannot become the master of your own fate, as long as others continue to have a say in to ‘control’ and determine your actions, thoughts, and thus eventual fate.
The man who finds security and fulfillment within himself is the true master of the self. He doesn’t let things, myths, unfounded beliefs, or people rule his life , as he is free from attachments to such which would limit him. The real reason of his fulfillment is because he lives his life naturally as a free being, as nature created him to be—to discover his own unique identity and create his own destiny.
The most important aspect of my personality as far as determining my success goes; has been my questioning conventional wisdom, doubting experts and questioning authority. While that can be painful in your relationships with your parents and teachers, it’s enormously useful in life. – Larry Ellison
Emotional detachment is, if you think deeply about it, a liberating form of self-love that a man can and should develop.
7. Perseverance and Patience
The only time you fail is when you fall down and stay down. ― Stephen Richards, Cosmic Ordering: You can be successful
On the path towards self-mastery, there are bound to be innumerable mistakes, what people may brand as “failures.” But a mistake is not a failure, as long as you continue to pull yourself back onto the path of self-mastery. Enlightened men went through a period of “failures” during their metamorphosis into self-masterful men; for no one learns self-mastery from the mother’s womb.
The key is not to lose focus, and more importantly, patience with the process. A great quality of the men who attained self-mastery was patience: not only with others, but more so with the self, when they failed. As the teacher is patient with the student’s mistakes during the learning process, they were patient enough with themselves to stick onto the path of self-mastery and continued to persevere without quitting.
8. Self Reliance
The great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. ― Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance
Self-explanatory as it is, the power of self reliance is one of the core strengths of the master—which he develops and guards persistently. He thus becomes the rock to which others lean onto, just like the mountain to which the dew gravitates to.
9. Acceptance
People around you, constantly under the pull of their emotions, change their ideas by the day or by the hour, depending on their mood. You must never assume that what people say or do in a particular moment is a statement of their permanent desires. ― Robert Greene, Mastery
The value of acceptance is explored quite vividly in Robert Greene’s bestseller “Mastery”,which teaches important lessons on the subject. Some of the greatest challenges we often face in life involve accepting life for the shit it throws at us through the unpleasant circumstances, events, things and people we may encounter.
True social intelligence—the hallmark of a master—also involves guile, and sometimes suffering fools gladly, and trying to see yourself as how people see you —so as to be in a better position to deal with them, once you know their perception of you. This acceptance is thus not easy to practice by all, but only by the initiated as it involves a lot of patience and endurance—qualities necessary for both self-mastery, and mastery over others.
Conclusion
I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies, for the hardest victory is over self. – Aristotle
Many successful men live their lives mastering others without mastering themselves. Happiness from success is not a goal, but a journey. But the greatest fulfillment comes from freedom, for it allows us the leverage to shape the destiny we desire for ourselves—which is often and truly created by self-mastery of the self, which itself is a journey.
Read Next: How I Found Freedom In An Unfree World
What an inspirational article. Mastering your destiny is the key to success in life.
Did disqus get hacked yesterday? I got a jpeg of 1960s Batman from that TV show when I logged in. Thanks!
Tom Cruise is a poser. He’d get his head cut off for sword practice.
3 likes = yes, yes it did??
This is one of the most powerful articles I’ve read here. Each and every point and sentence is a goldmine that one should take the time and deeply think about. I don’t think I am at the mastery level by any means, but I am getting there… Throughout my life I had to deal with all of them on and off. What’s interesting, when one is young he doesn’t care much about all these, but as time passes these points become more and more the focus.
“we can choose whom to associate or relate with, or where or what we could be”
If nothing else, discard each and every person that is detrimental to your evolution as an individual. I have done this all throughout my life.. It’s one of my cornerstones. I only have I think 3 friends.. Two of them I only talk to maybe once every 3 or 4 years, but when I ask them for help they will move the earth for me. And I will do the same. The other.. we go back 30 years, and we live 8K miles apart, friendship forged through military… I really don’t need anybody else around me. I am happy to live my life in solitude, and slowly but surely I am reclaiming my life and I will not stop until I control it 100%. The journey feels better than the end result will be. I am sure of that.
A lot of it comes down to luck, circumstance and being aligned with the right people….. there are so many books and theories and etc. but no one can emulate it successfully…..
It falls into place and you run with it, or it just won’t fire and you go crazy trying….
Success breeds success….
Luck = (50% Opportunity) + (25% Preparedness) + (25% Going for it)
“Shallow men believe in luck, strong men believe in cause and effect” – Emerson Now granted, its simply intellectually dishonest to deny some “successful” people had a lot of luck and extremely favorable circumstances, but…many didnt as well and busted their ass far more than most of us have an idea of to get where they are. A lack of “luck” should not be a scapegoat for lack of success.
I know some people that talk about “luck” as though it is some kind of real oppressive external force… and they use it to explain their lack of success…
But these same people tend to be those who don’t adapt to changing circumstances… The same kind of people that don’t spend any of their free time reading books or learning new skills… Their belief in “luck” is no different than superstitions from the past where people believed in “pleasing the rain gods” before planting season.
Some people feel unlucky because they lack opportunities. However, people can do things to create or open themselves up to opportunities.
It helps to make contingency plans, to save your money, to not be tied down by unnecessary people or possessions, to have several irons in the fire, to always look for those new opportunities, and to be willing to take risks.
Of course, people aren’t entirely in control of their own destinies. Some people really do inherit multi-million dollar estates, while others get struck by lighting.
Tbh, I think failure and what you do when you fail is more important. Failure is the foundation of success.
Success built on success leads to failure. In other words, failure is an absolutely necessary ingredient for success.
spinning failure around into a success and learning the lesson is certainly part of it, but it only happens when there is already enough drive and momentum to carry that off…. otherwise failure causes a hit, which causes another hit….
lol, idiot
This is a good list of things that a man needs to be working on to reach his peak. Cue the MGTOWs whining that they could move mountains if it wasn’t for evil wimminz.
What’s with the MGTOW hate?
It seems that a lot of the commenters here talk more about what they COULD accomplish if it wasn’t for feminism, rather than what they are actually doing. In that way, MGTOW are like blacks who complain about the white man keeping them down all the time instead of actually doing something.
I don’t think blacks have money and jobs and college entrances forcibly removed from them by whites in the same way the men do due to feminism.
I agree it’s pointless to dwell incessantly in anger; however that anger can be used constructively to effect change in your own life or in society. If a feminist society prevents the vast majority of men from reaching their peak and no one whines about it, then nothing is done to correct it.
A lot of these guys “whining” are actively working to improve their lives and at the time are just venting, not whining.
I’m not sure where you’re coming from. I’m a MGTOW and I’m quite happy where I am in life. Because of the experiences I’ve had dealing with “evil wimminz” as you put it I’ve learned to be independent and self reliant. I’ve finally discovered who I am and who my friends really are. I work every day to increase my skill and knowledge, to enjoy every moment, and improve myself not because I want to impress anyone, just because I want to feel better about myself. I can not exercise like I used to because of a back injury and bad joints but it does not stop me from trying because I will not be a slave to pain. I will succeed at my goal because I always do. Defeat is unacceptable. My life is my own and I am in command of it.
Great article! I would add also How to Motivate Yourself. Great men know how to visualize themselves in the future or something else they have imagined. That vision, that image is what is going to boost your discipline and your will power to do what necessary to reach that goal. Arnold explains it better: http://youtu.be/eI76GkCuM4Y
This is good stuff. I’ve learned a lot about stoicism and frame etc from this site, but a good cogent article like this serves as a reminder of the discipline of thing. I would also agree that much of what is worst about society is the focus upon controlling others rather than oneself. Feminism is the control of men by women (often expressed in terms of patriarchy as the control of women by men), yet no evil ‘ism ever began with the control of the self by the self. One should begin with the self: self-knowledge, then self-mastery.
Facing the truth about women has lead me through many stages in my life as this site and many others have addressed. You go through a time in which you are angry, sad, confused, ashamed, etc. You go through a stage of wanting run back as far as your mother’s womb and never return back to the harsh but honest nature about how women, and the undertone of game and how not only important it is but, of how damn near factual it is. It made me go through ups and downs of how I was and how I needed to be. It made understand why I wasn’t ready to deal with my first “Bitch” and how she played me like LizardSquad is playing Xbox and PS4 gamers. The reality I was not used to sent me on a rollarcoaster of emotions that left me feeling as if the ride would never end.
Of course though, it did. After reading sites with excellent posts like these and several other blogs and websites I came to a clarity about how the direction of my life was being driven by a machine that really never had my exclusive interest at heart. If not for family and a few friends, the machine would simply replace me and find another one to take my spot and keep the game going point blank. Coming to this understanding left me walking out of the dark cave and seeing the light. Corny but, true. After seeing the true nature of women and being able to talk to them in a more grounded way, it left me able to face my fears and not be afraid to run away from them. It left me seeing that they were not the “end all be all”. It left me with a much more daunting yet exciting thought that I had never thought to consider….. “Now what?”
From movies, TV, books, songs, older men, women, etc all lead me to believe that once you found “HER” she would solve all of your problems. Once you found “HER” she would be the key to unlock you from that suppose “dark world” you were trapped in. I listen and feed onto the bullshit without even thinking about questioning it. By doing so, it lead me here. In a way, by buying into the bluepill world it lead me quicker to the much needed disaster that I believe every man must go through in order to see the world from a more concrete reality. I had reached a point in which I found myself asking “Now what”? If not her then what? Well, the answer is simply “Myself”.
1 and 2 are my favorites from this list especially 2. You have to have a belief system in play and understand what YOU want from this world and to stop being depended on a system that truly doesn’t give a damn about you but can’t do a damn thing without you. I have found myself seeking more than just finding “HER”. Aka the soulmate myth. It is simply not there and was only used to keep us running for a carrot that at this point has rotten, and smell more worse than the seat cushion of my cousin’s female friend as if the bitch had a dead Mermaid inside her coochie. Women only see men as accessories and paint brushes to help fill out this fantasy in their head that is damn near impossible to maintain. I have woken up and seen the fuckery for what it is. It is about seeking more than what is expected of us.
Men are not “scared” or “afraid” of these new era women. Some men have simply evolved like the REAL understanding of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yeah, it was once a balance that catered more towards family while consumerism played a inferior role (somewhat), but now, its truly only about materialism by trying to keep up with the newest toys and deals in Best Buy and Target. Women treat men like the new version of Christmas. We are simply doing the same. Find another accessory
http://associationofchronos.com/2014/12/27/accessories/
Great post real inspiring
I hope you don’t mind me saving your post for future reading.
Of course no problem thank you.
I appreciate that.
Sometimes, reading other’s posts and blogs bring out that creative rage and tap into some shit I have build up inside that I just have to let out.
yes brother # 2 is also a favorite of mine ,and a very important principal . and don’t forget especially when it comes to females,
you have to develop your( selfishness) and (conceitedness) cause those two words have been band ! nice post you put up there . my life being driven by a machine that’s heavy.
Here is a better question. Have you ever met a person that reached Mastery? I did, and that man was in a different place/dimension… And of course, he was divorced for a long time…
A very good, inspiring article. Still, self-mastery seems to be harder to achieve in this context of economic and financial crisis and institutionalized Nazi feminization, of demonization of the male, of reversal of traditional values and the enforcement of new, debased, degrading ones.
When there are so many things you would like to master, you experience paralysis by analysis. Plus, you feel there is not enough time, so you have to specialize in one or two things. But you also want other things to master. It embitters you, frustrates you, makes you feel incomplete that you can’t. So you have to settle for something, but not everything.
Perhaps a 10th element could have been Vengeance, in a good, positive sense, for I think self-mastery is a kind of vengeance against yourself, your weaknesses, some unfavorable circumstances. Basically against the finite nature of all things. So, “Before I die alone, I will have vengeance”.
Good article
This.
Just this.
Pursuit of fame, money and pussy fades into insignificant nothingness.
In short – know yourself, warts and all. Do what you must to develop yourself. Pursue what makes you fulfilled. The rest is the rest.
And…know that, within, we all have both the best as well as the worst of human nature. Difference is, a centered – as opposed to self-centered – man takes it all into account in his own time, makes a decision, then acts.
It is so easy to make a choice that leads to instant self-gratification, it’s a habit that has been ingrained. It’s easy to overact/overthink things: such behaviour, if repeated enough, leads either to self-destruction or depression. It’s much harder to find and keep a balance.
Breaking an habit is easier than getting a new one. Change is fear. I fail. Most times, to act. Or to work things in my own time. Yet, try again. Again. Once more. Some things have changed for the better, I just keep at it and break through fears and hope for the best. Numbers game, probability, Occam’s razor, possible.
Condition oneself to become until one is. Then oneness with self.
I’m recitalling this mentally to myself as I type.
This article was published just as I needed it most. I’ve been needing to find inner strength and integrity.
Most inspiring article I’ve read here.
Excellent article.
Regarding element 4, here’s a quote from Edmund Burke:
“It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things, that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters.”
(C.Contrary included this quote in a recent article on ROK http://www.returnofkings.com/50209/red-pill-truths-in-classical-conservative-thinkers)
Regarding elements 6 and 9, one of the most important things to accept is your own mortality. A lot of people will say that they’ll someday die, but they don’t really accept it. You have to take that knowledge into you and face it unafraid. (Here’s a test: if dying in your sleep sounds like a good way to go, then you’re afraid of your own death and haven’t really accepted it).
The post is an excellent primer on Stoicism; a philosophy I have come to embrace and attempt to live by daily.
The world exists merely as a matter of one’s own impressions. But there are always 2 constants – those things which are within one’s sphere of choice and those things which are without.
Your impressions, how you see yourself and the world, are encapsulated by your will. Your neighbors can steal from you, your relatives can speak ill of you, your government can take your freedom or in some cases your life…but only you have a say over your impressions and your own will.
If something outside of your sphere of choice disturbs you (e.g. a baby crying on a crowded airplane, a long line at the DMV, the way those 2 ditzy girls are taking selfies at the bar), it is not by nature disturbing…but rather that is the impression you have chosen to take from it. You have given it the power to disturb you in how you perceive it. If you wish to be free of these disturbances and master yourself, you must channel these things (fear, pain, loneliness, hate, lust, envy, etc.) under your control of impression. Exercise your will over yourself and let the world outside of your choice be whatever it chooses to be…for it will make no difference to you unless you decide it to be so.
If you’re finding it difficult, that’s good…it is a challenging life to adopt when much of the world is doing the exact opposite. But take some words of encouragement from my favorite stoic, Marcus Aurelius:
“Because your own strength is unequal to the task, do not assume that it is beyond the powers of man; but if anything is within the powers and province of man, believe that it is within your own compass also.”
Looks like Billy Chubbs really does have competition as the best writer on this website.
Your opening quote may be misattrubuted. It is strikingly similar to a line from Henley’s ‘Invictus’, written in the Victorian years:
“It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.”
I try to tell men to learn to live ALONE.
I am happy for this because it developed me into a self-reliant, introspective and self-loved individual.
From Loneliness came Aloneness.
Journaling, meditation, going out to the bar to game chicks solo, or going on ventures out of state alone, intentionally leaving my phone at home, going on a master cleanse, attending meetup groups that I didn’t seem to fit in or just meetup groups that I wasn’t comfortable in, all helped me to go onto higher plateaus of self discovery.
There are times I have to tell myself to keep pushing, for there are times I want to get comfortable with staying home, waiting for the “right” meetup group to attend, wait until a friend is available to go and game chicks, depending on and taking my cellphone everywhere, etc.
If you are over 21, move out your moms house, take a break from the friends, family and significant other, and just do YOU. Let that loneliness be your message about what you need to improve yourself.
From loneliness comes aloneness, and within that aloneness comes contentment and more importantly…..enlightenment.
Seconded. +1
Great article
Awesome piece oracle. This is exactly the type of material this site needs more of to put guys on the right path.
I’m afraid your 3rd step would create even more narcissists.
You are suppose to believe things are possible despite yourself. and your beliefs about yourself.
Did like this article. But I don’t believe in the concept of destiny. People sometimes try to figure out why they are here vice they should take a look back and live. Told I would not be able to get in the Marines but I got in after 18 months of work, could barely shoot at first but am now an Expert in rifle qual, failed pistol qual 3 times but am an Expert now. Had to fight command to go on Embassy duty and beat them. From what Clark Kent say below about percentages here is what I think it is: 40% going for it, 40% preparing, 20% opportunity. You can make your own opportunity and luck if you have the planning and foresight. Commonly in the Marine Corps I plan on my the fuck ups my own people will make and get in there heads without them knowing it. Like what Armageddon says about failure. Most people would have quit on themselves before even going through a quarter of what I have been through. Going through Iraq for Spring Break 2003 and going through the Crucible of combat and metaphorically speaking spitting and pissing on the devil and knowing that bullet passed the left side of my head.
When people say why push yourself, they will never know the pleasure in doing things that they themselves never fully realize what they can do or want to drag you down because they see you have the balls to take the pain and go through it. The beginning of “Lone Survivor” when you see the Seal training shows men who do not accept fate and push themselves to do things that many people wish they could strive for or hate themselves because they are to afraid to do more with there lives.
Don’t spend all your time trying to think what your supposed to do with your life. If you don’t like your conditions, grow a pair and do something about it and be a man.
That quote is a plagiarism by Mandela. “[William Ernest] Henley wrote a lot about inner strength and perseverance. His most popular poem would be considered “Invictus” (1875). This poem was recited by Nelson Mandela while he was in Robben Island Prison. It was also referenced in the 2009 movie Invictus. President Obama quoted it on December 10, 2013 after Nelson Mandela died.”
Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
*add to favourites *
Perhaps one of the best articles i’ve read on here, well written, articulated and expressed.
Thanks!