When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves. A man can do only what a man can do. How a man plays the game shows something of his character, how he loses shows all of it. Those who do not know how to weep with their whole heart don't know how to laugh either. The great man is he that does not lose his child's heart.
Most talents are, to some extent, a gift.
Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not. The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy. People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.