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Beauty Quote by Jawaharlal Nehru

“We are lovers of beauty without extravagance, and lovers of wisdom without unmanliness. Wealth to us is not mere material for vainglory but an opportunity for achievement; and poverty we think it no disgrace to acknowledge but a real degradation to make no effort to overcome… Let us draw strength…” quote by Jawaharlal Nehru
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““We are lovers of beauty without extravagance, and lovers of wisdom without unmanliness. Wealth to us is not mere material for vainglory but an opportunity for achievement; and poverty we think it no disgrace to acknowledge but a real degradation to make no effort to overcome… Let us draw strength, not merely from twice-told arguments—how fair and noble a thing it is to show courage in battle—but from the busy spectacle of our great city's life as we have it before us day by day, falling in love with her as we see her, and remembering that all this greatness she owes to men with the fighter's daring, the wise man's understanding of his duty, and the good man's self-discipline in its performance—to men who, if they failed in any ordeal, disdained to deprive the city of their services, but sacrificed their lives as the best offerings on her behalf. So they gave their bodies to the commonwealth and received, each for his own memory, praise that will never die, and with it the grandest of all sepulchres, not that in which their mortal bones are laid, but a home in the minds of men, where their glory remains fresh to stir to speech or action as the occasion comes by. For the whole earth is a sepulchre of famous men; and their story is not graven only on stone over their native earth, but lives on far away, without visible symbol, woven into the stuff of other men's lives. For you now it remains to rival what they have done and, knowing the secret of happiness to be freedom and the secret of freedom a brave heart, not idly to stand aside from the enemy's onset.””

Jawaharlal Nehru

About This Quote

Source Speech: Independence Day Address, India, 1947

He praises balanced pursuit of beauty, wisdom, and civic duty, urging citizens to honor the city’s greatness through courage, discipline, and self‑sacrifice, leaving a lasting legacy beyond material wealth.

In simple terms: Value beauty and wisdom, serve society, and seek lasting legacy.

Key Takeaway

Serve with courage and discipline.

Themes

civic duty legacy beauty wisdom service

Mood

proud inspirational

Type

historical motivational

When to use this quote

  • public service
  • urban development
  • personal sacrifice
  • community building

Key Concepts

philosophy public ethics heroism

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can you contribute to your community today?
  • What does a brave heart mean in modern life?
A Different Perspective

Legacy depends on continued effort, not just past deeds.

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