--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Survival is not possible if the best of…" description: "\"Survival is not possible if the best of us lack all conviction, while the worst of us are full of passionate intensity.\" — John Silber" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfc/john-silber-52432_carpe_survival-is-not-possible-if-the-best-of_3226912.png" --- # Survival is not possible if the best of us lack all… ![“Survival is not possible if the best of us lack all conviction, while the worst of us are full of passionate intensity.” quote by John Silber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfc/john-silber-52432_carpe_survival-is-not-possible-if-the-best-of_3226912.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfc/john-silber-52432_carpe_survival-is-not-possible-if-the-best-of_3226912.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfc/john-silber-52432_carpe_survival-is-not-possible-if-the-best-of_3226912.png) > “Survival is not possible if the best of us lack all conviction, while the worst of us are full of passionate intensity.” [John Silber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-silber/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Without conviction, the best cannot act; the worst may act with reckless passion. **In simple terms:** Conviction fuels purpose; lack of it hinders the good. Key Takeaway Cultivate firm beliefs before acting. Themes leadership motivation integrity Mood inspirational cautionary Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career advancement - political activism - team building Key Concepts Conviction passion risk Questions to Reflect On - What convictions guide your decisions? - How can passion be directed constructively? A Different Perspective Passion without conviction can lead to harmful impulsivity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Carpe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carpe/) [Carpe diem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carpe-diem/) [Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Intensity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intensity/) [Lack Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lack-conviction-1038289/) [Passionate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passionate/) [Passionate Intensity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passionate-intensity-634974/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/) [Survival Possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival-possible-6088428/) [Worst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst/) ## Related quotes > [The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/the-best-lack-all-conviction-while-the-worst-are-full-of-passionate/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [The sculptor must search with passionate intensity for the underlying principle of the organisation of mass and tension - the meaning of gesture and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hepworth/the-sculptor-must-search-with-passionate-intensity-for-the-underlying/) [Barbara Hepworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hepworth/) > [Passionate intensity may serve as a substitute for confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/passionate-intensity-may-serve-as-a-substitute-for-confidence/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The worst are full of passionate intensity while the best lack all conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cunningham/the-worst-are-full-of-passionate-intensity-while-the-best-lack-all/) [Michael Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cunningham/) > [If you could travel back in time to the present moment, what would you do differently?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/if-you-could-travel-back-in-time-to-the-present-moment-what-would-you/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Creativity represents a miraculous coming together of the uninhibited energy of the child with its apparent opposite and enemy, the sense of order imposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-podhoretz/creativity-represents-a-miraculous-coming-together-of-the-uninhibited/) [Norman Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-podhoretz/) > [I always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/i-always-thought-the-idea-of-education-was-to-learn-to-think-for/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [These are the times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-adams/these-are-the-times-in-which-a-genius-would-wish-to-live-it-is-not-in/) [Abigail Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-adams/) > [If a man is to live, he must be all alive, body, soul, mind, heart, spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-a-man-is-to-live-he-must-be-all-alive-body-soul-mind-heart-spirit/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Seize the day, take hold of it, and make it whatever you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-sorensen/seize-the-day-take-hold-of-it-and-make-it-whatever-you-want/) [Jessica Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-sorensen/) > [Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/every-day-brings-a-chance-for-you-to-draw-in-a-breath-kick-off-your/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Each of us is the only person who can give the other what each of us wants to have: Peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ugo-betti/each-of-us-is-the-only-person-who-can-give-the-other-what-each-of-us/) [Ugo Betti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ugo-betti/) > [Eventually you realize that your whole life up to now has been preparation, and you begin to suspect that the rest might be preparation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/eventually-you-realize-that-your-whole-life-up-to-now-has-been/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/carpe-diem-rejoice-while-you-are-alive-enjoy-the-day-live-life-to-the/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [Time is painted with a lock before, and bald behind, signifying thereby that we must take time by the forelock; for, when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/time-is-painted-with-a-lock-before-and-bald-behind-signifying-thereby/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) ## More by John Silber > [The reduction of political discourse to sound bites is one of the worst things that's happened in American political life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-silber/the-reduction-of-political-discourse-to-sound-bites-is-one-of-the/) [John Silber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-silber/) > [Many Americans celebrate both Christmas and Xmas. Others celebrate one or the other. And some of us celebrate holidays that, although unconnected with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-silber/many-americans-celebrate-both-christmas-and-xmas-others-celebrate-one/) [John Silber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-silber/) > [The gospel preached during every television show is 'You only go around once in life, so get all the gusto you can.' It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-silber/the-gospel-preached-during-every-television-show-is-you-only-go/) [John Silber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-silber/) > [The lawyers' contribution to the civilizing of humanity is evidenced in the capacity of lawyers to argue furiously in the courtroom, then sit down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-silber/the-lawyers-contribution-to-the-civilizing-of-humanity-is-evidenced/) [John Silber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-silber/) > [One can forget the meaninglessness of his own existence by occupying himself with scientific experiments of dubious import. Countless scientists and scholars spend their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-silber/one-can-forget-the-meaninglessness-of-his-own-existence-by-occupying/) [John Silber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-silber/) > [I don't believe anybody has a right to own any kind of a firearm. I believe in order to obtain a permit to own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-silber/i-don-t-believe-anybody-has-a-right-to-own-any-kind-of-a-firearm-i/) [John Silber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-silber/) [Explore all 7 John Silber quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-silber/) ## More Carpe quotes > [Time is painted with a lock before, and bald behind, signifying thereby that we must take time by the forelock; for, when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/time-is-painted-with-a-lock-before-and-bald-behind-signifying-thereby/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [Creativity represents a miraculous coming together of the uninhibited energy of the child with its apparent opposite and enemy, the sense of order imposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-podhoretz/creativity-represents-a-miraculous-coming-together-of-the-uninhibited/) [Norman Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-podhoretz/) > [I always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/i-always-thought-the-idea-of-education-was-to-learn-to-think-for/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [Each of us is the only person who can give the other what each of us wants to have: Peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ugo-betti/each-of-us-is-the-only-person-who-can-give-the-other-what-each-of-us/) [Ugo Betti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ugo-betti/) > [If you could travel back in time to the present moment, what would you do differently?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/if-you-could-travel-back-in-time-to-the-present-moment-what-would-you/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [At least I carpe'd that one diem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/at-least-i-carpe-d-that-one-diem/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/carpe-diem-rejoice-while-you-are-alive-enjoy-the-day-live-life-to-the/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [Eventually you realize that your whole life up to now has been preparation, and you begin to suspect that the rest might be preparation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/eventually-you-realize-that-your-whole-life-up-to-now-has-been/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/every-day-brings-a-chance-for-you-to-draw-in-a-breath-kick-off-your/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [Seize the day, take hold of it, and make it whatever you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-sorensen/seize-the-day-take-hold-of-it-and-make-it-whatever-you-want/) [Jessica Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-sorensen/) > [If a man is to live, he must be all alive, body, soul, mind, heart, spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-a-man-is-to-live-he-must-be-all-alive-body-soul-mind-heart-spirit/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [These are the times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-adams/these-are-the-times-in-which-a-genius-would-wish-to-live-it-is-not-in/) [Abigail Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-adams/) > [Above all you must illumine your own soul with its profundities and its shallows, and its vanities and its generosities, and say what your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/above-all-you-must-illumine-your-own-soul-with-its-profundities-and/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [The artist has a special task and duty... reminding people of their humanity and the promise of their creativity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/the-artist-has-a-special-task-and-duty-reminding-people-of-their/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [I want to take my rightful share of life by force, I want to give lavishly, I want love to flow from my heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tayeb-salih/i-want-to-take-my-rightful-share-of-life-by-force-i-want-to-give/) [Tayeb Salih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tayeb-salih/) [Browse all 158 Carpe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carpe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Survival is not possible if the best of us lack all conviction, while the worst of us are full of passionate intensity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Silber" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-silber/survival-is-not-possible-if-the-best-of-us-lack-all-conviction-while/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Carpe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-silber/survival-is-not-possible-if-the-best-of-us-lack-all-conviction-while/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfc/john-silber-52432_carpe_survival-is-not-possible-if-the-best-of_3226912.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfc/john-silber-52432_carpe_survival-is-not-possible-if-the-best-of_3226912.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfc/john-silber-52432_carpe_survival-is-not-possible-if-the-best-of_3226912.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Survival is not possible if the best of us lack all conviction, while the worst of us are full of passionate…” — John Silber", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Silber", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-silber/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Survival is not possible if the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-silber/survival-is-not-possible-if-the-best-of-us-lack-all-conviction-while/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-silber/survival-is-not-possible-if-the-best-of-us-lack-all-conviction-while/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```