Reetika Choudhury
Leonardo da Vinci is a being who truly embodied the spirit of Renaissance. While he’s most famous for his incredible artwork, his talents and interests went far beyond painting. Da Vinci made notable strides in architecture, botany, engineering, mathematics, music, history, cartography, geology and inventing. He even showed a deep concern for animal rights and practiced vegetarianism. His diverse achievements continue to inspire us today. Here are some of his most powerful words that continue to empower people to this day.
“One can have no smaller or greater mastery than mastery of oneself.”
Here, Leonardo Da Vinci is emphasizing the importance of self-control and self-awareness. He believes that the greatest achievement a person can have is mastering their own thoughts, emotions, and actions. This means being able to control impulses, make wise decisions, and understand oneself deeply. By mastering oneself, a person gains the foundation to handle life’s challenges and achieve true greatness.
“I have from an early age abjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men.”
Through this quote, Leonardo expresses his commitment to ethical vegetarianism from a young age. He believes that in the future, people will see killing animals for food as they now see killing other humans- as something cruel and unacceptable. Da Vinci’s statement highlights his forward thinking and compassionate view towards animals, and he hopes that society adopts a more humane and ethical stance in the future. In essence, he envisions a world where empathy extends to all living creatures, not just humans.
“There are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see.”
This quote of Leonardo Da Vinci explains that people understand the world in different ways. First, there are those who grasp things naturally and clearly without needing any help. Second, some people need a bit of guidance and explanation to understand, but once shown, they get it. Lastly, there are those who struggle to understand, even with help. Essentially, Leonardo is pointing out that while some people have a natural insight, others need some direction, and some might never fully understand, no matter how much you explain to them.
“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”
This quote is a motivating call to action. He is emphasizing that simply having knowledge or good intentions isn’t sufficient. To make a real impact, we need to put what we know into practice and take action. It’s about moving from thought and intention to concrete steps and real-world application. Da Vinci is reminding us that true progress and achievement come from doing, not just thinking or planning. So, let’s get out there and turn our ideas into reality!
“Experience never errs; it is only your judgements that err by promising themselves effects such as are not caused by your experiments.”
Leonardo da Vinci reminds you to trust what you see and experience directly. He is saying that our observations are always accurate, but sometimes we make mistakes when we expect certain results that our experiments don’t actually show. It is our interpretations and expectations that can be wrong, not the experiences themselves. So, let’s focus on what our experiments truly reveal and be cautious about drawing conclusions that aren’t supported by the evidence.
