"The point is not to take the world's opinion as a guiding star but to go one's way in life and working unerringly, neither depressed by failure nor seduced by applause."

Life

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Insight & Reflection

Words carry weight, and Gustav Mahler's insight into life is no exception. It serves as a gentle reminder that amidst the chaos of modern life, timeless wisdom still holds the power to guide our decisions and clarify our values.

About Gustav Mahler

Gustav Mahler was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century tradition and the modernism of the early 20th century. While in his lifetime his status as a conductor was established beyond question, his own music gained wide popularity only after periods of relative neglect, which included a ban on its performance in much of Europe during the Nazi era. After 1945 his compositions were rediscovered by a new generation of listeners; Mahler then became one of the most frequently performed and recorded of all composers, a position he has sustained into the 21st century.

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Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the ShortQuote Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

More by Gustav Mahler

"The impressions of the spriritual experiences gave my future life its form and content."

— Gustav Mahler
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"Beauty and fullness of tone can be achieved by having the whole orchestra play with high clarinets and a carefully selected number of piccolos."

— Gustav Mahler
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"I hope you will no longer accuse me of a lack of delicacy. as I now count on your understanding."

— Gustav Mahler
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"If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music."

— Gustav Mahler
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More about Life

"Wisdom principle 15 tells us that the journey of life is lesson 50."

— Sholem Aleichem
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"In writing, I search for believability, simplicity and emotional impact."

— Hal David
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"I know not, sir, whether Bacon wrote the works of Shakespeare, but if he did not, it seems to me that he missed the opportunity of his life."

— James M. Barrie
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"Today we often think that before we start living a religious life we have first to accept the creedal doctrines and that before one can have any comprehension of the loyalty and trust of faith, one must first force one's mind to accept a host of incomprehensible doctrines. But this is to put the cart before the horse."

— Karen Armstrong
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