G Reads’s Reviews > Manuscript Found in Accra > Status Update

"never repay hatred with hatred, but with justice. the world does not divide up into enemies and friends, but into the weak and the strong. the strong are the generous in victory. the weak gang up on the losers, unaware that defeat is only a transitory thing."

"meanwhile, if someone merely wishes to provoke you, shake the dust from your feet and carry on. only fight with a worthy opponent, not with someone who uses trickery to prolong a war that is already over, as does sometimes happen. such cruelty does not come from the warriors who meet on the battlefield and know why they are there, but from those who manipulate victory and defeat for their own ends."

"but do not fight in order to prove that you are right or to impose your ideas or ideals on someone else. only accept the fight as a way of keeping your spirit clean and your will spotless. when the fight is over, both sides will emerge as winners, because they tested their limitations and their abilities."

"although anxiety is part of life, never let it control you...if it tries to persuade you that taking on lots of jobs means having a productive life, say: 'i need time to look at the stars in order to feel inspired and to be able to do my job well.'... it (anxiety) will never disappear, but the great wisdom of life is to realise that we can be the masters of the things that try to enslave us."

"i am aware that there are many people more famous than me and often, that fame is richly deserved. in other cases, it is merely a manifestation of vanity or ambition, and will not stand the test of time. what is success? it is being able to go to bed each night with your soul at peace."

"you must always have a goal in mind, but, as you go along, it costs nothing to stop now and then to enjoy the view around you. as you advance, step by step, you can see a little further into the distance, and take the opportunity to discover things you hadn't even noticed before."

"success comes to those who do not waste time comparing what they are doing with what others are doing; it enters the house of the person who says 'i will do my best' every day. people who seek only success rarely find it, because success is not an end in itself, but consequence."

"avoid at all costs those who are only by your side in moments of sadness to offer consoling words. what they are actually saying to themselves is: 'i am stronger. i am wiser. i would not have taken that step.' stay close to those who are by your side in happy times, because they do not harbour jealousy or envy in their hearts, only joy to see you happy."

"if they once took a wrong and dangerous path, they will never come to you and say: 'don't ever do that.' they will merely say: 'i once took a wrong and dangerous path.' this is because they respect your freedom, just as you respect theirs."

"your friends are the sort who do not wait for things to happen in order to decide which attitude to take; they decide on the spur of the moment, even though they know it could be risky. they are free spirits who can change direction whenever life requires them to. they explore new paths, recount their adventures, and thus enrich both city and the village."