Famous quote by Jose Rizal

Mobile Desktop
It is a useless life that is not consecrated to a great ideal. It is like a stone wasted on the field without becoming a
Like

"It is a useless life that is not consecrated to a great ideal. It is like a stone wasted on the field without becoming a part of any edifice"

- Jose Rizal

About this Quote

A life without devotion to a great ideal lacks purpose and meaning. To drift through existence without striving for something greater than oneself is to squander the unique opportunity that life presents. When a person lives only for narrow self-interest, without dedicating energy, time, or passion to a value, cause, or aspiration beyond the self, that life becomes hollow and unremarkable. Without an ideal to aspire to—be it the betterment of society, the pursuit of knowledge, the cultivation of art, or the service of others—life turns inward, stagnant, and ultimately unfulfilled.

Jose Rizal likens such a life to a stone lying unused in a field. A stone, on its own, may possess inherent strength or beauty, but unless it is selected, shaped, and integrated into the larger structure of a building, it fails to realize its potential. The stone in isolation serves no higher function, its existence unnoticed and its capabilities wasted. In much the same way, a person who does not strive towards a meaningful goal never contributes their unique abilities to the growth and improvement of the greater community or to the shaping of a worthy legacy.

True fulfillment and value are found not in comfort or idleness, but in the act of giving oneself to something noble and transformative. Commitment to a great ideal uplifts the spirit, drives personal growth, and generates positive change in the world. When an individual aligns life’s purpose with values that transcend the self, life acquires a significance that echoes beyond mere existence. Only then does one avoid being like the disregarded stone, instead becoming an integral part of something enduring, just as stones together form magnificent edifices that can inspire and shelter generations. To consecrate life to an ideal is to ensure it is used well, etched with meaning, and joined to a legacy that outlasts a single, solitary lifetime.

About the Author

Jose Rizal This quote is written / told by Jose Rizal between June 19, 1861 and December 20, 1896. He was a famous Writer from Philippines. The author also have 5 other quotes.

Go to author profile

Similar Quotes

Small: It is not possible to eat me without insisting that I sing praises of my devourer? - Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Dostoevsky
"It is not possible to eat me without insisting that I sing praises of my devourer?"
Fyodor Dostoevsky, Novelist
Small: Cats and monkeys monkeys and cats all human life is there - Henry James
Henry James
"Cats and monkeys; monkeys and cats; all human life is there"
Henry James, Writer
Small: Plunge boldly into the thick of life, and seize it where you will, it is always interesting - Johann Wolfgang
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
"Plunge boldly into the thick of life, and seize it where you will, it is always interesting"
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, Writer
Small: Telling a teenager the facts of life is like giving a fish a bath - Arnold H. Glasow
Arnold H. Glasow
"Telling a teenager the facts of life is like giving a fish a bath"
Arnold H. Glasow, Businessman
Small: Life is life - whether in a cat, or dog or man. There is no difference there between a cat or a man. The idea
"Life is life - whether in a cat, or dog or man. There is no difference there between a cat or a man. The idea of difference is a human conception for man's own advantage"
Sri Aurobindo, Philosopher
Small: Women, cant live with them, cant live without them - Desiderius Erasmus
Desiderius Erasmus
"Women, can't live with them, can't live without them"
Desiderius Erasmus, Philosopher
Small: America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between - Oscar Wild
Oscar Wilde
"America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between"
Oscar Wilde, Dramatist
Small: We cannot hold a torch to light anothers path without brightening our own - Ben Sweetland
Ben Sweetland
"We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own"
Ben Sweetland, Author
Small: Behind every great fortune lies a great crime - Honore de Balzac
Honore de Balzac
"Behind every great fortune lies a great crime"
Honore de Balzac, Novelist
Small: A man without a goal is like a ship without a rudder - Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle
"A man without a goal is like a ship without a rudder"
Thomas Carlyle, Writer