I saw a wonderful movie a while back: "The Emperor's Club" starring Kevin Kline, who I happen to think is a fabulous actor. I highly recommend that everyone watch this movie. It is based on the book "The Palace Thief" and it has a great message.
For those who have not seen it, it is the story of an ancient history teacher - Mr. Hundert - at a boy's school in the late 1960s. He believes that it is the teacher's job not just to inform his students, but to mold their character.
Here are a few of the ideas he tries to impart to his students:
"Youth ages, immaturity is outgrown, ignorance can be educated, drunkenness sobered, but STUPID lasts forever." ~ (attributed to Aristophanes)
"It is not living that is important, but living rightly" ~ (attributed to Socrates)
"Great ambition and conquest, without contribution, is without significance. What will be your contribution? How will history remember you?" ~ Mr. Hundert
"As I have grown older, I realized that I am certain of only two things: Any morning that begins rowing on the lake is better that one that doesn't, and, a man's character is his fate." ~ Mr. Hundert
"A worth of a life is not measured by a single success or a solitary failure." ~ Mr. Hundert
I love that movie, but I enjoyed the book much more.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know about the book until after I'd seen the movie ... but it is now on my "to read" list. :)
ReplyDelete