"On this 18th anniversary of the birth of The Marginalian, here are all of these learnings so far as they were originally written in years past, beginning with the present year’s — the most challenging and most transformative of my life.". Read more at The Marginalian

Florynce Kennedy (1916 – 2000) Commonly known as "Flo"was an American lawyer, Civil Rights activist, radical feminist, lecturer, and activist. More

Epictetus - (c. 50 – c. 135 AD) was a Greek Stoic philosopher born into slavery at Hierapolis, Phrygia in present-day Pamukkale (Turkey). He lived in Rome until his banishment, when he went to Nicopolis, Greece, where he spent the rest of his life. Epictetus taught that philosophy is a way of life and not a theoretical discipline and that all external events are beyond our control. However, individuals are responsible for their own actions, which they can examine and control through rigorous self-discipline.

Hungarian Proverb. Sometimes attributed to Edgar Allen Poe.

Dougal Robertson (1924–1992) was a Scottish author and sailor born in Edinburgh who survived with his family being adrift at sea for 38 days after their 43-foot schooner, the Lucette, was sunk by a pod of killer whales in 1972 while on circumnavigation of the world trip. He recounted the ordeal in his books “Survive the Savage Sea” and "Sea Survival – A Manual" More

Eric Hoffer - (1902 –1983) was an American moral and social conservative philosopher. His first book, The True Believer (1951), was widely recognized as a classic, receiving critical acclaim from both scholars and laymen. Almost overnight, the San Francisco dockworker became a public figure. Recognized as a highly original thinker, he became known as the Longshoreman Philosopher. After The True Believer, he published ten more books. he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1983. More

Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (1921 – 1991) was an American television producer and screenwriter. He was the creator of the science fiction franchise, Star Trek. Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, where his father was a police officer. During World War II, Roddenberry flew 89 combat missions in the Army Air Forces and worked as a commercial pilot after the war. Later, he began to write for television. More

Dorothy Ann Richards (1933 – 2006) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995. A Democrat, she was elected to become Texas State Treasurer and then the second female governor of Texas (the first being Miriam A. Ferguson), and was frequently noted in the media for her outspoken feminism and her one-liners.
This quote is from her keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention

Richard Carlson (1961 – 2006) was an American author, psychotherapist, and motivational speaker. His 1997 book, "Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff...and it’s all Small Stuff" was on the USA Today's and New York Times Best Seller lists. He wrote 20 books. He received his bachelor's degree from Pepperdine University and his PhD. from Sierra University. He was considered one of the foremost experts in happiness and stress reduction around the world. Carlson died suddenly from a pulmonary embolism during a flight from San Francisco to New York. He was married to Kristine Carlson. More

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (1821 – 1881), sometimes transliterated as Dostoyevsky, was a Russian novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist. He is regarded by many literary critics as one of the greatest novelists in all of world literature, as many of his works are considered highly influential masterpieces. His most acclaimed novels include Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, Demons (1872), and The Brothers Karamazov.

Latin proverb sometimes attributed to Virgil as "Destitutus ventis, remos adhibere." It translates as “If the wind will not serve, take to the oars.”
The proverb emphasizes self-reliance and the importance of taking action instead of waiting for conditions to improve. 

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (1899 – 1980) was an English film director, known as the "Master of Suspense". He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema having directed over 50 feature films over his 60 year career.  Hitchcock became as well known as any of his actors thanks to his many interviews and his cameo appearances in most of his films. Although he never won the award for Best Director, despite five nominations, his films garnered 46 Academy Award nominations, including six wins.