To Celebrate Charles Dickens’s 200th Birthday: Wisdom From Heart

"Charles Dickens was born at midnight on February 7, 1812. . . . It was reported that the newborn baby began to cry as the clock struck 12, and many feel that his voice is as real today as it was 200 years ago." Raymond M. Lane

Dickens wrote 15 major novels and countless short stories and articles before his death in 1870, Dickens became known all over the world for his remarkable characters, his mastery of prose in the telling of their lives, and his depictions of the social classes, reality and values of his times.

“There is a wisdom of the head, and... there is a wisdom of the heart.”
― Charles Dickens, Hard Times

Here are some Wisdom from both his heart &Mind:

1. Christendom

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. ”
― Charles Dickens

Dickens’s influence is all over the world, his works has been translated into multiple languages, his Christmas Carol, the spirit of holiday touches the heart of children all around the globe all the time.

He also wrote: "Blessings on your kind heart... you may be sure you have done more good, fostered more kindly feelings, and prompted more positive acts of beneficence, than can be traced to all the pulpits and confessionals in Christendom."

2. Character: Pursuit of Freedom & Happiness

“I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape.”
― Charles Dickens

Dickens is famed for his depiction of the hardships of the working class, his intricate plots, his sense of humour, his wisdom and the characters he created. The idyllic days of his childhood shaped his future characters like Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, and Philip Pirrip based on his own experiences.

 “I only ask to be free, the butterflies are free.”
― Charles Dickens

Happiness is not always measured in smiles, Dickens may reach the highest level of happiness

“Give me a moment, because I like to cry for joy. It's so delicious, to cry for joy.”
― Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend

3. Social Value –Right the Wrongs

Dickens's novels were, among other things, works of social value,  He was a fierce critic of the poverty of Victorian society, the world of the working poor, where child labor was rampant and few if any adults spared a kind word for many abandoned or orphaned children.Some considered Dickens the spokesman for the poor, for he definitely brought much awareness to their plight, the downtrodden and suffering.

"The reason I love him so deeply is that, having experienced the lower depths, he never ceased, till the day he died, to commit himself, both in his work and in his life, to trying to right the wrongs inflicted by society, above all, perhaps by giving the dispossessed a voice. From the moment he started to write, he spoke for the people, and the people loved him for it, as do I."
Simon Callow

4. Age of Wisdom

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.  ~~A Tale of Two Cities

There’re thousand of Dickens’s insightful quotes available, full of wisdom from both his heart and mind, his legacy is beyond just the old time charm, but more about the inspiring food for thought today.

5 Think Differently

“A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

When Britain was the major economic and political power of the world, Dickens highlighted the life of the forgotten poor and disadvantaged within society, he represented the other view from mainstream, voice for those without voice, he thinks differently.

6. The Art of Possible

The most important thing in life is to stop saying 'I wish' and start saying 'I will.' Consider nothing impossible, then treat possiblities as probabilities.”
― Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

As a prolific 19th Century author of short stories, plays, novels, fiction, during his lifetime Dickens became well known all over the world via his master piece of works and literacy legacy.

He was also a master of time management:

My advice is to never do tomorrow what you can do today. Procrastination is the thief of time.”
― Charles Dickens

7. Cautious Optimism

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Charles Dickens was born in 1812 into a volatile period often referred to as the Age of Reform, where industrialisation was rapidly reshaping Britain, and legislators were - more than ever - struggling to adapt to the demands of a changing population.

His paradoxical wisdom and humorous spirit inspire one generation of the other, fighting for poverty, strive for happiness.

Today, we are also at the age of Change, where digitization radically revitalize the business and economy, by learning the legacy of Dickens, hopefully we could better adapt to such a  hyper-connected, hyper-complex, hyper-competitive uncertain world--the more advance world, compared to 200 years ago though.  

 “Spring is the time of year when it is summer in the sun and winter in the shade.”
― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

Posted in: Food for Thought