Journalist and activist Ida B. Wells (1862-1931) spent her life crusading to find the truth and shed a light on inequality in America. As a civil rights leader who was born into slavery, Wells used her platform to expose the mistreatment of Black Americans after the U.S. Civil War. This quote epitomizes her mission in life. When injustice rears its head, the way to enact change is not to look away, but rather to educate people about it and have hard conversations about who we are and what we stand for — to have the courage to create enough light to help people see the truth.

Our most valuable and fleeting resource in life is time, something well-understood by celebrated Spanish actor Javier Bardem, best known for his role in 2007’s No Country for Old Men, which won him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. In a 2018 interview with The Talks, Bardem defined success as being a good father and husband (to fellow star Penelope Cruz), by devoting his time and attention to his family. Quality time spent with loved ones or pursuing our passions is a gift, and one that should never be wasted.

In 1940, “New Yorker” veteran James Thurber published a children’s book — “Fables for Our Time and Famous Poems Illustrated” — in which each story ends with a crisp moral. The above quote is the moral of “The Scotty Who Knew Too Much,” a parable about a presumptuous Scottish terrier who instigates hapless run-ins with a skunk, a porcupine, and a farm dog. No one has all the answers, and Thurber posits that pretending otherwise will get you into trouble. He encourages all generations to remember that curiosity is a sign of respect, and indicates a willingness to learn, and grow, from the presence of outside perspectives.