Atul Gawande

The search for purpose is really a search for a place, not an idea. It is a search for a location in the world where you want to be part of making things better for others in your own small way.

You cannot flourish without a larger purpose. And that's lucky in a way, because our society cannot flourish without your reaching for a larger purpose, either.

If you find yourself in a place where you stop caring — where your greatest concern becomes only you — get out of there.

People often say find your passion. But there's more to it than that. Not all passions are enough. Just existing for your desires feels empty and insufficient, because our desires are fleeting and insatiable. You need a loyalty.

They didn't fail less. They rescued more.

You are imperfect. Your knowledge is never complete. Your skills are never infallible. Yet you have to act. You cannot let yourself become paralyzed by fear — yet you cannot blind yourself to failure either.

The only failure is the failure to rescue something. The difference between triumph and defeat isn't about your willingness to take the risk — it's about mastery of rescue afterwards.