Original artwork, not a still
The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table · 1858
I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving: To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it, -but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Holmes says direction matters more than where you currently stand. Reaching heaven means sailing, sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it. Drifting or lying at anchor won't get you there, so the point is to keep deliberately moving.
Context reviewed
