Your duty? What the day demands.

What it means

Goethe does not hand out a grand mission. Your duty is whatever today is asking of you. Answer that well, every day.

The source

"Your duty? What the day demands." Goethe said it in Wilhelm Meister's Journeyman Years, Reflections in the Spirit of the Wanderers. Translated from the original German by Spartan Surfers.

"Was aber ist deine Pflicht? Die Forderung des Tages."

Original German, Wilhelm Meister's Journeyman Years, Reflections in the Spirit of the Wanderers. Text read at gutenberg.org.

Who said it

Goethe (1749–1832). German poet, novelist, scientist and statesman, author of Faust. He believed knowing is worthless until it becomes doing.

Questions

What does "Your duty? What the day demands." mean?

Goethe does not hand out a grand mission. Your duty is whatever today is asking of you. Answer that well, every day.

Who said "Your duty? What the day demands."?

Goethe (1749–1832). Source: Wilhelm Meister's Journeyman Years, Reflections in the Spirit of the Wanderers.

What is the original German?

Was aber ist deine Pflicht? Die Forderung des Tages. Translated from the original German by Spartan Surfers.

Is "Your duty? What the day demands." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"Your duty? What the day demands." (Goethe, Wilhelm Meister's Journeyman Years, Reflections in the Spirit of the Wanderers, translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/your-duty-what-the-day-demands