Quote Of The Day By Elvis Presley: 'To Judge A Man By His Weakest Link Or Deed Is Like ...'

Rock 'n' roll has produced much royalty, but it's only ever had one King. Elvis Presley earned the throne thanks to his impressive vocal range, heartbreaking croon, undeniable swagger, and gyrating hips. When he shook them a little too much performing "Hound Dog" on "The Milton Berle Show" in 1956, the adults were shocked, the media caught fire, and the kids couldn't get enough. 

Prestley was an all-around entertainer. On top of over 1 billion in record sales, 18 chart-topping singles, and three Grammys, he was a movie star, lending his presence to films like "Blue Hawaii" and "Viva Las Vegas." But he also faced his share of struggles in the '70s: periods of commercial failure, substance abuse problems, and a bitter divorce. 

The only child of Vernon and Gladys Presley, Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, in 1935, and he grew up in poverty. In 1948, the family settled in Memphis, Tennessee., where he soaked in his musical influences. He grew up listening to country and bluegrass — catching R&B and blues bands in the clubs on Beale Street, and singing gospel in the church choir. When he signed his first deal with the local Sun Records label, home to greats like Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis, he was a truck driver. 

Elvis's death in 1977 changed rock music forever, and it's hard to overstate the legacy he left. In a way, his story — the triumphs and tragedies of a poor kid becoming the biggest of stars, only to be swept away by it all — is the story of how rock 'n' roll grew up. That's why he's our quote of the day.

"To judge a man by his weakest link or deed is like judging the power of the ocean by one wave."

As reported in the Daily Mail in 2012, this quote comes from one of Elvis' Bibles that was coming up for auction. Presley received it as a Christmas gift from his aunt and uncle in 1957, when he was 22 and celebrating the holiday for the first time at Graceland Mansion (which his daughter, Priscilla, turned into a tourist attraction). It's reportedly filled with handwritten notes and marginalia. The auction took place on the 35th anniversary of his death, August 16, 2012.

In the quote, Presley reminds us to reserve judgment and be forgiving of ourselves and others.

We are more than our worst moments and better than our flaws, and these should not define us. Everyone makes mistakes and has bad days. We all have weaknesses and have been stung by our own regrettable choices. It's all too easy to cast judgement without knowing the whole picture — one nasty wave doesn't mean there's a hurricane. Scribbled in Elvis's copy of the Bible, the note extrapolates from Matthew 7:1: "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged." 

Though religious leaders demonized Presley and rock 'n' roll in the '50s, he seems to have maintained his faith and even prayed before performances. "No, I don't go to church regular anymore, if that's what they mean by religious," he wrote in fan magazine "Elvis Answers Back," before adding (via Express), "I want you to know this. I believe in God, I believe in Him with all my heart."

If anyone understood the need for judging others not by their worst decisions or moments, it's Elvis. Despite his earlier successes, as his career slowed in the '70s, he took a lashing from critics and the press, struggled with his weight, became a joke among critics, and experienced addiction issues. Yet it's unfair to focus only on these low points — we can't know what he was going through then, and, ultimately, we must take the whole measure of a person.

With others — and yourself — be forgiving. Everyone has the capacity to be and do better, and no one is irredeemable. Don't judge a book by its cover; try to be charitable, empathetic, and kind.

• "When I was a child, ladies and gentlemen, I was a dreamer. I read comic books and I was the hero of the comic book. I saw movies and I was the hero in the movie. So every dream I ever dreamed has come true a hundred times." 
• "Hollywood's image of me was wrong. I knew it, and I couldn't say anything about it. It was nobody's fault except maybe my own, but I was attached to things I didn't fully believe in." 
• "Man, I was tame compared to what they do now! Are you kidding? I didn't do anything but just jiggle, you know?" 
• "Sometimes when I walk into a room at home and see all those gold records hanging around the walls I think they must belong to another person. Not me. I just can't believe it's me." 
• "I never get completely comfortable with it, and I don't let the people around me get comfortable with it, in that I remind them that it's a new crowd out there, it's a new audience, and they haven't seen us before. So it's got to be like the first time we go on." 
• "I liked all different types of music when I was a child, you know. Of course, the Grand Ole Opry was the first thing I ever heard, probably, but I liked the blues and I liked the gospel music, gospel quartets, and all that." 
• "I wouldn't knock Frank Sinatra. I like him very much. If I remember correctly, he was also part of a trend, just like Rock 'n' Roll. I think it's the greatest music ever naturally 'cause it's the only thing I can do! If I were a pop singer, I'd prefer pop."