Peter Nivio Zarlenga

Here is a biographical sketch and discussion of Peter Nivio Zarlenga, based on what is available from public sources. (Note: the documentary record is limited and many claims remain unverified.)

Peter Nivio Zarlenga – Life, Work & Attributed Wisdom

Introduction

Peter Nivio Zarlenga is known chiefly as an “orator” (or motivational speaker) and author of aphoristic sayings, poems, and short essays. His reputation is rooted more in the wide circulation of quotations attributed to him than in a well-documented life or corpus of books.

One of his better-known published works is The Orator: Selections from Volumes One Through Six of the Masterpiece ion of The Orator, a compilation of his sayings and short pieces.

Because reliable biographical sources are scarce, much of what follows is drawn from quotations sites, user-submitted biographies, interviews, and public archival fragments. Where possible I note uncertainties or conflicting claims.

Early Life & Background (Uncertain)

• Some online sources suggest he may have been born circa 1941 in the United States.

• Other claims (less reliably sourced) assert a birth in 1943 and a death on July 31, 2007, perhaps in Joliet, Illinois.

• One user-submitted biographical note claims he was born April 6, 1943 in the U.S. and died July 31, 2007, though this is not independently confirmed.

• According to another user response, he grew up on Chicago’s West Side, came from a family of Italian immigrants, served as a U.S. Army veteran during the Vietnam era, competed as a lifeguard, and founded the “Flight Organization for Personal Achievement.”

• However, these personal claims are anecdotal and lack verification from archival, academic, or journalistic sources. Scholars of quotation attribution treat such details with caution.

Given the lack of primary documents (birth records, interviews, press coverage), the early life of Zarlenga must be considered largely speculative.

Career, Writings & Public Presence

The Orator & Public Speaking

Zarlenga is often referred to simply as “The Orator” in reference to his role as a motivational speaker. The Orator volumes collect his poetic aphorisms, reflections, and short essays intended for self-improvement, inspiration, and inner growth.

He apparently conducted seminars or “Flight Seminar” events throughout the 1970s, using lecture formats to present his ideas. One YouTube video cites a 1977 broadcast interview under the title The Orator – Face the Newsmen, where Zarlenga speaks on his role as the Orator.

His work is not typically academic; rather, it belongs to the realm of inspirational literature, motivational oratory, and aphoristic poetry.

Published Works

• The Orator: Selections from Volumes One Through Six is the most commonly referenced published book by Zarlenga.

• Quotation and motivational sites sometimes also list The Lost Science of Money, but in many contexts this title is misattributed to him (or conflated with another author, e.g. Stephen Zarlenga).

• In fact, The Lost Science of Money is usually credited to Stephen A. Zarlenga, a monetary scholar, not Peter Nivio Zarlenga.

Hence, many attributions of economic or scholarly works to Peter Nivio Zarlenga are likely erroneous.

Themes & Style

Zarlenga’s attributed writings emphasize:

• Imagination, vision, and inner perception (“I am imagination. I can see what the eyes cannot see…”)

• Personal responsibility, self-mastery, and initiative (“I know that no one can really stop me but myself…”)

• Overcoming fear, beginning action, and perseverance (“Action conquers fear,” “Divide your movements into easy-to-do sections…”)

• Reality, authority, and principles (“No authority is higher than reality,” “First have being in your mind…”)

His voice is poetic, aphoristic, and often framed as spiritual or metaphysical motivation.

Legacy & Influence

Zarlenga’s legacy lies less in institutional impact and more in how his words have circulated through quotation anthologies, motivational slide decks, blogs, social media, and speaker references. His name appears in places alongside more established thinkers, often as a source of pithy inspiration.

His quotations are used in contexts of leadership, creativity, self-improvement, and vision.

However, the scarcity of verifiable biographical information has led to his somewhat mysterious status: more legend than documented authority.

Scholars of quotations and misattribution warn that many authors like Zarlenga risk becoming “name carriers” — people whose attributed lines travel widely even if direct verification is weak.

Selected Quotes by Peter Nivio Zarlenga

Here are several commonly circulated and often cited quotations attributed to Zarlenga:

“I am imagination. I can see what the eyes cannot see. I can hear what the ears cannot hear. I can feel what the heart cannot feel.” “Action conquers fear.” “To take refuge with an inferior is to betray one's self.” “No authority is higher than reality.” “To come to be you must have a vision of Being, a Dream, a Purpose, a Principle. You will become what your vision is.” “It is hard to begin to move when you don't know where you are moving, how to move, or if you are going to get there.” “Divide your movements into easy-to-do sections. If you fail, divide again.” “First have being in your mind. Make real in your mind then bring that being into reality.”

These reflect his concerns with imagination, inner vision, persistence, and personal responsibility.

Challenges & Uncertainties

• There is no confirmed birth date or place in reliable public records. Many claims are secondhand or anecdotal.

• Some works are misattributed or conflated with others (e.g. The Lost Science of Money is usually credited to Stephen Zarlenga, not Peter).

• The lack of media interviews, archival press, or scholarly discussion makes cross-verification difficult.

• Many biographical claims (military service, career roles, family background) appear only in user-submitted forums, which are not scholarly sources.

• Some quotation sites circulate versions of his sayings with small wording changes (common in quotation culture).

Given the above, any full biography must be tentative and cautious about attribution.

Conclusion

Peter Nivio Zarlenga is a figure who exists more through his words than through documented biography. His legacy is sustained by the resonance of his motivational, aphoristic expressions of vision, creation, and inner agency. Because of the scarcity of verifiable life data, he occupies a space somewhere between inspiration and semi-legend.