A prince is also respected when he is a true friend and a true enemy. – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? In this passage, he is talking about how a Prince should conduct himself in a manner to gain renown, or a good kind of fame. He urges the Prince to set a fine example, to…
I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence. – Frederick Douglass What does that mean? To me, this appears to be a variant of the old Shaksperian statement (from Polonius to Laertes in ‘Hamlet’ A1S3) “To…
… and if indeed sometimes I happen to tell the truth, I hide it among so many lies that it is hard to find. – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? This is a twitter friendly version of a longer quote: “For a long time I have not said what I believed nor do I ever…
A return to first principles in a Republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. – Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? The more complete version of the quote is “A return to first principles in a Republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His good example has such an…
Men of genius are admired, men of wealth are envied, men of power are feared; but only men of character are trusted. – Alfred Adler What does that mean? People of genius, like Albert Einstein and Marie Curie are admired or held in high esteem, both for their abilities as scientists as well as for what they actually achieved. People of wealth, like Bill Gates or Oprah Winfrey are envied or looked at with covetous…
Of all the properties which belong to honorable men, not one is so highly prized as that of character. – Henry Clay What does that mean? This quote is showing it’s age. I’d hate to have to do a sentence diagram of it. Let’s see if I can make it into slightly better English. “Honorable…
Courage is the ladder on which all the other virtues mount. – Clare Boothe Luce What does that mean? While the verbage is a bit archaic, I believe it is as true today as it was when it was first spoken. Reworded, Courage is the ladder all the other virtues need in order to ascend. Basically, courage is a foundational virtue, one without which the…
Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth. – Muhammad Ali What does that mean? Service to others is a great idea. I’m not talking about “Would you like fries with that?” but actually doing something that helps other people with their lives. Helping someone learn to read. Helping…
A slender acquaintance with the world must convince every man that actions, not words, are the true criterion of the attachment of friends. – George Washington What does that mean? This quote is fairly typical of his day and age. Back then, you didn’t have strangers asking to be your friend on every Social Media site….
For peace is not mere absence of war, but is a virtue that springs from, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice. – Baruch Spinoza What does that mean? This quote is just a little long for use on Twitter, and is often changed slightly or tightened up a bit. I have presented…
Knowledge which is divorced from justice, may be called cunning rather than wisdom. – Cicero What does that mean? In this quote, I believe he is talking about the fact that knowledge doesn’t have morals built into it. Fire can be used to keep you warm, or it can be used to kill you. Fire…
Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. – Oscar Wilde What does that mean? This quote states that everyone who has been declared a Saint was, at one time, something less than saintly. This is a word of encouragement, that every person who has been made a saint was once a normal…
One can acquire everything in solitude, except character. – Stendahl What does that mean? It means you can read books, you can meditate, you can pray, you can sing, you can learn to dance (solo) and you can practice all kinds of personal skills. All of these things you can do in solitude, whether on a…
The world is a dangerous place to live. Not because of the people who are evil; but because of the people who don’t do anything about it. – Albert Einstein What does that mean? The quote starts by saying the world is a dangerous place, which it always has been, and likely, always will be. However,…
We cannot attribute to fortune or virtue that which is achieved without either.– Niccolò Machiavelli What does that mean? The quote is saying that if you have had a stroke of luck, and ended up in an advantageous position, it’s fair to credit (good) fortune for your success. If you ended up in an advantageous position…
