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Men do not rest content with parrying the attacks of a superior, but often strike the first blow to prevent the attack being made.

Thucydides

People get into the habit of entrusting the things they desire to wishful thinking, and subjecting things they don’t desire to exhaustive thinking.
THUCYDIDES

Desire Habit People Subject Thinking Trust
And where the rewards for merit are greatest, there are found the best citizens.
THUCYDIDES

Best Citizenship Greatness Reward
The growth of the power of Athens, and the alarm which this inspired in Sparta, made war inevitable.
THUCYDIDES

Alarm Growth Power War
Most people, in fact, will not take the trouble in finding out the truth, but are much more inclined to accept the first story they hear.
THUCYDIDES

Fact Finding Hear People Story Trouble Truth
For men naturally despise those who court them, but respect those who do not give way to them.
THUCYDIDES

Man Natural Respect Way
knowing the secret of happiness to be freedom, and the secret of freedom a brave heart, not idly to stand aside from the enemy’s onset.
THUCYDIDES

Brave Enemy Freedom Happiness Heart Secret
I am not blaming those who are resolved to rule, only those who show an even greater readiness to submit.
THUCYDIDES

Blame Greatness Myself Ready Rule Submit
Men do not rest content with parrying the attacks of a superior, but often strike the first blow to prevent the attack being made.
THUCYDIDES

Attack Man Prevent Rest Superior
Happiness depends on being free, and freedom depends on being courageous.
THUCYDIDES

Courage Deep Freedom Happiness
Hope, danger’s comforter.
THUCYDIDES

Comfortable Dangerous Hope
In a democracy, someone who fails to get elected to office can always console himself with the thought that there was something not quite fair about it.
THUCYDIDES

Democracy Election Failure Fair Office Quite
Knowledge without understanding is useless.
THUCYDIDES

Knowledge Understand Wasted
It is from the greatest dangers that the greatest glory is to be won.
THUCYDIDES

Dangerous Glory Greatness Win
Contempt for an assailant is best shown by bravery in action.
THUCYDIDES

Action Assasination Best Brave
The whole earth is the sepulchre of famous men.
THUCYDIDES

Earth Fame Famous Man Place
War is a matter not so much of arms as of money.
THUCYDIDES

Arms Money War

Men do not rest content with parrying the attacks of a superior, but often strike the first blow to prevent the attack being made.

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Men do not rest content with parrying the attacks of a superior, but often strike the first blow to prevent the attack being made.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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