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Those who wish to appear wise among fools, among the wise seem foolish.

Quintilian

Sayings designed to raise a laugh are generally untrue and never complimentary. Laughter is never far removed from derision.
QUINTILIAN

Complimentary Design Laughter Raise
Those who wish to appear learned to fools, appear as fools to the learned.
QUINTILIAN

Appearance Fools Learning
A man who tries to surpass another may perhaps succeed in equaling in not actually surpassing him, but one who merely follows can never quite come up with him: a follower, necessarily, is always behind.
QUINTILIAN

Equality Follow Himself Man Quite Success
While we ponder when to begin, it becomes too late to do.
QUINTILIAN

Action Beginning Late
Ambition is a vice, but it may be the father of virtue.
QUINTILIAN

Ambition Father Vice Virtue
The obscurity of a writer is generally in proportion to his incapacity.
QUINTILIAN

Capacity Writing
It seldom happens that a premature shoot of genius ever arrives at maturity.
QUINTILIAN

Arrival Genius Maturity
A religion without mystics is a philosophy.
QUINTILIAN

One Liner Philosophy Religion
It is easier to do many things than to do one thing continuously for a long time.
QUINTILIAN

Different Easy Time
We must form our minds by reading deep rather than wide.
QUINTILIAN

Form Mindset Reading Wide
Men of quality are in the wrong to undervalue, as they often do, the practise of a fair and quick hand in writing; for it is no immaterial accomplishment.
QUINTILIAN

Accomplishment Man Quality Value Wrong
Where evil habits are once settled, they are more easily broken than mended.
QUINTILIAN

Break Easy Evil Habit Repair Settle
One should aim not at being possible to understand, but at being impossible to misunderstand.
QUINTILIAN

Goal Perspective Possible
Though ambition may be a fault in itself, it is often the mother of virtues.
QUINTILIAN

Ambition Mistake Mom Virtue
For comic writers charge Socrates with making the worse appear the better reason.
QUINTILIAN

Appearance Better Comic Reason Worst Writing
To swear, except when necessary, is becoming to an honorable man.
QUINTILIAN

Exception Honor Man Necessary

Those who wish to appear wise among fools, among the wise seem foolish.

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Those who wish to appear wise among fools, among the wise seem foolish.

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