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It is the natural disposition of all men to listen with pleasure to abuse and slander of their neighbour, and to hear with impatience those who utter praises of themselves.

Demosthenes

Every dictator is an enemy of freedom, an opponent of law.
DEMOSTHENES

Dictatorship Enemy Freedom Opponent
We believe whatever we want to believe.
DEMOSTHENES

Believe Willing
Close alliances with despots are never safe for free states.
DEMOSTHENES

Freedom Safety State
The sower of the seed is assuredly the author of the whole harvest of mischief.
DEMOSTHENES

Author Harvest Mischief Sow Story
Nothing is so easy as to deceive one’s self; for what we wish, that we readily believe; but such expectations are often inconsistent with the real state of things.
DEMOSTHENES

Believe Consistency Easy Expectation State
The end of wisdom is consultation and deliberation.
DEMOSTHENES

Consult End Wisdom
Nothing is so easy as to deceive oneself; for what we wish, we readily believe.
DEMOSTHENES

Believe Deceive Easy One Liner
You cannot have a proud and chivalrous spirit if your conduct is mean and paltry; for whatever a man’s actions are, such must be his spirit.
DEMOSTHENES

Action Himself Proud Spirit
No man who is not willing to help himself has any right to apply to his friends, or to the gods.
DEMOSTHENES

Friendship Himself Man Willing
Great and unexpected successes are often the cause of foolish rushing into acts of extravagance.
DEMOSTHENES

Act Fools Greatness Rush Success
The more able a man is, if he make ill use of his abilities, the more dangerous will he be to the commonwealth.
DEMOSTHENES

Ability Common Dangerous Man
The fact speak for themselves.
DEMOSTHENES

Fact Ourselves Talk
Do you remember that in classical times when Cicero had finished speaking, the people said, “How well he spoke” but when Demosthenes had finished speaking, they said, “Let us march.
DEMOSTHENES

Ourselves People Talk Time
All speech is vain and empty unless it be accompanied by action.
DEMOSTHENES

Accompany Action Empty Speech
A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true.
DEMOSTHENES

Believe Easy General Man True
Good fortune is the greatest of blessings, but good counsel comes next, and the lack of it destroys the other also.
DEMOSTHENES

Blessing Destroy Fortune Goodness

It is the natural disposition of all men to listen with pleasure to abuse and slander of their neighbour, and to hear with impatience those who utter praises of themselves.

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It is the natural disposition of all men to listen with pleasure to abuse and slander of their neighbour, and to hear with impatience those who utter praises of themselves.

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