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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

All speech is vain and empty unless it be accompanied by action.
DEMOSTHENES

Accompany Action Empty Speech
To remind a man of the good turns you have done him is very much like a reproach.
DEMOSTHENES

Goodness Reminder Reproach
Everything great is not always good, but all good things, are great.
DEMOSTHENES

Appearance Goodness Greatness
Great and unexpected successes are often the cause of foolish rushing into acts of extravagance.
DEMOSTHENES

Act Fools Greatness Rush Success
By persistent labor man may attain to all excellence.
DEMOSTHENES

Excellence Hard Work Persistence
As a vessel is known by the sound, whether it be cracked or not; so men are proved, by their speeches, whether they be wise or foolish.
DEMOSTHENES

Crack Fools Known Sound Wisdom
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
Every dictator is an enemy of freedom, an opponent of law.
DEMOSTHENES

Dictatorship Enemy Freedom Opponent
The sower of the seed is assuredly the author of the whole harvest of mischief.
DEMOSTHENES

Author Harvest Mischief Sow Story
The best protection for the people is not necessarily to believe everything people tell them.
DEMOSTHENES

Necessary People Protection Talk
We need money, for sure, Athenians, and without money nothing can be done that ought to be done.
DEMOSTHENES

Existence Money Need
Close alliances with despots are never safe for free states.
DEMOSTHENES

Freedom Safety State
There is one safeguard known generally to the wise, which is an advantage and security to all, but especially to democracies as against despots – suspicion.
DEMOSTHENES

Guard Known Safety Suspicious
The readiest and surest way to get rid of censure, is to correct ourselves.
DEMOSTHENES

Correct Ourselves Ready Way
We believe whatever we want to believe.
DEMOSTHENES

Believe Willing

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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Popular Authors

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