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Before a man dies, hold back and call him not happy but lucky.

Herodotus

How can a monarchy be a suitable thing, which allows a man to do as he pleases with none to hold him to account. And even if you were to take the best man on earth, and put him into a monarchy, you put outside him the thoughts that usually guide him.
HERODOTUS

Himself Men Politics Rule
The gods loves to punish whatever is greater than the rest.
HERODOTUS

God Greatness Love
There is nothing more foolish, nothing more given to outrage than a useless mob.
HERODOTUS

Foolish Outrage Useless War
Those who are guided by reason are generally successful in their plans; those who are rash and precipitate seldom enjoy the favour of the gods.
HERODOTUS

Enjoyment Favour God Reason Success
The man who has planned badly, if fortune is on his side, may have had a stroke of luck; but his plan was a bad one nonetheless.
HERODOTUS

Fortune Luck Men Side
But if you know that you are a man too, and that even such are those that rule, learn this first of all: that all human affairs are a wheel which, as it turns, does not allow the same men always to be fortunate.
HERODOTUS

Change Fortunate Human Men Rule
Envy is so natural to human kind, that it cannot but arise.
HERODOTUS

Character Envy Human Kind Nature
The worst part a man can suffer is to have insight into much and power over nothing.
HERODOTUS

Men Philosophy Power Suffering Worst
He is the best man who, when making his plans, fears and reflects on everything that can happen to him, but in the moment of action is bold.
HERODOTUS

Action Bold Men Moments Planning
But this I know: if all mankind were to take their troubles to market with the idea of exchanging them, anyone seeing what his neighbor’s troubles were like would be glad to go home with his own.
HERODOTUS

Deep Happiness Home Ideas Philosophy
Of all possessions a friend is the most precious.
HERODOTUS

Friendship Material Value
If one is sufficiently lavish with time, everything possible happens.
HERODOTUS

Inspirational Possible Time
It is sound planning that invariably earns us the outcome we want; without it, even the gods are unlikely to look with favour on our designs.
HERODOTUS

Design Effort Favour Outcomes Result
I never yet feared those men who set a place apart in the middle of their cities where they gather to cheat one another and swear oaths which they break.
HERODOTUS

Break Cheating Fear Men Place
I am bound to tell what I am told, but not in every case to believe it.
HERODOTUS

Believe Bound Cases Myself
Haste in every business brings failures.
HERODOTUS

Business Failure Haste

Before a man dies, hold back and call him not happy but lucky.

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Before a man dies, hold back and call him not happy but lucky.

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