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The soul languishing in obscurity contracts a kind of rust, or abandons itself to the chimera of presumption; for it is natural for it to acquire something, even when separated from any one.

Quintilian

When defeat is inevitable, it is wisest to yield.
QUINTILIAN

Defeat Protection Wisdom
For all the best teachers pride themselves on having a large number of pupils and think themselves worthy of a bigger audience.
QUINTILIAN

Audience Best Big Pride Teacher Worth
It is the nurse that the child first hears, and her words that he will first attempt to imitate.
QUINTILIAN

Children Himself Imitation Nurse
He who speaks evil only differs from his who does evil in that he lacks opportunity.
QUINTILIAN

Evil Himself Opportunity Talk
Fear of the future is worse than one’s present fortune.
QUINTILIAN

Fear Fortune Future Present
Nature herself has never attempted to effect great changes rapidly.
QUINTILIAN

Change Greatness Nature
Everything that has a beginning comes to an end.
QUINTILIAN

Advice Beginning End Proverb
The perfection of art is to conceal art.
QUINTILIAN

Art Hide Perfection
Our minds are like our stomaches; they are whetted by the change of their food, and variety supplies both with fresh appetite.
QUINTILIAN

Change Food Fresh Mindset Stomach
God, that all-powerful Creator of nature and architect of the world, has impressed man with no character so proper to distinguish him from other animals, as by the faculty of speech.
QUINTILIAN

Animal Creation Faculty God Impression Nature Powerful Talk
Conscience is a thousand witnesses.
QUINTILIAN

Conscience One Liner Perspective Spirituality
A liar should have a good memory.
QUINTILIAN

Goodness Lying Memory
In a crowd, on a journey, at a banquet even, a line of thought can itself provide its own seclusion.
QUINTILIAN

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

Complimentary Design Laughter Raise
One thing, however, I must premise, that without the assistance of natural capacity, rules and precepts are of no efficacy.
QUINTILIAN

Assistance Capacity Natural Rule
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

The soul languishing in obscurity contracts a kind of rust, or abandons itself to the chimera of presumption; for it is natural for it to acquire something, even when separated from any one.

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The soul languishing in obscurity contracts a kind of rust, or abandons itself to the chimera of presumption; for it is natural for it to acquire something, even when separated from any one.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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