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One should aim not at being possible to understand, but at being impossible to misunderstand.

Quintilian

While we are examining into everything we sometimes find truth where we least expected it.
QUINTILIAN

Examination Expectation Time
Give bread to a stranger, in the name of the universal brotherhood which binds together all men under the common father of nature.
QUINTILIAN

Father Food Nature Poor Stranger Togetherness
A great part of art consists in imitation. For the whole conduct of life is based on this: that what we admire in others we want to do ourselves.
QUINTILIAN

Admire Art Consist Greatness Life Ourselves
One should aim not at being possible to understand, but at being impossible to misunderstand.
QUINTILIAN

Goal Perspective Possible
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
The learned understand the reason of art; the unlearned feel the pleasure.
QUINTILIAN

Art Feeling Learning Pleasure Reason Understand
Those who wish to appear wise among fools, among the wise seem foolish.
QUINTILIAN

Appearance Fools Virtue Wisdom
(Slaughter) means blood and iron.
QUINTILIAN

Blood Death Iron
Nature herself has never attempted to effect great changes rapidly.
QUINTILIAN

Change Greatness Nature
Forbidden pleasures alone are loved immoderately; when lawful, they do not excite desire.
QUINTILIAN

Alone Desire Excite Feeling Law
We must form our minds by reading deep rather than wide.
QUINTILIAN

Form Mindset Reading Wide
Too exact, and studious of similitude rather than of beauty.
QUINTILIAN

Beautiful Exact Similar
By writing quickly we are not brought to write well, but by writing well we are brought to write quickly.
QUINTILIAN

Difference Literature Poet Writing
It is much easier to try one’s hand at many things than to concentrate one’s powers on one thing.
QUINTILIAN

Easy Hand Oneself Power Try
The prosperous can not easily form a right idea of misery.
QUINTILIAN

Easy Ideas Misery Prosperity Right
That which prematurely arrives at perfection soon perishes.
QUINTILIAN

Arrival Lost Perfection Vanish

One should aim not at being possible to understand, but at being impossible to misunderstand.

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One should aim not at being possible to understand, but at being impossible to misunderstand.

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Popular Authors

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