Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Related Quotes

Jonathan Swift, pen names, M.B. Drapier, Lemuel Gulliver, Isaac Bickerstaff

The only benefit of flattery is that by hearing what we are not, we may be instructed what we ought to be.

Character | Flattery |

Saint Augustine, aka Augustine of Hippo, St. Austin, Bishop of Hippo NULL

He is the greater friend whose censure heals than he whose flattery anoints the head.

Censure | Flattery | Friend | Wisdom |

George Eliot, pen name of Mary Ann or Marian Evans

He whose ruling passion is the love of praise is a slave to everyone who has a tongue for flattery and calumny.

Calumny | Flattery | Love | Passion | Praise | Wisdom |

Lawrence Sterne, alternatively Laurence Sterne

In solitude the mind gains strength, and learns to lean upon herself; in the world it seeks or accepts of a few treacherous supports - the feigned compassion of one, the flattery of a second, the civilities of a third, the friendship of a fourth - they all deceive and bring the mind back to retirement, reflection, and books.

Books | Compassion | Flattery | Mind | Reflection | Retirement | Solitude | Strength | Wisdom | World | Friendship |

Samuel Johnson, aka Doctor Johnson

The mischief of flattery is not that it persuades any man that he is what he is not, but that it suppresses the influence of honest ambition, by raising an opinion that honor may be gained without the toil of merit.

Ambition | Flattery | Honor | Influence | Man | Merit | Opinion |

Niccolò Machiavelli, formally Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli

There is no other way of guarding one’s self against flattery than by letting men understand that they will not offend you by speaking the truth; but when everyone can tell you the truth, you lose their respect. A prudent prince must therefore take a third course, by choosing for his council wise men, and giving these alone full liberty to speak the truth to him, but only of those things that he asks and of nothing else; but he must ask them about everything and hear their opinion, and afterwards deliberate by himself in his own way.

Flattery | Giving | Liberty | Men | Nothing | Opinion | Respect | Self | Truth | Will | Wise | Understand |

Plutarch, named Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus after becoming Roman citizen NULL

It is no flattery to give a friend a due character; for commendation is as much the duty of a friend as reprehension.

Character | Duty | Flattery | Friend |

Meher Baba, born Merwan Sheriar Irani

Trust God completely and He will solve all your difficulties. Faithfully leave everything to Him and He will see to everything. Love God sincerely and He will reveal Himself to you. I am never silent. I speak eternally. The voice that is heard deep within the soul is My voice...the voice of inspiration, of intuition, of guidance. To those who are receptive to this voice, I speak. Everything is Mine except for Myself; Myself is for those who love Me. I am the Ancient One, The Highest of the High. Love Me; Love Me; Love Me; and you will find Me. This is Truth but intellect cannot grasp it, wisdom cannot weigh it, space cannot hold it, time cannot check it, angels cannot fathom it, but human beings can realize it through love, the Divine Love, the Love for the Almighty, except whom, nothing is. If you have rock-like faith in God and flame-like love for Him, nothing in this world will affect you. Misery will not trouble you, flattery will not touch you, happiness will not humour you. Such faith and love will cause you to rise above the imaginary phenomenon and make you understand that God alone is real. Trust God completely and He will solve all your difficulties. Faithfully leave everything to Him and He will see to everything. Love God sincerely and He will reveal Himself to you. This love needs no ceremonies and show. Your heart must love so that even your mind is not aware of it. Let nothing shake your faith in Me, and all your bindings will be shaken off. Once you open your wings to fly, you must fly straight like the swan. Do not flit from tree to tree like the sparrow, or many things will distract you.

Cause | Faith | Flattery | God | Heart | Love | Mind | Nothing | Soul | Space | Time | Truth | Will | Trouble | God | Happiness | Intellect | Understand |

Minna Thomas Antrim

Between flattery and admiration there often flows a river of contempt.

Admiration | Flattery |

Niccolò Machiavelli, formally Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli

There is no other way to guard yourself against flattery than by making men understand that telling you the truth will not offend you.

Flattery | Men | Truth | Will | Understand |

Plutarch, named Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus after becoming Roman citizen NULL

Just as it is shameful to flatter when aiming to please, so it is a shameful when trying to avoid flattery to destroy the friendly thoughtfulness of another by immoderate speech.

Destroy | Flattery |

Helen Rowland

After a few years of marriage a man can look right at a woman without seeing her and a woman can see right through a man without looking at him.

Criticism | Flattery | Love |

Rumi, fully Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rumi NULL

There are lovers content with longing. I’m not one of them.

Flattery | Hypocrisy | Taste |

Joseph Sanial-Dubay

The life of a miser is a play of which we applaud only the closing scene.

Flattery | Rest | Time |

Samuel Johnson, aka Doctor Johnson

Keeping accounts, Sir, is of no use when a man is spending his own money, and has nobody to whom he is to account. You won't eat less beef today, because you have written down what it cost yesterday.

Flattery | Praise |