I had much rather be adorned by beauty of character than by jewels. Jewels are the gift of fortune, character comes from within.
PlautusRead
Bad conduct soils the finest ornament more than filth.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Poor behavior tarnishes one's reputation more than any physical dirt.
This quote suggests that one's moral character and actions are far more important than physical appearance or possessions. In essence, it emphasizes that bad conduct can overshadow any beauty or value one might have, highlighting the importance of integrity and good behavior in one's life.
Themes
ConductCharacterIntegrityReputationBehavior
In practice
Example use cases
A teacher might use this quote when discussing the importance of academic honesty with students.
More from Plautus
All quotes βProperty is unstable, and youth perishes in a moment. Life itself is held in the grinning fangs of Death, Yet men delay to obtain release from the world. Alas, the conduct of mankind is surprising.
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Things we do not expect, happen more frequently than we wish.
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The gods confound the man who first found out How to distinguish hours! Confound him, too, Who in this place set up a sun-dial, To cut and hack my days so wretchedly Into small portions.
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I would rather be adorned by beauty of character than jewels. Jewels are the gift of fortune, while character comes from within.
PlautusRead
If I can only keep my good name, I shall have riches enough.
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