The blaze of reputation cannot be blown out, but it often dies in the socket; a very few names may be considered as perpetual lamps that shine unconsumed.
Interpretation
Reputation is enduring but fragile, requiring nurturing to remain vibrant.
This quote by Samuel Johnson suggests that while a strong reputation can be enduring, it is also vulnerable and can fade over time if not properly maintained. He implies that only a select few individuals manage to maintain a glowing reputation that remains bright throughout their lives, much like a perpetual lamp that never runs out of fuel.
In practice
In a motivational speech about career advancement.
To be of no church is dangerous. Religion, of which the rewards are distant, and which is animated only by faith and hope, will glide by degrees out of the mind unless it be invigorated and reimpressed by external ordinances, by stated calls to worship, and the salutary influence of example.
He that reads and grows no wiser seldom suspects his own deficiency, but complains of hard words and obscure sentences, and asks why books are written which cannot be understood.
To let friendship die away by negligence and silence is certainly not wise. It is voluntarily to throw away one of the greatest comforts of the weary pilgrimage.
Fly-fishing may be a very pleasant amusement; but angling or float fishing I can only compare to a stick and a string, with a worm at one end and a fool at the other.
When any anxiety or gloom of the mind takes hold of you, make it a rule not to publish it by complaining; but exert yourselves to hide it, and by endeavoring to hide it you drive it away.
A fishing rod is a stick with a hook at one end and a fool at the other.
I will certainly not join politics. I would like to be remembered as a clean businessman who has not partaken in any twists and turns beneath the surface, and one who has been reasonably successful.
Great companies don't just have one founding moment. They have many founding moments.
Here's what you should say [to an investor]: 'this is what my company does' It's that simple. What you're trying to do is get potential investors to fantasize about how your product or service will make a boatload of money. They can't fantasize if they don't know what you do.
It's all about dreams. If I had to attribute my success in life to any one thing it is this. I believed in my dreams, even when no one else did.
Your premium brand had better be delivering something special, or it's not going to get the business.
The door to a balanced success opens widest on the hinges of hope and encouragement.
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