We have done with Hope and Honour. we are lost to Love and Truth, We are dropping down the ladder rung by rung; And the measure of our torment is the measure of our youth. God help us, for we knew the worst too young!
Rudyard KiplingRead
And the end of the fight is tombstone white with the name of the late deceased, and the epitaph drear, "A Fool lies here who tried to hustle the East."
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the futility of trying to deceive or outsmart others, emphasizing the inevitable consequences of such actions.
Rudyard Kipling's quote illustrates the idea that those who attempt to outwit or deceive others ultimately face failure and decline. The imagery of a tombstone bearing the epitaph of a fool serves as a poignant reminder that life's battles, especially those against deception, often lead to ruin. In essence, it warns against the arrogance of believing one can manipulate or hustle others without facing repercussions.
Themes
DeceptionFoolishnessConsequencesHumilityTruth
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the consequences of dishonest dealings, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of integrity.
More from Rudyard Kipling
All quotes βHumble because of knowledge; mighty by sacrifice.
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Hear and attend and listen; for this is what befell and be-happened and became and was, O my Best Beloved, when the Tame animals were wild. The dog was wild, and the Horse was wild, and the Cow was wild, and the Sheep was wild, and the Pig was wild -as wild as wild could be - and they walked in the Wet Wild Woods by their wild lones. But the wildest of all the wild animals was the Cat. He walked by himself and all places were alike to him
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I keep six honest serving men.
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And when your back stops aching and your hands begin to harden, You will find yourself a partner in the Glory of the Garden.
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Savings represent much more than mere money value. They are the proof that the saver is worth something in himself. Any fool can waste; any fool can muddle; but it takes something more of a man to save and the more he saves the more of a man he makes of himself. Waste and extravagance unsettle a man's mind for every crisis; thrift, which means some form of self-restraint, steadies it.
Rudyard KiplingRead
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