Friendship is the only thing in the world concerning the usefulness of which all mankind are agreed.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
It is our own evil thoughts which madden us.
Interpretation
Our negative thoughts can drive us to madness and unhappiness.
This quote by Marcus Tullius Cicero explores the idea that the turmoil and distress we experience are often caused not by external factors but by our own negative thoughts and perceptions. It emphasizes the importance of cultivating a positive mindset and suggests that by controlling our thoughts, we can prevent self-inflicted chaos and suffering.
In practice
During a motivational speech about mental wellness.
Friendship is the only thing in the world concerning the usefulness of which all mankind are agreed.
Those wars are unjust which are undertaken without provocation. For only a war waged for revenge or defence can actually be just.
Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak.
Nothing contributes to the entertainment of the reader more, than the change of times and the vicissitudes of fortune.
No one has the right to be sorry for himself for a misfortune that strikes everyone.
Advice in old age is foolish; for what can be more absurd than to increase our provisions for the road the nearer we approach to our journey's end.
My case is a species of madness, only that it is a derangement of the Volition, and not of the intellectual faculties.
Man is the highest being that exists, and this is the greatest world.
There is a common perception that compassion is, if not actually an impediment, at least irrelevant to professional life. Personally, I would argue that not only is it relevant, but that when compassion is lacking, our activities are in danger of becoming destructive. This is because when we ignore the question of the impact our actions have on others' well-being, inevitably we end up hurting them.
It would be my greatest sadness to see Zionists (Jews) do to Palestinian Arabs much of what Nazis did to Jews.
No government ought to be without censors; and where the press is free no one ever will.
If you're going to have a male-dominant system, to maintain the system, you have to teach men to dominate.
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