Patience patience quotes is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
Jean-Jacques RousseauRead
Fame is but the breath of people, and that often unwholesome.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Fame is fleeting and often comes with negative consequences due to public opinion.
In this quote, Rousseau highlights the transient nature of fame, suggesting that it is largely determined by the opinions and perceptions of others, which can be fickle and unhealthy. He cautions that seeking fame may lead to a dependency on public approval, ultimately detracting from one’s true self and well-being.
Themes
FamePublic OpinionTransienceSelfApproval
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on the dangers of seeking fame, a speaker could use this quote to illustrate their point.
More from Jean-Jacques Rousseau
All quotes →The infant, on opening his eyes, ought to see his country, and to the hour of his death never lose sight of it.
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What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?
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O love, if I regret the age when one savors you, it is not for the hour of pleasure, but for the one that follows it.
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Those people who treat politics and morality separately will never understand either of them.
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As evening approached, I came down from the heights of the island, and I liked then to go and sit on the shingle in some secluded spot by the lake; there the noise of the waves and the movement of the water, taking hold of my senses and driving all other agitation from my soul, would plunge me into delicious reverie in which night often stole upon me unawares.
Jean-Jacques RousseauRead
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