Salomon saith, There is no new thing upon the earth. So that as Plato had an imagination, that all knowledge was but remembrance; so Salomon giveth his sentence, that all novelty is but oblivion.
Francis BaconRead
Fame is like a river, that beareth up things light and swollen, and drowns things weighty and solid.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Fame can elevate superficial aspects while obscuring deeper truths.
In this quote, Francis Bacon uses the metaphor of a river to illustrate how fame can elevate trivial or insubstantial qualities, much like lighter objects floating on water. In contrast, it can drown out the more meaningful and substantial qualities that are too heavy to be carried by the currents of public attention. This highlights the often misleading nature of fame, where popular recognition does not equate to true value or significance.
Themes
FameRiverSuperficialTruthMetaphor
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about the nature of success, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of substance over superficial acclaim.
More from Francis Bacon
All quotes →Nothing doth more hurt in a state than that cunning men pass for wise.
Francis BaconRead
Truth emerges more readily from error than from confusion.
Francis BaconRead
Great art is always a way of concentrating, reinventing what is called fact, what we know of our existence- a reconcentration… tearing away the veils, the attitudes people acquire of their time and earlier time. Really good artists tear down those veils
Francis BaconRead
Wise men make more opportunities than they find.
Francis BaconRead
Knowledge and human power are synonymous.
Francis BaconRead
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