Life is not merely to be alive, but to be well.
MartialRead
Conceal a flaw, and the world will imagine the worst.
Interpretation
Hiding imperfections can lead to greater misunderstandings and negative assumptions from others.
The quote by Martial emphasizes that when individuals try to hide their flaws or imperfections, it often leads others to speculate or imagine far worse interpretations. This suggests that honesty and openness about our deficiencies might foster acceptance and understanding rather than judgment and negativity.
In practice
During a team meeting, someone might use this quote to encourage colleagues to be open about challenges they face rather than hiding them.
Life is not merely to be alive, but to be well.
To the ashes of the dead glory comes too late.
Life's not just about being alive, but being well.
My poems are naughty, but my life is pure.
Neither fear your death's day nor long for it.
Service cannot be expected from a friend in service; let him be a freeman who wishes to be my master.
Some philosophers can't bear to say simple things, like "Suppose a dog bites a man." They feel obliged instead to say, "Suppose a dog d bites a man m at time t," thereby demonstrating their unshakable commitment to logical rigor, even though they don't go on to manipulate any formulae involving d, m, and t.
The waters are in motion, but the moon retains its serenity.
Under the First Amendment there is no such thing as a false idea. However pernicious an opinion may seem, we depend for its correction not on the conscience of judges and juries but on the competition of other ideas.
Competition, by itself, always leads to cheating by the powerful, who try to establish pyramids of power, like feudalism. Yet, competition is the great creative force! So how do we save it from its own contradictions? By cooperation! By cooperating with each other, via politics, to make rules and prevent cheating, so that competition can thrive!
I believe in clear-cut positions. I think that the most arrogant position is this apparent, multidisciplinary modesty of "what I am saying now is not unconditional, it is just a hypothesis," and so on. It really is a most arrogant position. I think that the only way to be honest and expose yourself to criticism is to state clearly and dogmatically where you are. You must take the risk and have a position.
The moment that justice must be paid for by the victim of injustice it becomes itself injustice.
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