Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.
Alexander PopeRead
Fly, dotard, fly! With thy wise dreams and fables of the sky.
Interpretation
This quote suggests the folly of clinging to unrealistic ideals and fantasies.
In this quote, Alexander Pope addresses a foolish or aging person ('dotard') who is caught up in idealistic dreams and imaginative tales. Pope encourages this individual to abandon these lofty fantasies and instead confront the reality of life, suggesting a tension between idealism and realism in human experience.
In practice
In a discussion about the importance of facing reality, I might say, 'Fly, dotard, fly! With thy wise dreams and fables of the sky.'
Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.
What dire offence from am'rous causes springs, What mighty contests rise from trivial things.
Fair tresses man's imperial race ensnare; And beauty draws us with a single hair.
An honest man's the noblest work of God.
One thought of thee puts all the pomp to flight;_x000D_ _x000D_ Priests, tapers, temples, swim before my sight.
Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel?
Being alone makes us stronger. Thatβs the honest truth. But itβs cold comfort, since even if I wanted company no one will come near me anymore.
In civilized communities men's idiosyncrasies are mitigated by the necessity of conforming to certain rules of behavior. Culture is a mask that hides their faces.
I want to die a slave to principles. Not to men.
Anxiety is the beginning of conscience, which is the parent of the soul but is not compatible with innocence.
My father was a man who didn't consider himself learned. He was a man who liked to be a farmer. He enjoyed his dairy farm and felt the calling. So there was a dedication. I was dedicated as a child to the service of God, and so there was this continual centering of a greater purpose than your own.
The freedom to criticize judges and other public officials is necessary to a vibrant democracy. The problem comes when healthy criticism is replaced with more destructive intimidation and sanctions.
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