The peoples of the Mediterranean began to emerge from barbarism when they learned to cultivate the olive and the vine.
ThucydidesRead
Those who have experienced good and bad luck many times have every reason to be skeptical of successes
Interpretation
What this quote means
Experiencing both good and bad outcomes can lead to a cautious view of success.
Thucydides highlights the idea that those who have faced both fortune and misfortune multiple times often develop a skeptical attitude towards success. This skepticism stems from the understanding that success can be fleeting and uncertain, shaped by many variables beyond one's control, fostering a more grounded perspective on achievements.
Themes
SkepticismSuccessLuckExperiencePerspective
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech, when discussing how setbacks shape our view of success.
More from Thucydides
All quotes βWe Greeks are lovers of the beautiful, yet simple in our tastes, and we cultivate the mind without loss of manliness.
ThucydidesRead
If it had not been for the pernicious power of envy, men would not so have exalted vengeance above innocence and profit above justice... in these acts of revenge on others, men take it upon themselves to begin the process of repealing those general laws of humanity which are there to give a hope of salvation to all who are in distress.
ThucydidesRead
Thucydides, an Athenian, wrote the history of the war between the Peloponnesians and the Athenians, he began at the moment that it broke out, believing that it would be a great war, and more memorable than any that had preceded it.
ThucydidesRead
Some legislators only wish to vengeance against a particular enemy. Others only look out for themselves. They devote very little time on the consideration of any public issue. They think that no harm will come from their neglect. They act as if it is always the business of somebody else to look after this or that. When this selfish notion is entertained by all, the commonwealth slowly begins to decay.
ThucydidesRead
Remember that this greatness was won by men with courage, with knowledge of their duty, and with a sense of honor in action.
ThucydidesRead
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As the water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it, so a wise man adapts himself to circumstances.
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Our own self-love draws a thick veil between us and our faults.
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Whatever we focus on is bound to expand. Where we see the negative, we call forth more negative. And where we see the positive, we call forth more positive. Having loved and lost, I now love more passionately. Having won and lost, I now win more soberly. Having tasted the bitter, I now savor the sweet.
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Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.
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But time, it is like charm. You never have as much as you think.
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