Conceal a flaw, and the world will imagine the worst.
MartialRead
A good man doubles the length of his existence; to have lived so as to look back with pleasure on our past existence is to live twice.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Living a good life allows you to reflect on it with joy, effectively granting you a richer existence.
This quote by Martial suggests that the richness and quality of one's life is not merely measured by years lived, but by the experiences and memories that bring joy upon reflection. A good person, through their actions and choices, creates a life that is fulfilling and pleasurable to remember, thus allowing them to 'live twice' by the joy of these memories. It emphasizes the importance of living with intention and kindness to enhance our existence.
Themes
LifeExistenceJoyReflectionGoodness
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about personal growth, one could reference this quote to emphasize the importance of living a meaningful life.
More from Martial
All quotes βLife is not merely to be alive, but to be well.
MartialRead
To the ashes of the dead glory comes too late.
MartialRead
Life's not just about being alive, but being well.
MartialRead
My poems are naughty, but my life is pure.
MartialRead
Neither fear your death's day nor long for it.
MartialRead
Similar quotes
I would not be young again, if you offered me the world. But then I'm prejudiced.' 'You talk,' I said, 'as if you were ninety-nine.' 'For a woman I very nearly am,' she said. 'I'm thirty five.
Daphne Du MaurierRead
A madman and an arahant both smile, but the arahant knows why while the madman doesn't.
Ajahn ChahRead
No matter how much light I carry within me, there will always be times of feeling lost, being confused, seeking direction. It is the way of the human heart.
Joyce RuppRead
Truth is a naked and open daylight, that does not show the masques, and mummeries, and triumphs of the world, half so stately and daintily as candle-lights. . . A mixture of a lie doth ever add pleasure
Francis BaconRead
IF you are not making mistakes, then you are not doing anything.
John WoodenRead
For in the end, it is all about memory, its sources and its magnitude, and, of course, its consequences.
Elie WieselRead