One can imagine the look the two lovers exchanged; it was like a flame, for virtuous lovers have not a shred of hypocrisy.
Honore De BalzacRead
Imaginative, sanguine men will never recognize that in negotiations the most dangerous moment of all is when everything is moving according to their wishes.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Underestimating the risks when things seem to be going perfectly can lead to failure.
This quote highlights the irony that the most perilous times in negotiations or decision-making often arise when everything appears to be going smoothly. It serves as a cautionary reminder for imaginative and optimistic individuals to remain vigilant and mindful of potential pitfalls, even when circumstances seem favorable, as complacency can lead to unexpected challenges.
Themes
NegotiationRiskComplacencyVigilanceOpportunity
In practice
Example use cases
A business leader might use this quote during a negotiation workshop to emphasize the importance of staying alert.
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Who is to decide which is the grimmer sight: withered hearts, or empty skulls?
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However gross a man may be, the minute he expresses a strong and genuine affection, some inner secretion alters his features, animates his gestures, and colors his voice. The stupidest man will often, under the stress of passion, achieve heights of eloquence, in thought if not in language, and seem to move in some luminous sphere. Goriot's voice and gesture had at this moment the power of communication that characterizes the great actor. Are not our finer feelings the poems of the human will?
Honore De BalzacRead
Love is a religion, and its rituals cost more than those of other religions. It goes by quickly and, like a street urchin, it likes to mark its passage by a trail of devastation.
Honore De BalzacRead
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