Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.
Alexander PopeRead
In lazy apathy let stoics boast, their virtue fixed, 'tis fixed as in a frost.
Interpretation
This quote critiques the stoic philosophy of detachment, suggesting that it can lead to complacency rather than true virtue.
Alexander Pope's quote reflects on the stoic belief in remaining indifferent to external circumstances, implying that such detachment can result in a kind of apathy. While stoics may pride themselves on their steadfastness, Pope suggests that true virtue is not simply an absence of feeling but an active engagement with life, making their supposed 'fixed' virtue as cold and lifeless as frost.
In practice
In a discussion about philosophical approaches to life, one might use this quote to argue for a more active engagement in life's challenges.
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?
If America is to be run by the people, it is the people who must think. And we do not need to put on sackcloth and ashes to think. Nor should our minds work like a sundial which records only sunshine. Our thinking must square against some lessons of history, some principles of government and morals, if we would preserve the rights and dignity of men to which this nation is dedicated.
One death is a tragedy, and a million deaths are a statistic.
Liberty of thought is the life of the soul.
We put pride into everything like salt. We like to see that our good works are known. If our virtues are seen, we are pleased; if our faults are perceived, we are sad. I remark that in a great many people; if one says anything to them, it disturbs them, it annoys them. The saints were not like that - they were vexed if their virtues were known, and pleased that their imperfections should be seen.
The foundation of justice is good faith.
To will is human, to will the bad is of fallen nature, but to will the good is of Grace.
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