Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.
DemosthenesRead
A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People often deceive themselves by believing what they want to be true instead of facing reality.
In this quote, Demosthenes highlights the tendency of individuals to fall into self-deception, where their desires shape their beliefs. This reflects the human inclination to embrace convenient truths rather than confronting the objective reality, illustrating the complexities of human psychology and belief systems.
Themes
Self-DeceptionBeliefTruthHuman NaturePsychology
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a self-help seminar to discuss the importance of facing reality.
More from Demosthenes
All quotes βYou cannot have a proud and chivalrous spirit if your conduct is mean and paltry; for whatever a man's actions are, such must be his spirit.
DemosthenesRead
Beware lest in your anxiety to avoid war you obtain a master
DemosthenesRead
Success has a great tendency to conceal and throw a veil over the evil deeds of men.
DemosthenesRead
Nothing is so easy as to deceive oneself; for what we wish, we readily believe.
DemosthenesRead
Close alliances with despots are never safe for free states.
DemosthenesRead
Similar quotes
Everything I do is somehow rooted in humanity. It's always about people; it's always about ego. It's always about desperation. It's quite existential. You know, 'Am I leading a good life?' That might be because I'm an atheist, and I think this is all we've got, so you better be nice. And have fun.
Ricky GervaisRead
When a Benefit is wrongly conferred, the author of the Benefit may often be said to injure.
PlatoRead
When we talk about 'reproductive rights' this is what we mean. It's the difference between people as objects, and people as agents: between regarding people as pawns on the policy chessboard and recognizing them as the players, the decision-makers, the drivers of policy; autonomous individuals intimately concerned with the direction of their own lives. Under these conditions women, especially, enjoy better health and live fuller lives.
Nafis SadikRead
I have nowhere claimed nor even implied that unbelief is a guarantee of good conduct or even an indicator of it.
Christopher HitchensRead
Western interests: imperialism, colonialism, exploitation, racism, and other negative -isms.
Malcolm XRead
The state of slavery is in its own nature bad.
Baron De MontesquieuRead