As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
William ShakespeareRead
Let me have men about me that are fat... Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look. He thinks too much: such men are dangerous.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the idea that those who are discontented or overly ambitious can be dangerous.
In this quote from Shakespeare's play 'Julius Caesar', the speaker expresses a preference for individuals who seem content and satisfied, suggesting that those who are lean and hungry, like Cassius, may possess dangerous qualities due to their ambition and tendency to overthink. This highlights the notion that an outward appearance of dissatisfaction can correlate with internal motivations that might lead to treachery or ambition that threatens stability.
Themes
AmbitionDangerDiscontentAppearanceTrust
In practice
Example use cases
During a leadership seminar, one could use this quote to discuss the traits of trustworthy leaders.
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