Friendship is the only thing in the world concerning the usefulness of which all mankind are agreed.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
It might be pardonable to refuse to defend some men, but to defend them negligently is nothing short of criminal.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Negligently defending someone is a serious moral failure, even if refusing to defend them is understandable.
This quote by Cicero emphasizes the importance of responsibility in oneβs actions, especially when dealing with matters of justice. It asserts that while it may be acceptable to not come to the aid of certain individuals, doing so without due diligence or care is an ethical breach, potentially leading to severe consequences not just for the individual in question, but for society as a whole.
Themes
DefenseNegligenceJusticeEthicsResponsibility
In practice
Example use cases
During a law lecture discussing the responsibilities of defense attorneys.
More from Marcus Tullius Cicero
All quotes βThose wars are unjust which are undertaken without provocation. For only a war waged for revenge or defence can actually be just.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
Nothing contributes to the entertainment of the reader more, than the change of times and the vicissitudes of fortune.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
No one has the right to be sorry for himself for a misfortune that strikes everyone.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
Advice in old age is foolish; for what can be more absurd than to increase our provisions for the road the nearer we approach to our journey's end.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
Similar quotes
Don't be too assuming, it doesn't get you anywhere.
Anne FrankRead
One should not lose one's temper unless one is certain of getting more and more angry to the end.
William Butler YeatsRead
Let us not paralyze our capacity for good by brooding of man's capacity for evil.
David SarnoffRead
My optimism is grounded in two worlds, myself and what is about me. I demand that the world be good, and lo, it obeys. I proclaim the world good, and facts range themselves to prove my proclamation overwhelmingly true.
Helen KellerRead
Where the eye is focused, there the imagination finds its raw material. The right focus must be won at immense cost and discipline. Train the eye to see the good, and the imagination will follow suit.
Ravi ZachariasRead
There's always failure. And there's always disappointment. And there's always loss. But the secret is learning from the loss, and realizing that none of those holes are vacuums.
Michael J. FoxRead