There is no greater fame for a man than that which he wins with his footwork or the skill of his hands.
HomerRead
Modesty is of no use to a beggar.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Being modest does not help those in desperate situations; they need to be assertive to improve their circumstances.
This quote by Homer suggests that in extreme poverty or need, humility and modesty do not serve a person well. Instead, individuals must be bold and assertive, seeking what they need rather than remaining passive or self-effacing. The essence is that in times of dire need, survival and improvement call for a more assertive and less modest approach.
Themes
ModestyBeggarAssertivenessPovertySurvival
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about overcoming adversity.
More from Homer
All quotes βFor Fate has wove the thread of life with pain,_x000D_ _x000D_ And twins ev'n from the birth are Misery and Man!
HomerRead
Be strong, saith my heart; I am a soldier; I have seen worse sights than this.
HomerRead
Sing, O muse, of the rage of Achilles, son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans.
HomerRead
There is nothing nobler or more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends.
HomerRead
[I]t is the wine that leads me on, the wild wine that sets the wisest man to sing at the top of his lungs, laugh like a fool β it drives the man to dancing... it even tempts him to blurt out stories better never told.
HomerRead
Similar quotes
Listen carefully to first criticisms made of your work. Note just what it is about your work that critics don't like - then cultivate it. That's the only part of your work that's individual and worth keeping.
Jean CocteauRead
That's your responsibility as a person, as a human being - to constantly be updating your positions on as many things as possible. And if you don't contradict yourself on a regular basis, then you're not thinking.
Malcolm GladwellRead
By far the greatest and most admirable form of wisdom is that needed to plan and beautify cities and human communities.
SocratesRead
I have cried even when the laugh did choke me. But no more think that I am all sorry when I cry, for the laugh he come just the same. Keep it always with you that laughter who knock at your door and say, βMay I come in?β is not true laughter. No! He is a king, and he come when and how he like. He ask no person, he choose no time of suitability. He say, βI am here.
Bram StokerRead
It is a good divine that follows his own instructions.
William ShakespeareRead
A real writer learns from earlier writers the way a boy learns from an apple orchard -- by stealing what he has a taste for, and can carry off
Archibald MacleishRead