Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.
DemosthenesRead
Nothing is so easy as to deceive oneself; for what we wish, we readily believe.
Interpretation
Self-deception is easy, as we tend to believe what aligns with our desires.
This quote by Demosthenes highlights the human tendency to deceive oneself, motivated by personal desires or wishes. It suggests that when we want something to be true, we often convince ourselves of its truth, disregarding evidence or reality that contradicts our beliefs.
In practice
In a motivational speech about self-awareness.
Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.
You 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.
Beware lest in your anxiety to avoid war you obtain a master
Success has a great tendency to conceal and throw a veil over the evil deeds of men.
A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true.
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He is the best man who, when making his plans, fears and reflects on everything that can happen to him, but in the moment of action is bold.
It's not a very big step from contentment to complacency.
To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the prerogative of mindlessness, but the exact opposite: It is the reward of self-esteem.
To complain is always nonacceptance of what is. It invariably carries an unconscious negative charge. When you complain, you make yourself into a victim. When you speak out, you are in your power. So change the situation by taking action or by speaking out if necessary or possible; leave the situation or accept it. All else is madness.
Never seem more learned than the people you are with. Wear your learning like a pocket watch and keep it hidden. Do not pull it out to count the hours, but give the time when you are asked.
One of the common failings among honorable people is a failure to appreciate how thoroughly dishonorable some other people can be, and how dangerous it is to trust them.
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