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.
Close alliances with despots are never safe for free states.
When you spring to an idea, and decide it is truth, without evidence, you blind yourself to other possibilities.
Every problem is a gift - without problems we would not grow.
Never trust the advice of a man in difficulties.
If this is not done, future ages will certainly look back upon us as a people so immersed in the pursuit of wealth as to be blind to higher considerations.
Doubt is invariably the result of want or weakness of faith.
Disability is an art - an ingenious way to live.
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