There is nothing so fleeting as the memory of benefits received.
Francesco GuicciardiniRead
Let no one trust so entirely to natural prudence as to persuade himself that it will suffice to guide him without help from experience.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Trusting only in natural wisdom can be misleading; experience is also essential for guidance.
This quote emphasizes the importance of combining innate prudence with practical experience for effective decision-making. It suggests that while natural intelligence and caution are valuable traits, relying solely on them can lead one astray, and that experiential knowledge and learning from past events are equally crucial in navigating life's complexities.
Themes
PrudenceExperienceWisdomDecision MakingGuidance
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared in a leadership seminar to emphasize the importance of combining theoretical knowledge with practical experience.
More from Francesco Guicciardini
All quotes →If you attempt certain things at the right time, they are easy to accomplish - in fact, they almost get done by themselves. If you undertake them before the time is right, not only will they fail, but they will often become impossible to accomplish even when the time would have been right.
Francesco GuicciardiniRead
Conspiracies, since they cannot be engaged in without the fellowship of others, are for that reason most perilous; for as most men are either fools or knaves, we run excessive risk in making such folk our companions.
Francesco GuicciardiniRead
He who imitates what is evil always goes beyond the example that is set; on the contrary, he who imitates what is good always falls short.
Francesco GuicciardiniRead
Few revolutions succeed, and when they do, you often discover they did not gain what you hoped for, and you condemn yourself to perpetual fear, as the parties you defeated may always regain power and work for your ruin.
Francesco GuicciardiniRead
One who imitates what is bad always goes beyond his model; while one who imitates what is good always comes up short of it.
Francesco GuicciardiniRead
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The Master said, At fifteen I set my heart upon learning. At thirty, I had planted my feet firm upon the ground. At forty, I no longer suffered from perplexities. At fifty, I knew what were the biddings of Heaven. At sixty, I heard them with docile ear. At seventy, I could follow the dictates of my own heart; for what I desired no longer overstepped the boundaries of righ.
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