Our chief defect is that we are more given to talking about things than to doing them.
Jawaharlal NehruRead
The person who talks most of his own virtue is often the least virtuous.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Those who boast about their virtues often lack true virtue.
This quote suggests that individuals who excessively praise their own moral qualities may not possess them to the extent they claim. It highlights the idea that true virtue is often demonstrated through actions rather than words, and that self-promotion can reveal insecurity and lack of genuine character.
Themes
VirtueBoastHonorCharacterSelf-Promotion
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about integrity, this quote can be used to emphasize the importance of modesty.
More from Jawaharlal Nehru
All quotes βIndia has known the innocence and insouciance of childhood, the passion and abandon of youth, and the ripe wisdom of maturity that comes from long experience of pain and pleasure; and over and over a gain she has renewed her childhood and youth and age
Jawaharlal NehruRead
Life is like a game of cards. The hand you are dealt is determinism; the way you play it is free will.
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Crises and deadlocks when they occur have at least this advantage, that they force us to think.
Jawaharlal NehruRead
What we really are matters more than what other people think of us.
Jawaharlal NehruRead
Loyal and efficient work in a great cause, even though it may not be immediately recognized, ultimately bears fruit.
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