Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.
Alexander PopeRead
Praise undeserved, is satire in disguise.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Unwarranted praise can often be a form of mockery rather than genuine admiration.
In this quote, Alexander Pope suggests that when someone is praised without merit, it may betray a hidden critique or sarcasm. Such praise does not celebrate true qualities but instead casts a shadow of ridicule, questioning the sincerity of the compliment and exposing the underlying flaws it seeks to hide. The notion points to the complex nature of social interactions where good intentions can be subverted by a lack of authenticity.
Themes
PraiseSatireHypocrisyFlatteryCritique
In practice
Example use cases
During a toast at a wedding, one could reflect on the importance of genuine compliments versus superficial flattery.
More from Alexander Pope
All quotes βWhat dire offence from am'rous causes springs, What mighty contests rise from trivial things.
Alexander PopeRead
Fair tresses man's imperial race ensnare; And beauty draws us with a single hair.
Alexander PopeRead
An honest man's the noblest work of God.
Alexander PopeRead
One thought of thee puts all the pomp to flight;_x000D_ _x000D_ Priests, tapers, temples, swim before my sight.
Alexander PopeRead
Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel?
Alexander PopeRead
Similar quotes
Feminist humor raises consciousness. And the reason it's funny is because it stands something on its head. Goodness knows you've got to have a sense of humor if you do feminism full-time, I tell you.
Eleanor SmealRead
A sold-out house my first night back. Do you have any idea what kinda pressure that is? I could have been at home in my warm bed, playing Nintendo.
Richard PryorRead
The whole world is tense. Everybody gets the international news. Theres been no American comedy at all that even remotely addresses the subject in any way. My goal isnt to solve the worlds problems. My character wasnt even able to do his assignment. But the premise of wanting to find out about somebody -- other than the stuff that the CIA will tell you -- theres no hope unless we do that.
Albert BrooksRead
Harry witnessed Professor McGonagall walking right past Peeves who was determinedly loosening a crystal chandelier and could have sworn he heard her tell the poltergeist out of the corner of her mouth 'It unscrews the other way.
J. K. RowlingRead
Here I am paying big money to you writers and what for? All you do is change the words.
Samuel GoldwynRead
Whereupon a strange euphoria came over me. Not only was I exiled, paralyzed, mute, half deaf, deprived of all pleasures, and reduced to the existence of a jellyfish, but I was also horrible to behold. There comes a time when the heaping up of calamities brings on uncontrollable nervous laughter - when, after a final blow from fate, we decide to treat it all as a joke.
Jean-Dominique BaubyRead