Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.
Alexander PopeRead
Praise undeserved, is satire in disguise.
Interpretation
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.
In practice
During a toast at a wedding, one could reflect on the importance of genuine compliments versus superficial flattery.
Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.
What dire offence from am'rous causes springs, What mighty contests rise from trivial things.
Fair tresses man's imperial race ensnare; And beauty draws us with a single hair.
An honest man's the noblest work of God.
One thought of thee puts all the pomp to flight;_x000D_ _x000D_ Priests, tapers, temples, swim before my sight.
Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel?
I was kind of shy as a lad, and a lot of things that made me laugh, I found, did not make other people laugh.
I think I wear my hypocrisy on my sleeve. I would never say I'm not a complete hypocrite.
Money frees you from doing things you dislike. Since I dislike doing nearly everything, money is handy.
"Multiple exclamation marks," he went on, shaking his head, "are a sure sign of a diseased mind."
the ice was not only broken; it was shivered into a million fragments
Hungry Joe collected lists of fatal diseases and arranged them in alphabetical order so that he could put his finger without delay on any one he wanted to worry about.
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