Friendship is the only thing in the world concerning the usefulness of which all mankind are agreed.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
Silence is one of the great arts of conversation.
Interpretation
Silence can be a powerful element in communication that enhances understanding and connection.
This quote emphasizes the importance of silence in conversations, suggesting that listening and reflecting can be just as impactful as speaking. Cicero highlights that the art of conversation is not solely about the words exchanged, but also about the moments of silence that allow for deeper thought and insight.
In practice
During a meeting, using silence effectively can encourage others to speak up.
Friendship is the only thing in the world concerning the usefulness of which all mankind are agreed.
Those wars are unjust which are undertaken without provocation. For only a war waged for revenge or defence can actually be just.
Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak.
Nothing contributes to the entertainment of the reader more, than the change of times and the vicissitudes of fortune.
No one has the right to be sorry for himself for a misfortune that strikes everyone.
Advice in old age is foolish; for what can be more absurd than to increase our provisions for the road the nearer we approach to our journey's end.
To be truly visionary we have to root our imagination in our concrete reality while simultaneously imagining possibilities beyond that reality.
Our goal is to try to bring a calm and simplicity to what are incredibly complex problems so that you're not aware really of the solution.
Cherish your mistakes, and you won't keep making them over and over again. It's the same with heartbreaks and girls and everything else. Cherish them, and they'll put some wealth in you.
I insist on a lot of time being spent, almost every day, to just sit and think. That is very uncommon in American business. I read and think. So I do more reading and thinking, and make less impulse decisions than most people in business. I do it because I like this kind of life.
As you recognize that you already own the wholeness you seek, and no one outside you can give you more than you already are, dysfunctional situations will evaporate like bad dreams exposed to the morning sun.
Forget like a child any injury done by somebody immediately. Never keep it in the heart. It kindles hatred.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.