The peoples of the Mediterranean began to emerge from barbarism when they learned to cultivate the olive and the vine.
ThucydidesRead
I think the two things most opposed to good counsel are haste and passion; haste usaully goes hand in hand with folly, passion with coarseness and narrowness of mind.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Good advice is often undermined by impatience and intense emotions.
Thucydides highlights that the most significant barriers to receiving sound advice are haste and passion. When people act quickly without consideration (haste), they tend to make foolish decisions, while those who are overly emotional (passion) often lack the clarity and breadth of thought needed to make wise choices. Therefore, taking time to reflect and maintaining an open mind are essential for effective counsel.
Themes
AdviceHastePassionWisdomCounsel
In practice
Example use cases
In a seminar on decision-making, to emphasize the importance of consideration over immediate reactions.
More from Thucydides
All quotes βWe Greeks are lovers of the beautiful, yet simple in our tastes, and we cultivate the mind without loss of manliness.
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If it had not been for the pernicious power of envy, men would not so have exalted vengeance above innocence and profit above justice... in these acts of revenge on others, men take it upon themselves to begin the process of repealing those general laws of humanity which are there to give a hope of salvation to all who are in distress.
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Thucydides, an Athenian, wrote the history of the war between the Peloponnesians and the Athenians, he began at the moment that it broke out, believing that it would be a great war, and more memorable than any that had preceded it.
ThucydidesRead
Some legislators only wish to vengeance against a particular enemy. Others only look out for themselves. They devote very little time on the consideration of any public issue. They think that no harm will come from their neglect. They act as if it is always the business of somebody else to look after this or that. When this selfish notion is entertained by all, the commonwealth slowly begins to decay.
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Remember that this greatness was won by men with courage, with knowledge of their duty, and with a sense of honor in action.
ThucydidesRead
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