To begin with myself, then, the utterances of men concerning me will differ widely, since in passing judgment almost every one is influenced not so much by truth as by preference, and good and evil report alike know no bounds.
Interpretation
Judgments about a person are often shaped by personal preferences rather than objective truth.
Petrarch reflects on the nature of judgment, suggesting that people's opinions about one another are largely subjective. He implies that, regardless of the reality of a person's character or actions, individuals will often form impressions based on their personal biases and preferences, resulting in varied and extreme opinions that may not align with the truth.
In practice
During a speech about personal growth, one might reference this quote to illustrate how perceptions can be misleading.
Gold, silver, jewels, purple garments, houses built of marble, groomed estates, pious paintings, caparisoned steeds, and other things of this kind offer a mutable and superficial pleasure; books give delight to the very marrow of one's bones. They speak to us, consult with us, and join with us in a living and intense intimacy.
Five enemies of peace inhabit with us - avarice, ambition, envy, anger, and pride; if these were to be banished, we should infallibly enjoy perpetual peace.
Rarely do great beauty and great virtue dwell together.
True, we love life, not because we are used to living, but because we are used to loving. There is always some madness in love, but there is also always some reason in madness.
I looked back at the summit of the mountain, which seemed but a cubit high in comparison with the height of human contemplation, were in not too often merged in the corruptions of the earth.
Sameness is the mother of disgust, variety the cure.
But we are not interested in death at all: rather, we escape the facts, we are continuously escaping the facts. Death is there, and every moment we are dying. Death is not something far away, it is here and now: we are dying. But while we are dying we go on being concerned about life. This concern with life, this over concern with life, is just an escape, just a fear. Death is there, deep inside - growing.
Protestants in France are under intolerable despotism. Although open persecution does not now exist, yet it depends upon the whim of the king, queen, parliament, or any of the ministry.
Just having the internet is a weird and dangerous thing because people become accustomed to knowing things when they want to know them and not having to work for it. I definitely see the value in not knowing everything and having mystery in life and mystery in people.
The need to leave a legacy is our spiritual need to have a sense of meaning, purpose, personal congruence, and contribution.
I don't want to prove anything; I merely want to live, to do no one harm but myself. I have the right to do that, haven't I?
If ever I said in grief or pride, I'd tired of honest things, I lied.
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