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Among the smaller duties of life, I hardly know any one more important than that of not praising where praise is not due. Reputation is one of the prizes for which men contend: it is, as Mr. Burke calls it, "the cheap defense and ornament of nations." It produces more labor and more talent than twice the wealth of a country could ever rear up. It is the coin of genius, and it is the imperious duty of every man to bestow it with the most scrupulous justice and the wisest economy. - Sydney Smith Praise is the best diet for us, after all. - Sydney Smith For if good were not praised more than ill, None would chuse goodness of his own free will. - Edmund Spenser Who would ever care to do brave deed, Or strive in virtue others to excel, If none should yield him his deserved meed Due praise, that is the spur of doing well? For if good were not praised more than ill, None would choose goodness of his own free will. - Edmund Spenser It is always esteemed the greatest mischief a man can do to those whom he loves, to raise men's expectations of them too high by undue and impertinent commendations. - Thomas Sprat Allow no man to be so free with you as to praise you to your face. - Sir Richard Steele There can hardly, I believe, be imagined a more desirable pleasure than that of praise unmixed with any possibility of flattery. - Sir Richard Steele Whenever you commend, add your reasons for doing so; it is this which distinguishes the approbation of a man of sense from the flattery of sycophants and admiration of fools. - Sir Richard Steele Try praising your wife, even if it does frighten her at first. - William (Billy) Ashley Sunday It is as hard to satirize well a man of distinguished vices, as to praise well a man of distinguished virtues. - Jonathan Swift Failure to accord credit to anyone for what he may have done is a great weakness in any man. - William Howard Taft When thou receivest praise, take it indifferently, and return it to God, the giver of the gift, or blesser of the action. - Jeremy Taylor The rising winds And falling springs, Birds, beasts, all things, Adore him in their kinds. Thus all is hurl'd In sacred hymns and order, the great chime And symphony of nature. - Henry Vaughan ("The Silurist") I will not much commend others to themselves, I will not at all commend myself to others. So to praise any to their faces is a kind of flattery, but to praise myself to any is the height of folly. He that boasts his own praises speaks ill of himself, and much derogates from his true deserts. It is worthy of blame to affect commendation. - Arthur Warwick He who loves praise, loves temptation. - Thomas Wilson (2) We bow our heads before Thee, and we laud And magnify Thy name, Almighty God! But Man is Thy most awful instrument, In working out a pure intent. - William Wordsworth, Ode--Imagination ne'er before Content With faint praises one another damn. - William Wycherley, Plain dealer--Prologue The sweetest of all sounds is praise. - Xenophon The most pleasing of all sounds that of your own praise. - Xenophon, Hiero (I, 14), (Watson's translation) I grant the man is vain who writes for praise. Praise no man e'er deserved who sought no more. - Edward Young, Night Thoughts (night V, l. 3) The love of praise, howe'er conceal'd by art, Reigns more or less, and glows, in ev'ry heart. - Edward Young, The Love of Fame (satire I, l. 51) Displaying page 5 of 5 for this topic: << Prev 1 2 3 4 [5]
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