Once you start a working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest.
ChanakyaRead
Those base men who speak of the secret faults of others destroy themselves like serpents that stray onto anthills.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Speaking ill of others reveals one's own weaknesses.
This quote by Chanakya emphasizes the idea that individuals who gossip or speak maliciously about the hidden flaws of others ultimately harm themselves. Like serpents that inadvertently destroy anthills, such people create chaos and damage their own character in the process, suggesting the importance of self-reflection and integrity.
Themes
GossipIntegrityCharacterSelf-DestructionMoral
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a speech about the importance of integrity in leadership.
More from Chanakya
All quotes βLet not a single day pass without your learning a verse, half a verse, or a fourth of it, or even one letter of it; nor without attending to charity, study and other pious activity.
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The life of an uneducated man is as useless as the tail of a dog which neither covers its rear end, nor protects it from the bites of insects.
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The serpent, the king, the tiger, the stinging wasp, the small child, the dog owned by other people, and the fool: these seven ought not to be awakened from sleep.
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Whoever imposes severe punishment becomes repulsive to the people; while he who awards mild punishment becomes contemptible. But whoever imposes punishment as deserved becomes respectable.
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One whose knowledge is confined to books and whose wealth is in the possession of others, can use neither his knowledge nor wealth when the need for them arises.
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