Never promise more than you can perform.
Publilius SyrusRead
Reprove your friends in secret, praise them openly.
Interpretation
Criticism should be private, while compliments should be public.
This quote emphasizes the importance of how we communicate with our friends. It suggests that when addressing a friend's shortcomings, it is more respectful and constructive to do so privately, preserving their dignity and trust, while praise should be shared openly to encourage and uplift them in front of others. This approach helps maintain healthy relationships by balancing honesty and support.
In practice
A leader might use this quote during a team meeting to explain how to provide feedback to coworkers.
Never promise more than you can perform.
Pain forces even the innocent to lie.
In a heated argument we are apt to lose sight of the truth.
Admonish your friends privately, but praise them openly.
What a tragedy is help where it harms what it supports!
The miser is as much in want of what he has as of what he has not.
You haven't got a letter on yours," George observed. "I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid-we know we're called Gred and Forge.
Just thinking about a friend makes you want to do a happy dance, because a friend is someone who loves you in spite of your faults.
Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness.
And how are you?" said Winnie-the-Pooh. Eeyore shook his head from side to side. "Not very how," he said. "I don't seem to have felt at all how for a long time." "Dear, dear," said Pooh, "I'm sorry about that. Let's have a look at you.
But listen to me first and swear an oath to use all your eloquence and strength to look after me and protect me.
When you are not feeling particularly friendly but know you ought to be, the best thing you can do, very often, is to put on a friendly manner and behave as if you were a nicer person than you actually are. And in a few minutes, as we have all noticed, you will be really feeling friendlier than you were.
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