The peoples of the Mediterranean began to emerge from barbarism when they learned to cultivate the olive and the vine.
ThucydidesRead
Those who have experienced good and bad luck many times have every reason to be skeptical of successes
Interpretation
What this quote means
Experiencing both good and bad outcomes can lead to a cautious view of success.
Thucydides highlights the idea that those who have faced both fortune and misfortune multiple times often develop a skeptical attitude towards success. This skepticism stems from the understanding that success can be fleeting and uncertain, shaped by many variables beyond one's control, fostering a more grounded perspective on achievements.
Themes
SkepticismSuccessLuckExperiencePerspective
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech, when discussing how setbacks shape our view of success.
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.
ThucydidesRead
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.
ThucydidesRead
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.
ThucydidesRead
Remember that this greatness was won by men with courage, with knowledge of their duty, and with a sense of honor in action.
ThucydidesRead
Similar quotes
To dwell in the here and now does not mean you never think about the past or responsibly plan for the future. The idea is simply not to allow yourself to get lost in regrets about the past or worries about the future. If you are firmly grounded in the present moment, the past can be an object of inquiry, the object of your mindfulness and concentration. You can attain many insights by looking into the past. But you are still grounded in the present moment.
Nhat HanhRead
I cannot become modest; too many things burn in me; the old solutions are falling apart; nothing has been done yet with the new ones. So I begin, everywhere at once, as if I had a century ahead of me.
Elias CanettiRead
I have said that the modern man, and especially the modern American, however much 'know-how' he may have, has very little 'know-what'
Norbert WienerRead
I really wish I was less of a thinking man and more of a fool not afraid of rejection.
Billy JoelRead
A diamond was laying in the street covered with dirt. Many fools passed by. Someone who knew diamonds picked it up.
KabirRead
Delusions, errors and lies are like huge, gaudy vessels, the rafters of which are rotten and worm-eaten, and those who embark in them are fated to be shipwrecked.
Gautama BuddhaRead