Friendship is the only thing in the world concerning the usefulness of which all mankind are agreed.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
Men decide far more problems by hate, love, lust, rage, sorrow, joy, hope, fear, illusion or some other inward emotion, than by reality, authority, any legal standard, judicial precedent, or statute.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Human emotions significantly influence decision-making more than objective factors.
This quote by Cicero highlights the powerful role that human emotions play in shaping our decisions. Rather than relying solely on facts, laws, or other rational criteria, people often act based on their feelings such as love, hate, and hope, indicating that our emotional state can override logical reasoning and established norms.
Themes
EmotionDecision-MakingHuman BehaviorPhilosophyInfluence
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the impact of emotions on leadership decisions.
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Advice in old age is foolish; for what can be more absurd than to increase our provisions for the road the nearer we approach to our journey's end.
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