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.
More from Marcus Tullius Cicero
All quotes →Those wars are unjust which are undertaken without provocation. For only a war waged for revenge or defence can actually be just.
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Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak.
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Nothing contributes to the entertainment of the reader more, than the change of times and the vicissitudes of fortune.
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No one has the right to be sorry for himself for a misfortune that strikes everyone.
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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.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
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