Friendship is the only thing in the world concerning the usefulness of which all mankind are agreed.
Marcus Tullius CiceroRead
So near is falsehood to truth that a wise man would do well not to trust himself on the narrow edge.
Interpretation
The line between truth and falsehood is thin, and one should be cautious in their beliefs.
Cicero's quote highlights the precarious nature of truth and falsehood. It suggests that even the most wise individuals should carefully navigate their perceptions and convictions, as the distinction can often be blurred. This serves as a reminder that one should remain humble and critical of their own understanding, recognizing that certainty can lead to false confidence.
In practice
In a debate, one could use this quote to highlight the need for careful examination of claims.
Friendship is the only thing in the world concerning the usefulness of which all mankind are agreed.
Those wars are unjust which are undertaken without provocation. For only a war waged for revenge or defence can actually be just.
Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak.
Nothing contributes to the entertainment of the reader more, than the change of times and the vicissitudes of fortune.
No one has the right to be sorry for himself for a misfortune that strikes everyone.
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.
I shall the effect of this good lesson keeps as watchman to my heart.
After meditating for some years, I began to see the patterns of my own behavior. As you quiet your mind, you begin to see the nature of your own resistance more clearly, struggles, inner dialogues, the way in which you procrastinate and develop passive resistance against life. As you cultivate the witness, things change. You don't have to change them. Things just change.
...grief can derange even the strongest and most disciplined of minds.
Esther, however, was the only woman who understood one very simple thing: in order to be able to find her, I first had to find myself.
Sometimes it is harder to deprive oneself of a pain than of a pleasure.
My idea of rich is that you can buy every book you ever want without looking at the price and you're never around assholes. That's the two things to really fight for in life.
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