Few things in life are more embarrassing than the necessity of having to inform an old friend that you have just got engaged to his fiancee.
W. C. FieldsRead
You can fool some of the people some of the time -- and that's enough to make a decent living.
Interpretation
The quote suggests that misleading people occasionally can be beneficial for personal gain.
W. C. Fields humorously points out the idea that a person can achieve a comfortable life by taking advantage of people's gullibility. The quote reflects a cynical view of human nature, implying that a small amount of deception can lead to success, as long as it is done selectively and occasionally.
In practice
To make light of a situation during a speech about ethics in business.
Few things in life are more embarrassing than the necessity of having to inform an old friend that you have just got engaged to his fiancee.
Drown in a cold vat of whiskey? Death, where is thy sting?
I was married once--in San Francisco. I haven't seen her for many years. The great earthquake and fire in 1906 destroyed the marriage certificate. There's no legal proof. Which proves that earthquakes aren't all bad.
If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull.
Christmas at my house is always at least six or seven times more pleasant than anywhere else. We start drinking early. And while everyone else is seeing only one Santa Claus, we'll be seeing six or seven.
I never vote for anyone. I always vote against.
Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.
Gratitude is an attitude that hooks us up to our source of supply. And the more grateful you are, the closer you become to your maker, to the architect of the universe, to the spiritual core of your being. It's a phenomenal lesson.
It is the way of weakened minds to see everything through a black cloud. The soul forms its own horizons; your soul is darkened, and consequently the sky of the future appears stormy and unpromising
When you label so much of what happens to you as 'bad,' it reinforces the feeling that you are a powerless pawn at the mercy of outside forces over which you have no control. And - this is key - labeling something a bad thing almost guarantees that you'll experience it as such.
What we learn from History is that no one learns from History
When we consistently suppress and distrust our intuitive knowingness, looking instead for authority, validation, and approval from others, we give our personal power away.
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