"The generality of men have, like plants,..." - Quote by Francois De La Rochefoucauld
The generality of men have, like plants, latent properties, which chance brings to light.
More by Francois De La Rochefoucauld
“When we disclaim praise, it is only showing our desire to be praised a second time.”
“It is easier to appear worthy of a position one does not hold, than of the office which one fills.”
“When we enlarge upon the affection our friends have for us, this is very often not so much out of a sense of gratitude as from a desire to persuade people of our own great worth, that can deserve so much kindness.”
More on Human Nature
“The worthless and offensive members of society, whose existence is a social pest, invariably think themselves the most ill-used people alive, and never get over their astonishment at the ingratitude and selfishness of their contemporaries.”
“We often pride ourselves on even the most criminal passions, but envy is a timid and shamefaced passion we never dare to acknowledge.”
“It's human nature to not say everything that's on your mind at the time you think it. Because we fear saying something that people will laugh at, people will think is dumb. We're afraid of being embarrassed.”
More on Potential
“Who shall set a limit to the influence of a human being?”
“You enter the forest at the darkest point, where there is no path. Where there is a way or path, it is someone else's path. You are not on your own path. If you follow someone else's way, you are not going to realize your potential.”
“You must elect your work; you shall take what your brains can, and drop all the rest. Only so can that amount of vital force accumulate which can make the step from knowing to doing. No matter how much faculty of idle seeing a man has, the step from knowing to doing is rarely taken. It is a step out of a chalk circle of imbecility into fruitfulness.”