"It is only through timidity that states..." - Quote by Voltaire
It is only through timidity that states are lost.
More by Voltaire
“If there’s life on other planets, then the earth is the Universe’s insane asylum.”
“I have no morals, yet I am a very moral person”
“People must have renounced, it seems to me, all natural intelligence to dare to advance that animals are but animated machines.... It appears to me, besides, that such people can never have observed with attention the character of animals, not to have distinguished among them the different voices of need, of suffering, of joy, of pain, of love, of anger, and of all their affections. It would be very strange that they should express so well what they could not feel.”
More on Leadership
“When the sage stands above people, they are not oppressed. When he leads people, they are not obstructed. The world will exalt him and not grow tired of him.”
“A prince ought to have two fears, one from within, on account of his subjects, the other from without, on account of external powers.”
“Can you deal with the most vital matters by letting events take their course? Can you step back from you own mind and thus understand all things? Giving birth and nourishing, having without possessing, acting with no expectations, leading and not trying to control: this is the supreme virtue.”
More on Timidity
“There are some timid souls that will never know victory nor defeat.”
“Timidity is a fault for which it is dangerous to reprove persons whom we wish to correct of it.”
“Jean Prouvaire was timid only in repose. Once excited, he burst forth, a sort of mirth accentuated his enthusiasm, and he was at once both laughing and lyric.”