He who receives a favour must retain a recollection of it for all time to come; but he who confers should at once forget it, if he is not to show a sordid and ungenerous spirit. To remind a man of a kindness conferred on him, and to talk of it, is little different from a reproach.

Demosthenes

Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.

Demosthenes

business motivational inspirational

Since we are not yet fully comfortable with the idea that people from the next village are as human as ourselves, it is presumptuous in the extreme to suppose we could ever look at sociable, tool-making creatures who are from other evolutionary paths and see not beasts, but brothers, not rivals, but fellow pilgrims journeying to the shrine of intelligence...The difference... is not in the creature judged, but in the creature judging.

Demosthenes

differences brother ideas

A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true.

Demosthenes

men believe religion

There are all kinds of devices invented for the protection and preservation of countries: defensive barriers, forts, trenches, and the like... But prudent minds have as a natural gift one safeguard which is the common possession of all, and this applies especially to the dealings of democracies. What is this safeguard? Skepticism. This you must preserve. This you must retain. If you can keep this, you need fear no harm.

Demosthenes

trust mind country

Success has a great tendency to conceal and throw a veil over the evil deeds of men.

Demosthenes

veils evil men

All speech is vain and empty unless it be accompanied by action.

Demosthenes

empty speech action

Nothing is so easy as to deceive one's self; for what we wish, that we readily believe; but such expectations are often inconsistent with the real state of things.

Demosthenes

real self believe

It is not possible to found a lasting power upon injustice, perjury, and treachery. These may, perhaps, succeed for once, and borrow for awhile, from hope, a gay and flourishing appearance. But time betrays their weakness, and they fall into ruin of themselves. For, as in structures of every kind, the lower parts should have the greatest firmness--so the grounds and principles of actions should be just and true.

Demosthenes

gay should-have fall

Nothing is easier than self-deceit.

Demosthenes

deceit easier self

Do you remember that in classical times when Cicero had finished speaking, the people said, "How well he spoke" but when Demosthenes had finished speaking, they said, "Let us march.

Demosthenes

march remember people

The best protection for the people is not necessarily to believe everything people tell them.

Demosthenes

protection believe people

The man who is in the highest state of prosperity, and who thinks his fortune is most secure, knows not if it will remain unchanged till the evening.

Demosthenes

evening men thinking

Clouds cannot cover secret places, nor denials conceal truth.

Demosthenes

secret-places secret clouds

The man who has received a benefit ought always to remember it, but he who has granted it ought to forget the fact at once.

Demosthenes

benefits men facts

Nothing is so easy as to deceive oneself; for what we wish, we readily believe.

Demosthenes

wish inspirational believe

No man who is not willing to help himself has any right to apply to his friends, or to the gods.

Demosthenes

willing helping men

We need money, for sure, Athenians, and without money nothing can be done that ought to be done.

Demosthenes

need-money done needs

It is impossible for men engaged in low and groveling pursuits to have noble and generous sentiments. A man's thought must always follow his employment.

Demosthenes

noble impossible men

What a man wishes, he will believe.

Demosthenes

wish men believe

Everything great is not always good, but all good things, are great.

Demosthenes

greatness good-things