Take care not to attain victories over your superior. — All conquest is detested, and to conquer your master is either a folly or a calamity. All superiority is abominated; how much more superiority over superiority.
[Excusar victorias del patrón. Todo vencimiento es odioso, y del dueño, o necio, o fatal. Siempre la superioridad fue aborrecida, cuanto más de la misma superioridad.]
Baltasar Gracián y Morales (1601-1658) Spanish Jesuit priest, writer, philosopher
The Art of Worldly Wisdom [Oráculo Manual y Arte de Prudencia], § 7 (1647) [tr. Duff (1877)]
(Source)
(Source (Spanish)). Alternate translations:To have a care not to outdoe ones Master. All Superiority is odious, but in a Subject over his Prince, it is ever foolish, or fatal.
[Flesher ed. (1685)]Avoid Victories over Superiors. All victories breed hate, and that over your superior is foolish or fatal. Superiority is always detested, à fortiori superiority over superiority.
[tr. Jacobs (1892)]Avoid outshining the master. All victory is odious but victory over the master, either the part of stupidity, or of fate. Superiority has always been detested, and most thoroughly when greatest.
[tr. Fischer (1937)]Don't outshine your boss. Being defeated is hateful, and besting one's boss is either foolish or fatal. Superiority is always odiouis, especially to superiors and sovereigns.
[tr. Maurer (1992)]
