WIST Quotations

Roosevelt, Eleanor -- Quoted in Dale Carnegie, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, ch. 21 (1948)

Dave — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 17:01:01 +0000

Do what you feel in your heart to be right — for you’ll be criticized, anyway. You’ll be “damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.”

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) First Lady of the US (1933–1945), politician, diplomat, activist
Quoted in Dale Carnegie, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, ch. 21 (1948)
(Source)

I cannot find this in any of Roosevelt's written works or other primary sources. Carnegie wrote that Roosevelt told him this personally, and framed it as an extension of advice she'd received from Anna Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt's sister: "Never be bothered by what people say, as long as you know in your heart you are right."

From this Roosevelt has sometimes been credited with originating the phrase "Damned if you do and damned if you don't," though she set it in quotation marks to indicate she was quoting it. The saying was actually first written by evangelist Lorenzo Dow in 1836.

Addison, Joseph -- Essay (1711-06-26), The Spectator, No. 101

Dave — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 17:24:31 +0000

“Censure,” says a late ingenious author, “is the tax a man pays for being eminent.” It is a folly for an eminent man to think of escaping it, and a weakness to be affected with it. All the illustrious persons of antiquity, and indeed of every age in the world, have passed through this fiery persecution. There is no defense against reproach but obscurity; it is a kind of concomitant to greatness, as satires and invectives were an essential part of a Roman triumph.

Joseph Addison (1672–1719) English essayist, poet, statesman
Essay (1711-06-26), The Spectator, No. 101
(Source)

The quotation is from Jonathan Swift.

Swift, Jonathan -- Essay (1706-10), “Thoughts on Various Subjects”

Dave — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 17:19:55 +0000

Censure is the tax a man pays to the public for being eminent.

Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) English writer and churchman
Essay (1706-10), “Thoughts on Various Subjects”
(Source)

Jefferson, Thomas -- Letter (1789-093-13) to Francis Hopkinson

Dave — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 14:37:59 +0000

My great wish is to go on in a strict but silent performance of my duty: to avoid attracting notice and to keep my name out of newspapers, because I find the pain of a little censure, even when it is unfounded, is more acute than the pleasure of much praise.

Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American political philosopher, polymath, statesman, US President (1801–09)
Letter (1789-093-13) to Francis Hopkinson
(Source)

Nietzsche, Friedrich -- The Gay Science [Die fröhliche Wissenschaft], Book 3, § 264 (1882) [tr. Kaufmann (1974)]

Dave — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 16:56:17 +0000

What we do is never understood but always only praised or censured.

[Was wir thun, wird nie verstanden, sondern immer nur gelobt und getadelt.]

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) German philosopher and poet
The Gay Science [Die fröhliche Wissenschaft], Book 3, § 264 (1882) [tr. Kaufmann (1974)]
(Source)

Also known as La Gaya Scienza, The Joyful Wisdom, or The Joyous Science.

(Source (German)). Other translations:

What we do is never understood, but only praised and blamed.
[tr. Common (1911)]

What we do is never understood but always merely praised and reproached.
[tr. Nauckhoff (2001)]

La Rochefoucauld, Francois -- Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶37 (1665-1678) [tr. Heard (1917)]

Dave — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 20:46:15 +0000

Pride plays a greater part than kindness in our censure of a neighbor’s faults. We criticize faults less to correct them, than to prove that we do not possess them.

[L’orgueil a plus de part que la bonté aux remontrances que nous faisons à ceux qui commettent des fautes; et nous ne les reprenons pas tant pour les en corriger que pour leur persuader que nous en sommes exempts.]

François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶37 (1665-1678) [tr. Heard (1917)]
(Source)

Present from the first edition. (Source (French)). Other translations:

We are liberal of our remonstrances and reprehensions towards those, whom we think guilty of miscarriages; but we therein betray more pride, than charity. Our reproving them does not so much proceed from any desire in us of their reformation, as from an insinuation that we our selves are not chargeable with the like faults.
[tr. Davies (1669), ¶142]

Pride hath a greater share than Goodness in the reproofs we give other people for their faults; and we chide them, not so much with a design to mend them, as to make them believe that we ourselves are not guilty of them.
[tr. Stanhope (1694), ¶38]

Pride is more concerned than benevolence in our remonstrances to persons guilty of faults; and we reprove them not so much with a design to correct, as to make them believe that we ourselves are free from such failings.
[pub. Donaldson (1783), ¶349; ed. Lepoittevin-Lacroix (1797), ¶37]

In our reprehensions, pride has a greater share than good nature. We reprove, not so much in order to correct, as to intimate that we hold ourselves free from such failings.
[ed. Carville (1835), ¶309]

Pride has a greater share than goodness of heart in the remonstrances we make to those who are guilty of faults; we reprove not so much with a view to correct them as to persuade them that we are exempt from those faults ourselves.
[ed. Gowens (1851), ¶38]

Pride has a larger part than goodness in our remonstrances with those who commit faults, and we reprove them not so much to correct as to persuade them that we ourselves are free from faults.
[tr. Bund/Friswell (1871), ¶37]

Pride, rather than virtue, makes us reprove those who have done wrong; our reproaches are not so much intended to improve the evil-doer, as to show him that we are quite free of his taint.
[tr. FitzGibbon (1957), ¶37]

Pride plays a greater part than kindness in our remonstrating with those who make mistakes; and we point out their faults, less to correct them than to indicate they are not ours.
[tr. Kronenberger (1959), ¶37]

Pride plays a greater part than kindness in the reprimands we address to wrongdoers; we reprove them not so much to reform them as to make them believe that we are free from their faults.
[tr. Tancock (1959), ¶37]

Pride shares a greater part than the goodness of our hearts in the reprimands we give to those who commit faults; and we do not reprove so much in order to correct them, as in order to persuade them that we are ourselves exempt from those faults.
[tr. Whichello (2016), ¶37]

Fry, Stephen -- “Trefusis Blasphemes,” Loose Ends, BBC Radio 4 (1986)

Dave — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 17:40:05 +0000

‘But people, the ordinary faithful, are offended by crude comic blasphemies,’ voices are raised to tell me. Yes indeed. But what of my religion? I am a lover of truth, a worshipper of freedom, a celebrant at the altar of language and purity and tolerance. That is my religion, and every day I am sorely, grossly, heinously and deeply offended, wounded, mortified and injured by a thousand different blasphemies against it. When the fundamental canons of truth, honesty, compassion and decency are hourly assaulted by fatuous bishops, pompous, illiberal and ignorant priests, politicians and prelates, sanctimonious censors, self-appointed moralists and busy-bodies, what recourse of ancient laws have I? None whatever. Nor would I ask for any. For unlike these blistering imbeciles my belief in my religion is strong and I know that lies will always fail and indecency and intolerance will always perish.

Stephen Fry (b. 1957) British actor, writer, comedian
“Trefusis Blasphemes,” Loose Ends, BBC Radio 4 (1986)
(Source)

Reprinted in Paperweight (1992).

Simms, William G. -- Egeria, Or Voices of Thought and Counsel, for the Woods and Wayside, “Ambition” (1853)

Dave — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 22:11:31 +0000

He who would acquire fame must not show himself afraid of censure. The dread of censure is the death of genius.

William G. Simms (1806–1870) American writer and politician
Egeria, Or Voices of Thought and Counsel, for the Woods and Wayside, “Ambition” (1853)
(Source)

La Rochefoucauld, Francois -- Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶148 (1665-1678) [tr. Bund/Friswell (1871)]

Dave — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 12:32:14 +0000

Some reproaches praise; some praises reproach.

[Il y a des reproches qui louent, et des louanges qui médisent.]

François VI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680) French epigrammatist, memoirist, noble
Réflexions ou sentences et maximes morales [Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims], ¶148 (1665-1678) [tr. Bund/Friswell (1871)]
(Source)

Present in the 1st ed. (1665). Also see Pope (1724).

(Source (French)). Other translations:

There are some who commend when they make account to reproach; and others whose praises are detractions.
[tr. Davies (1669), ¶166]

Some Censures are a Commendation, and some Commendations are no better than Scandal.
[tr. Stanhope (1694), ¶149]

There are reproaches that praise, and praises that reproach.
[pub. Donaldson (1783), ¶369; ed. Lepoittevin-Lacroix (1797), ¶142]

There are reproaches which give praise, and there are praises which reproach.
[ed. Carvill (1835), ¶323]

There are reproaches which praise, and praises which convey satire.
[ed. Gowens (1851), ¶151]

Censure often praises, and praise as frequently censures.
[tr. Heard (1917), ¶148]

Some reproaches are compliments, and some compliments slanders.
[tr. Stevens (1939), ¶148]

Hard words can be praise, and praises can be slander.
[tr. FitzGibbon (1957), ¶148]

There are reproaches that compliment, and compliments that disparage.
[tr. Kronenberger (1959), ¶148]

Some strictures can be compliments, and some compliments can be slanderous.
[tr. Tancock (1959), ¶148]

There are reproaches which praise, and praises which slander.
[tr. Whichello (2016) ¶148]

Whately, Richard -- Sermon, Christ Church, Dublin (22 Oct 1837)

Dave — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 12:39:12 +0000

Neither human applause nor human censure is to be taken as the test of truth. He who should satisfy himself either with being popular, or with being unpopular, would equally be taking man’s judgment for his standard. But either the one or the other should set us upon careful self-examination.

Richard Whately (1787–1863) English logician, theologian, archbishop
Sermon, Christ Church, Dublin (22 Oct 1837)
(Source)

Hume, David -- (Attributed)

Dave — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 12:52:09 +0000

It is harder to avoid censure than to gain applause; for this may be done by one great or wise action in an age. But to escape censure a man must pass his whole life without saying or doing one ill or foolish thing.

David Hume (1711–1776) Scottish philosopher, economist, historian, empiricist
(Attributed)
(Source)

Quoted in The Home Circle (Jan 1855)

Colton, Charles Caleb -- Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Vol. 1, § 183 (1820)

Dave — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 12:47:56 +0000

When the million applaud you, seriously ask yourself what harm you have done; when they censure you, what good!

Charles Caleb "C. C." Colton (1780–1832) English cleric, writer, aphorist
Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Vol. 1, § 183 (1820)
(Source)