A man must not always tell all, for that were folly: but what a man says should be what he thinks, otherwise ’tis knavery.
[Il ne faut pas tousjours dire tout, car ce seroit sottise : Mais ce qu’on dit, il faut qu’il soit tel qu’on le pense : autrement, c’est meschanceté.]
Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592) French essayist
Essays, Book 2, ch. 17 (2.17), “Of Presumption [De la Presomption]” (1578) [tr. Cotton/Hazlitt (1877)]
(Source)
Both this essay and this passage were in the 1st (1580) edition.
(Source (French)). Other translations:A man must not alwayes say al he knows, for that were folie: But what a man speaks ought to be agreeing to his thoughts, otherwise it is impietie.
[tr. Florio (1603)]A man must not always tell all, for that were folly; but what a man says should be what he thinks, otherwise it is knavery.
[tr. Cotton (1686)]Every thing must not always be said, for that would be folly; but what one says should be what one thinks; otherwise it is knavery.
[tr. Ives (1925)]A man must not always say everything, for that were folly; but what a man does say should be what he thinks; otherwise it is knavery.
[tr. Zeitlin (1934)]We must not always say everything, for that would be folly; but what we say must be what we think; otherwise it is wickedness.
[tr. Frame (1943)]It is not necessary always to say everything, for that would be foolish; but what we say should be what we think, the contrary is wicked.
[tr. Cohen (1958)]We should not always say everything: that would be stupid; but what we do say must be what we think: to do otherwise is wicked.
[tr. Screech (1987)]
Quotations about:
forthrightness
Note not all quotations have been tagged, so Search may find additional quotes on this topic.
Carrot often struck people as simple. And he was.
Where people went wrong was thinking that simple meant the same thing as stupid.
You go on inside. Be bold, nothing to fear.
In every venture the bold man comes off best,
even the wanderer, bound from distant shores.[σὺ δ᾽ ἔσω κίε, μηδέ τι θυμῷ
τάρβει: θαρσαλέος γὰρ ἀνὴρ ἐν πᾶσιν ἀμείνων
ἔργοισιν τελέθει, εἰ καί ποθεν ἄλλοθεν ἔλθοι.]Homer (fl. 7th-8th C. BC) Greek author
The Odyssey [Ὀδύσσεια], Book 7, l. 50ff (7.50) (c. 700 BC) [tr. Fagles (1996)]
(Source)
Athena to Odysseus, outside the palace of King Alkinoös.
(Source (Greek)). Other translations:Enter amongst them, nor admit a fear.
More bold a man is, he prevails the more,
Though man nor place he ever saw before.
[tr. Chapman (1616)]Though you a stranger be, fear not, go in;
The bold than fearful always better speed.
[tr. Hobbes (1675), ll. 45-46]Fear not, but be bold:
A decent boldness ever meets with friends,
Succeeds, and even a stranger recommends.
[tr. Pope (1725)]But enter fearing nought, for boldest men
Speed ever best, come whencesoe’er they may.
[tr. Cowper (1792), ll. 60-61]Now enter, and all fear forego,
Since it is always on the bold in mind,
Strange though his stock, that fortune shines most kind.
[tr. Worsley (1861), st. 8]Go in! with no faint heart: --
The bold man ever wins the best success
In all his works, e'en tho' from far he come!
[tr. Bigge-Wither (1869)]Enter then, and fear not in thine heart, for the dauntless man is the best in every adventure, even though he come from a strange land.
[tr. Butcher/Lang (1879)]Go in and have no dread:
For the man that is stout and hardy drives all things better home,
Whatever of deeds be toward; yea, e'en if from far he come.
[tr. Morris (1887)]But enter, and have no misgivings in your heart; for the courageous man in all affairs better attains his head, come he from where he may.
[tr. Palmer (1891)]But do not be afraid; go straight in, for the bolder a man is the more likely he is to carry his point, even though he is a stranger.
[tr. Butler (1898)]Go thou within, and let thy heart fear nothing; for a bold man is better in all things, though he be a stranger from another land.
[tr. Murray (1919)]Thrust in fearlessly: however foreign a man may be, in every crisis it is the high face which will carry him through.
[tr. Lawrence (1932)]Go straight in and have no qualms. For it is the bold man who every time does best, at home or abroad.
[tr. Rieu (1946)]You must not be dismayed; go in to them. A cheerful man does best in every enterprise -- even a stranger.
[tr. Fitzgerald (1961)]You go in with a spirit that fears nothing.
The bold man proes the better for every action
in the end, even though he is a stranger coming from elsewhere.
[tr. Lattimore (1965)]When you go in, forget your fear: far better
to be a bold man, though a stranger here.
[tr. Mandelbaum (1990)]Go inside and don't be afraid of anything.
Things turn out better for a man who is bold,
Especially if he's a stranger from a distant land.
[tr. Lombardo (2000)]Go in and have no fear. For a man is best to be bold, even a stranger from a foreign land.
[tr. Kline (2004)]Go in and have no fear in your heart; in every kind of action the dauntless man always proves the better, even if he hails from some distant country.
[tr. Verity (2016)]Do not be scared; go in. The brave succeed in all adventures, even those who come from countries far away.
[tr. Wilson (2017)]Go in and don't let your heart show alarm: a man whose every move speaks boldness does better, even supposing he comes form some other country.
[tr. Green (2018)]But go inside, and do not be afraid.
In a man, boldness is always better
at getting good results, even in the case
where he’s a stranger from another land.
[tr. Johnston (2019)]
Respectfulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes laborious bustle; carefulness, without the rules of propriety, becomes timidity; boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination; straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness.
[恭而無禮則勞、愼而無禮則葸、勇而無禮則亂、直而無禮則絞。]
Confucius (c. 551- c. 479 BC) Chinese philosopher, sage, politician [孔夫子 (Kǒng Fūzǐ, K'ung Fu-tzu, K'ung Fu Tse), 孔子 (Kǒngzǐ, Chungni), 孔丘 (Kǒng Qiū, K'ung Ch'iu)]
The Analects [論語, 论语, Lúnyǔ], Book 8, verse 2 (8.2.1) (6th C. BC – AD 3rd C.) [tr. Legge (1861)]
(Source)
(Source (Chinese)). Brooks (below) believes this text was interpolated into Book 8 at the time that Book 14 was collected. Other translations:Without the Proprieties, we have these results: for deferential demeanour, a worried one; for calm attentiveness, awkward bashfulness; for manly conduct, disorderliness; for straightforwardness, perversity.
[tr. Jennings (1895)]Earnestness without judgment becomes pedantry; caution without judgment becomes timidity; courage without judgment leads to crime; uprightness without judgment makes men tyrannical.
[tr. Ku Hung-Ming (1898)]Courtesy uncontrolled by the laws of good taste becomes labored effort, caution uncontrolled becomes timidity, boldness uncontrolled becomes recklessness, and frankness uncontrolled become effrontery.
[tr. Soothill (1910)]Respect without rules of procedure becomes laborious fuss: scrupulosity without rules of procedure, timidity (fear to show the thought); boldness without such rules breeds confusion; directness without rules of procedure becomes rude.
[tr. Pound (1933)]Courtesy not bounded by the prescriptions of ritual becomes tiresome. Caution not bounded by the prescriptions of ritual becomes timidity, daring becomes turbulence, inflexibility becomes harshness.
[tr. Waley (1938)]Not to follow the rites in being modest is annoyance. Not to follow them in exercising care is timidity. Not to follow them in acts of bravery is confusion. Not to follow them in our uprightness is brusqueness.
[tr. Ware (1950)]Unless a man has the spirit of the rites, in being respectful he will wear himself out, in being careful he will become timid, in having courage he will become unruly, and in being forthright he will become intolerant.
[tr. Lau (1979)]If one is courteous but does without ritual, then one dissipates one's energies; if one is cautious but does without ritual, then one becomes timid; if one is bold but does without ritual, then one becomes reckless; if one is forthright but does without ritual, then one becomes rude.
[tr. Dawson (1993)]Without ritual, courtesy is tiresome; without ritual, prudence is timid; without ritual, bravery is quarrelsome; without ritual, frankness is hurtful.
[tr. Leys (1997)]Respectfulness without the rituals becomes laboriousness; discretion without the rituals becomes apprehensiveness; courage without the rituals becomes rebelliousness; straightforwardness without the rituals becomes impetuosity.
[tr. Huang (1997)]One would be tired if one is humble but not polite; One would be week if one is cautious but not polite; One would be foolhardy if one is brave but not polite; One would be caustic if one is frank but not polite.
[tr. Cai/Yu (1998), #190]Deference unmediated by observing ritual propriety [li] is lethargy; caution unmediated by observing ritual propriety is timidity; boldness unmediated by observing ritual propriety is rowdiness; candor unmediated by observing ritual propriety is rudeness.
[tr. Ames/Rosemont (1998)]If he is respectful without propriety, he becomes wearisome. If he is careful without propriety, he becomes finicky. If he is brave without propriety, he becomes disruptive. If he is upright without propriety, he becomes censorious.
[tr. Brooks/Brooks (1998)]Reverence becomes tedium without Ritual, and caution becomes timidity. Without Ritual, courage becomes recklessness, and truth becomes intolerance.
[tr. Hinton (1998)]If you are respectful but lack ritual you will become exasperating; if you are careful but lack ritual you will become timid; if you are courageous but lack ritual you will become unruly; and if you are upright but lack ritual you will become inflexible.
[tr. Slingerland (2003)]Courtesy without ritual becomes labored; caution without ritual becomes timidity; daring without ritual becomes riotousness; directness without ritual becomes obtrusiveness.
[tr. Watson (2007)]Unless a man acts according to the spirit of the rites, in being respectful, he will tire himself out; in being cautious, he will become timid; in being brave, he will become unruly; in being forthright, he will become derisive.
[tr. Chin (2014)]
KATHERINE: Out with it boldly. Truth loves open dealing.
William Shakespeare (1564–1616) English dramatist and poet
Henry VIII, Act 3, sc. 1, l. 44 (3.1.44) (1613)
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