WIST Quotations

McLaughlin, Mignon -- The Neurotic’s Notebook, ch. 6 (1963)

Dave — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 20:45:33 +0000

Every group of six or more has its inner circle, its outer circle, and its hangers-on.

Mignon McLaughlin (1913-1983) American journalist and author
The Neurotic’s Notebook, ch. 6 (1963)
(Source)

Franklin, Benjamin -- Poor Richard (1741 ed.)

Dave — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 15:40:57 +0000

The cringing Train of Pow’r, survey;
What Creatures are so low as they!
With what obsequiousness they bend!
To what vile actions condescend!
Their Rise is on their Meanness built,
And Flatt’ry is their smallest Guilt.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American statesman, scientist, philosopher, aphorist
Poor Richard (1741 ed.)
(Source)

Antisthenes -- In Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Book 6, sec. 4 [tr. Mensch (2018)]

Dave — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 23:38:52 +0000

According to Hecaton in his Anecdotes, Antisthenes used to say it was better to fall in with crows than with flatterers; for you are devoured by the former when dead, but by the latter while you are alive.

Antisthenes (c. 445 - c. 365 BC) Greek Cynic philosopher
In Diogenes Laërtius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Book 6, sec. 4 [tr. Mensch (2018)]
(Source)

A pun, as korakas = crows and kolakas = flatterers.

Alt. trans.: "He used to say, as Hecaton tells us in his Apophthegms, "That it was better to fall among crows, than among flatterers; for that they only devour the dead, but the others devour the living." [tr. Yonge (1853)]