best quotations about
Praise & Flattery |
and Compliments
| 51 quotes | Visits: 7,084 |
Quotations
 | I cannot believe in a God who wants to be praised all the time. — Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844-1900, German philosopher 17 likes |
 | Nothing in this world is harder than speaking the truth, nothing easier than flattery. — Fyodor Dostoyevsky, 1821-1881, Russian writer 13 likes |
 | The rich man despises those who flatter him too much, and hates those who do not flatter him at all. — Talleyrand, 1754-1838, French statesman & diplomat 9 likes |
 | Some people pay a compliment as if they expected a receipt. — Kin Hubbard, 1868-1930, American cartoonist 7 likes |
 | He who knows how to flatter also knows how to slander. — Napoleon, 1769-1821, French Emperor 7 likes |
 | He is my friend who speaks well of me behind my back. — Dr. Thomas Fuller, 1654-1734, English physician and adage collector 6 likes |
 | I hate careless flattery, the kind that exhausts you in your efforts to believe it. — Wilson Mizner, 1876-1913, American playwright 6 likes |
 | People ask for criticism, but they only want praise. — Somerset Maugham, 1874-1965, British writer 6 likes |
 | Imitation is the sincerest of flattery. — Charles Caleb Colton, 1780-1832, English cleric & writer 5 likes |
 | Persons of delicate taste endure stupid criticism better than they do stupid praise. — Joseph Roux, 1834-1905, French clergyman & poet 5 likes |
 | I have been complimented many times and they always embarrass me; I always feel that they have not said enough. — Mark Twain, 1835-1910, American writer 5 likes |
 | The President hears a hundred voices telling him that he is the greatest man in the world. He must listen carefully indeed to hear the one voice that tells him his is not. — Harry Truman, 1884-1972, American President [1945-1953] 5 likes |
 | I can take any amount of criticism, as long as it is unqualified praise. — Noel Coward, 1899-1973, British playwright 5 likes |
 | There is no other way of guarding oneself against flattery than by letting men understand that they will not offend you by speaking the truth; but when everyone can tell you the truth, you lose their respect. — Niccolò Machiavelli, 1469-1527, Italian political philosopher 4 likes |
 | Gossip is what you say about the objects of flattery when they aren't present. — P.J. O’ Rourke, 1947-2022, American columnist & writer 4 likes |
 | What really flatters a man is that you think him worth flattering. — George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Irish writer, Nobel 1925 3 likes |
 | None are more taken in by flattery than the proud, who wish to be the first and are not. — Baruch Spinoza, 1632-1677, Dutch philosopher 3 likes |
 | The refusal of praise is only the wish to be praised twice. — La Rochefoucauld, 1613-1680, French writer 3 likes |
 | Long books, when read, are usually overpraised, because the reader wants to convince others and himself that he has not wasted his time. — E. M. Forster, 1879-1970, British writer 3 likes |
 | You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one. — John Wooden, 1910-2010, American basketball coach 3 likes |
| Praise makes good Men better, and bad Men worse. — Dr. Thomas Fuller, 1654-1734, English physician and adage collector 3 likes |
 | When a woman isn’t beautiful, people always say: “You have lovely eyes, you have lovely hair.” — Anton Chekhov, 1860-1904, Russian writer 3 likes |
 | Men prefer brief praise, pitched high; women are satisfied with praise in a lower key, just so it goes on and on. — Mignon McLaughlin, 1913-1983, American magazine editor 2 likes |
 | Just praise is only a debt, but flattery is a present. — Samuel Johnson, 1709-1784, English writer 2 likes |
| It is always safe to tell people that they’re looking wonderful. — Mignon McLaughlin, 1913-1983, American magazine editor 2 likes |
 | You can tell the character of every man when you see how he gives and receives praise. — Seneca, 5 AD-65 AD, Roman philosopher 2 likes |
| He who praises everybody, praises nobody. — Samuel Johnson, 1709-1784, English writer 2 likes |
| Usually we only praise to be praised. — La Rochefoucauld, 1613-1680, French writer 2 likes |
 | A compliment is something like a kiss through a veil. — Victor Hugo, 1802-1885, French writer 2 likes |
 | Modesty is the triumph of mind over flattery. — Frank Tyger, 1929-2011, American cartoonist 2 likes |
| Flattery won’t hurt you if you don’t swallow it. |
 | An accumulation of epithets is poor praise: the praise lies in the facts, and in the way of telling them. |
 | Be quick to praise people. People like to praise those who praise them. — Bernard Baruch, 1870-1965, American businessman & statesman |
 | The best way to make ourselves agreeable to others is by seeming to think them so. If we appear fully sensible of their good qualities they will not complain of the want of them in us. |
 | Among the smaller duties of life I hardly know any one more important than that of not praising where praise is not due. |
 | Don't be afraid of enemies who attack you. Be afraid of the friends who flatter you. |
 | Good words are worth much, and cost little. |
| Old praise dies unless you feed it. |
Ancient Greek
 | It is better to fall in with crows than with flatterers; for in the one case you are devoured when dead, in the other case while alive. Κρείττον εις κόρακας ή εις κόλακας εμπεσείν. Οι μεν γαρ νεκρούς, οι δε ζώντας εσθίουσιν. — Antisthenes, 445-360 BC, Ancient Greek Cynic philosopher 9 likes |
 | Fear uses flattery without getting any favors. Φόβος κολακείην μεν εργάζεται, εύνοιαν δε ουκ έχει. — Democritus, 470-370 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher 6 likes |
 | He who loves you will insult you and he who hates you will flatter you. Ο φιλών πλήξει σε, ο δε μισών κολακεύσει σε. — Aesop, 620-560 BC, Ancient Greek fabulist 6 likes |
 | Praise is more sweet than all pleasures. Ηδονών ήδιον έπαινος. — Plato, 427-347 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher 5 likes |
 | Short-lived are both the praiser and the praised, and rememberer and the remembered. Βραχύβιον και ο επαινών και ο επαινούμενος και ο μνημονεύων και ο μνημονευόμενος. — Marcus Aurelius, 121-180 AD, Roman Emperor ‐ Meditations VIII, 21 5 likes |
 | The beginning of friendship is praise and of animosity is criticism.
criticism. Φιλίας μεν αρχή έπαινος, έχθρας δε ψόγος. — Isokrates, 436-338 BC, Ancient Greek rhetorician 4 likes |
| The praise of the people is much better than most things. Πολλών χρημάτων κρείττων ο παρά του πλήθους έπαινος. — Isokrates, 436-338 BC, Ancient Greek rhetorician 3 likes |
| Flatterers are seriously damaging the stupid. Μεγάλα βλάπτουσι τους αξυνέτους οι επαινέοντες. — Democritus, 470-370 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher 3 likes |
| It is better to be praised by someone else than by yourself. Βέλτερον υφ’ ετέρου ή υφ’ εαυτού επαινέεσθαι. — Democritus, 470-370 BC, Ancient Greek philosopher 3 likes |
| When somebody told him “many people praise you”, he said “what have I done wrong?” Προς τον ειπόντα «Πολλοί σε επαινούσι»: «Τι γαρ», έφη, «κακόν πεποίηκα;» — Antisthenes, 445-360 BC, Ancient Greek Cynic philosopher 3 likes |
 | Being praised don’t believe everything. Επαινούμενος, μη πάντα πίστευε. 3 likes |
 | Don’t praise an unworthy man for his riches. Ανάξιον άνδρα μη επαίνει διά πλούτον. — Bias of Priene, 625-540 BC, one of the 7 sages of Ancient Greece 2 likes |
Proverbs
 | Wait a month before you praise a horse and a year before you praise a woman. — Czech proverb 3 likes |
