quotations about praise
The maxim that men are not to be praised before their death was invented by envy and too lightly adopted by philosophers. I, on the contrary, maintain that they ought to be praised in their lifetime if they merit it; but jealousy and calumny, roused against their virtue or their talent, labour to degrade them if any one ventures to bear testimony to them. It is unjust criticism that they should fear to hazard, not sincere praise.
LUC DE CLAPIERS, MARQUIS DE VAUVENARGUES
Reflections and Maxims
The worthlessness of common praise--
The dry-rot of the mind,
By which its temple secretly
But fast is undermin'd!
LETITIA ELIZABETH LANDON
"Poetical Portrats: No. III"
Men prefer brief praise, pitched high; women are satisfied with praise in a lower key, just so it goes on and on.
MIGNON MCLAUGHLIN
The Neurotic's Notebook
It is more or less rude to scorn indiscriminately all kinds of praise; we ought to be proud of that which comes from honest men, who praise sincerely those things in us which are really commendable.
JEAN DE LA BRUYÈRE
"Of Society and of Conversation", Les Caractères
Praise is simply holy applause. Praise is simply the cosmic song that is sung by everything and everyone on earth. Praise is the reason that everything exists. Without praise, life as we know it could not be. Praise is not an idea or a philosophical notion. Praise is the universal seed.
MARCIA ZINA MAGER
Believing in Faeries
A compliment is a booster shot for the ego.
RITA DUSKIN
The Rotarian, May 1973
The love of praise, howe'er concealed by art,
Reigns more or less, and glows in ev'ry heart:
The proud to gain it toils on toils endure,
The modest shun it, but to make it sure.
EDWARD YOUNG
Love of Fame: The Universal Passion in Seven Characteristical Satires
No man has ever praised two persons equally--and pleased them both.
ARTHUR HELPS
Thoughts in the Cloister and the Crowd
Praise doesn't pay the bills.
GERMAN PROVERBS
To praise great actions is in some sense to share them.
FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD
Moral Maxims
Some praises proceed merely of flattery; and if he be an ordinary flatterer, he will have certain common attributes, which may serve every man; if he be a cunning flatterer, he will follow the archflatterer, which is a man's self; and wherein a man thinketh best of himself, therein the flatterer will uphold him most: but if he be an impudent flatterer, look wherein a man is conscious to himself, that he is most defective, and is most out of countenance in himself, that will the flatterer entitle him to perforce, spreta conscientia.
FRANCIS BACON
"Of Praise", Essays, or Counsels Civil and Moral
To praise well is a difficult art, an intellectual and moral feat, to which must go delicacy and cultivation of mind, thought and nice perception, and chivalrous generosity. How fine was the eulogy of Frederick the Great as a state feast, when he withdrew a brave Austrian general from the opposite side of the table and placed him near the royal seat, saying, "I have always wished to see you at my side rather than facing me." But, contrariwise, Nicole's compliments were saved from offense only by their comedy. When the bashful scholar was summoned to a company by a Parisian beauty to grace her hospitality, he retired as soon as he could, covering his retreat with clouds of fine speeches, in which he informed his hostess that her "lovely little eyes" were irresistible; but being reproached outside by a friend, who told him he had accused the lady of what all her sex thought a defect, the dismayed scholar returned abruptly to the company, humbly begged pardon for his error, and exclaimed: "Madam, I never beheld such fine large eyes, such fine large lips, such fine large hands, or so fine and large a person altogether in the whole course of my life." When a man who usually was mute spoke wisely and well, but pleaded at the beginning that his habitual silence should excuse his deficiencies, a lady said to him afterward: "Sir, I like the speech of silent men," which was very elegant praise. So said one humble in station to a scholar: "When I talk with you I forget you know more than I do." Whether to bestow this high praise or to earn it was the more admirable may be questioned. Weiss said "the gift of appreciation is as divine as the dignity of being appreciated." Thus may two sit on a level who seem, to outward sight, far parted. But some praise is very repulsive. Such is formal praise, insincere praise, conventional matter-of-course compliment, intemperate and coarse commendation which outreaches truth and covers with confusion, public praise wherein it should be private, and general praise wherein it should be particular and discriminating. The one simple rule is this: Praise should be first true, that is, temperate and thoughtful; and then generous, that is, living and warm. It is well not to venture on praise at the moment, for it is a matter well worthy of preparation.
JAMES VILA BLAKE
"Of Praising", Essays
Long open panegyric drags at best,
And praise is only praise when well address'd.
JOHN GAY
Epistle I
Praise follows truth afar off, and only overtakes her at the grave.
JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL
Conversations on Some of the Old Poets
I love criticism just so long as it's unqualified praise.
NOEL COWARD
attributed, 20,000 Quips & Quotes
And if I please you so, my lover,
Remember praise is comely
COUNTEE CULLEN
The Medea and Some Poems
A man's praises have very musical and charming accents in another's mouth; but very flat and untuneable in his own.
XENOPHON
attributed, Day's Collacon
Praise or blame has but a momentary effect on the man whose love of beauty in the abstract makes him a severe critic on his own works.
JOHN KEATS
letter to James Hessey, October 9, 1818
The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.
NORMAN VINCENT PEALE
The Power of Positive Thinking
The praise we seek for our own virtues sometimes tempts us to flatter the imperfections of other men.
NORMAN MACDONALD
Maxims and Moral Reflections