Quote by William Ewart Gladstone, The Lif

The thirst for an enduring fame is near akin to the love of true excellence; but the fame of the moment is a dangerous possession and a bastard motive; and he who does his acts in order that the echo of them may come back as a soft music in his ears, plays false to his noble destiny as a Christian man, places himself in continual danger of dallying with wrong, and taints even his virtuous actions at their source.

The thirst for an enduring fame is near akin to the love of

Summary

This quote emphasizes the difference between the pursuit of lasting fame and the fleeting desire for immediate recognition. While the thirst for enduring fame is seen as commendable and closely related to a love for true excellence, seeking fame in the present moment is considered dangerous and misguided. The quote suggests that those who carry out actions solely for the purpose of receiving praise risk straying from their true purpose as individuals. Additionally, it implies that this pursuit of fame can lead individuals into moral compromises and ultimately diminish the purity of their virtuous actions.

Topics

By William Ewart Gladstone, The Lif

Liked the quote? Share it with your friends.

Random Quotations

A subject for a great poet would be God's boredom after the

A subject for a great poet would be God's boredom after the seventh day of creation.

Friedrich Nietzsche

The wise man questions the wisdom of others because he quest

The wise man questions the wisdom of others because he questions his own, the foolish man, because it is different from his own.

Self-examination is the process of accountability to your so

Self-examination is the process of accountability to your soul...It is far better to become your truth than to speak your truth. Self-examination is the practice of becoming your truth.

Silence has so much meaning.

Silence has so much meaning.

American Indian Proverb, Yurok

Proverbial Wisdom

The secrets of success are a good wife and a steady job. My

The secrets of success are a good wife and a steady job. My wife told me.

If you're living in your time, you cannot help but to write

If you're living in your time, you cannot help but to write about the things that are important.

The poker player learns that sometimes both science and comm

The poker player learns that sometimes both science and common sense are wrong; that the bumblebee can fly; that, perhaps, one should never trust an expert; that there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of by those with an academic bent.

Clever people seem not to feel the natural pleasure of bewil

Clever people seem not to feel the natural pleasure of bewilderment, and are always answering questions when the chief relish of a life is to go on asking them.

Frank Moore Colby

No nation is permitted to live in ignorance with impunity

No nation is permitted to live in ignorance with impunity

Thomas Jefferson

Ignorance Nations

We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't l

We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States.

Great innovations should not be forced on slender majorities

Great innovations should not be forced on slender majorities.

Thomas Jefferson

Sometimes I'm dazzled by how modern and fabulous we are, and

Sometimes I'm dazzled by how modern and fabulous we are, and how easy everything can be for us that's the gilded glow of technology, and I marvel at it all the time.