Quotes About Merit

Be it said in passing, that success is a very hideous thing. Its false resemblance to merit deceives men.

It may be remarked in passing that success is an ugly thing. Men are deceived by its false resemblances to merit. To the crowd, success wears almost the features of true mastery, and the greatest dupe of this counterfeit talent is History.

We live in a sad society. Succeed--that is the advice which falls drop by drop from the overhanging corruption. In passing, we might say that success is a hideous thing. Its false similarity to merit deceives men.

Success; that is the lesson which falls drop by drop from the slope of corruption. Be it said in passing, that success is a very hideous thing. Its false resemblance to merit deceives men.

Soit dit en passant, c'est une chose assez hideuse que le succès. Sa fausse ressemblance avec le mérite trompe les hommes.

El éxito es algo bastante repulsivo. El falso parecido que tiene con el mérito engaña a los hombres.

Sia detto alla sfuggita, il successo è una cosa piuttosto lurida; la sua falsa somiglianza col merito inganna gli uomini. Per la folla, la riuscita ha quasi lo stesso profilo della supremazia. Il successo, sosia della capacità, sa ingannare per bene la storia.

The favor of princes does not preclude the existence of merit, and yet does not prove that it exists.

The same principle leads us to neglect a man of merit that induces us to admire a fool.

Modesty is to merit, what shade is to figures in a picture; it gives it strength and makes it stand out.

It is the glory and the merit of some men to write well, and of others not to write at all.

A lofty birth or a large fortune portend merit, and cause it to be the sooner noticed.

A man convinced of his own merit will accept misfortune as an honor, for thus can he persuade others, as well as himself, that he is a worthy target for the arrows of fate.

We do not regret the loss of our friends by reasons of their merit, but because of our needs and for the good opinion that we believed them to have held of us.

The world oftener rewards the appearance of merit than merit itself.

The art of being able to make a good use of moderate abilities wins esteem and often confers more reputation than real merit.

We may appear great in an employment below our merit; but we often appear little in an employment that is too great for us.

There is a season for man's merit as well as for fruit.

There is merit without elevation, but there is no elevation without some merit.

Something for nothing is worth nothing...

Merit has rarely risen of itself, but a pebble or a twig is often quite sufficient for it to spring to the highest ascent.

No one's good just from being born any place.

Some who deserve failure do not achieve it," he sniffed. "Some who deserve nothing are given the world.

certification of what constitutes "merit" and "quality." Nevertheless, and even granting the digital