Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Related Quotes

Bachya Ibn Pekudah

The goal to strive for is that it should be equal in your eyes if others happen to praise or insult you.

Character | Insult | Praise | Insult |

Pliny the Elder, full name Casus Plinius Secundus NULL

Let honor be to us as strong an obligation as necessity is to others.

Character | Honor | Necessity | Obligation |

Publius Syrus

Wantonness and honor are never in harmony.

Character | Harmony | Honor |

J. H. Rhodes, fully John Harold Rhodes

Listen to your conscience, for you may be listening to God.

Character | Conscience | God | Listening |

George Ripley

It is not he who searches for praise who finds it.

Character | Praise |

Samuel Smiles

The crown and glory of life is character. It is the noblest possession of a man, constituting a rank in itself, and estate in the general good will; dignifying every station, and exacting every position in society. It exercises a greater power than wealth and secures all the honor without the jealousies of fame. It carries with it an influence which always tells; for it is the result of proved honor, rectitude and consistency - qualities which, perhaps more than any others, command the general confidence and respect of mankind.

Character | Confidence | Consistency | Fame | Glory | Good | Honor | Influence | Life | Life | Man | Mankind | Position | Power | Qualities | Rank | Respect | Society | Wealth | Will | Respect |

Chaim Leib Shmuelevitz

Regardless of how much honor he receives, an honor-seeker will feel upset if even one person does not show him the honor and approval he demands. There will never be an amount of honor that will satisfy him. Physical desires have a saturation point, but the desire for honor is based on falsehood and illusion and is really nothing in itself.

Character | Desire | Falsehood | Honor | Illusion | Nothing | Will | Approval |

Yisroel Salanter Lipkin

Even though we personally should do what we can to flee from honor, we still have an obligation to treat other people with honor and respect.

Character | Honor | Obligation | People | Respect |

Binyamin Yehoshua Silver

How can you clarify if you do good deeds because they are right or merely to gain honor and approval? Ask yourself: “Would I do this if I were all alone and no one would ever find out about my good deed?”

Character | Deeds | Good | Honor | Right | Deeds |

Avraham-Haim Shag, born Avraham-Haim Tzvebner

There is no greater fool than one who makes his happiness based on receiving honor and approval. Such a person’s happiness is always in the hands of others... Such a person is dependent on other people his enter life and will frequently suffer humiliation. Only an idiot would knowingly and willingly put himself in a situation where he will constantly be in need of others and will humiliate himself for a dubious and questionable benefit.

Character | Honor | Life | Life | Need | People | Will | Happiness |

Richard Steele, fully Sir Richard Steele

The world will never be in any manner of order or tranquillity until men are firmly convinced that conscience, honor and credit are all in one interest; and that without he concurrence of the former the latter are but impositions upon ourselves and others.

Character | Conscience | Credit | Honor | Men | Order | Tranquility | Will | World |

Menachem Taryash

The life of a person who demands and pursues approval is full of pain and suffering. Even if he does receive a large amount of approval, he will still demand more. We can say with certainty that not everyone will honor him as much as he would like and he will cause himself much self-imposed misery.

Cause | Character | Honor | Life | Life | Pain | Receive | Self | Suffering | Will | Approval |

Hotzoas Chochmah Umassar

Usually people are not envious of someone’s virtues, but of the honor the person receives for his virtues.

Character | Honor | People |

Alexander Ziskind Maimon

The only way to do good deeds without being motivated by the need for approval from others is to reach the level of considering praise and insults equal.

Character | Deeds | Good | Need | Praise | Deeds | Approval |

Shmuel Tzvi of Alexander, fully Admor Shmuel Tzvi Dantziger from Alexander, aka Samuel Alexander

If a person is indecisive about which of two courses of action to take, the question to ask himself is: “Which choice will bring more honor to the Almighty?” The reply to this question is the path to choose.

Action | Character | Choice | Honor | Question | Will |

Marguerite De Valois, or Margaret of Valois, Marguerite de France

A woman of honor should not suspect another of things she would not do herself.

Character | Honor | Woman |

John Greenleaf Whittier

When faith is lost, when honor dies, the man is dead.

Character | Faith | Honor | Man |