Mastodawn

A candor affected is a dagger concealed.

[ἐπιτήδευσις δὲ ἁπλότητος σκάλμη ἐστίν.]

Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180) Roman emperor (161-180), Stoic philosopher
Meditations [To Himself; Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν], Book 11, ch. 15 (11.15) (AD 161-180) [tr. Staniforth (1964)]

More about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/marcus-aureleus/2670…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #marcusaurelius #attack #authenticity #candor #dagger #deception #duplicity #falsehood #honesty #insincerity #knife #lying #pretense #stiletto #straightforwardness #threat

Marcus Aurelius - Meditations [To Himself; Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν], Book 11, ch. 15 (11.15) (AD 161-180) [tr. Staniforth (1964)] | WIST Quotations

A candor affected is a dagger concealed. [ἐπιτήδευσις δὲ ἁπλότητος σκάλμη ἐστίν.] Depending on the source material, the weapon reference is either from a native Thracian (foreign) weapon (σκάλμη) -- thus translators who use "stiletto," etc. -- or a proverbial "crooked stick" (σκαμβή), referring to a Greek proverb "You can't…

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WIST Quotations Dec 26

A quotation from Terry Pratchett

Carrot often struck people as simple. And he was.
Where people went wrong was thinking that simple meant the same thing as stupid.

Terry Pratchett (1948-2015) English author
Discworld No. 15, Men at Arms (1993)

More about this quote: wist.info/pratchett-terry/8103…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #terrypratchett #character #forthrightness #frankness #goodnature #honesty #simplicity #straightforwardness

Pratchett, Terry - Discworld No. 15, Men at Arms (1993) | WIST Quotations

Carrot often struck people as simple. And he was. Where people went wrong was thinking that simple meant the same thing as stupid.

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WIST Quotations Has Moved!Jul 8, 2025

A quotation from Emerson

Nothing astonishes men so much as common sense and plain dealing.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American essayist, lecturer, poet
Essay (1841), “Art,” Essays: First Series, No. 12

Sourcing, notes: wist.info/emerson-ralph-waldo/…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #emerson #ralphwaldoemerson #astonishment #commonsense #honesty #humannature #shock #simplicity #straightforwardness #surprise

WIST Quotations Has Moved!Feb 26, 2025

A quotation from Marcus Aurelius

The good and straightforward person should resemble one who stinks of goat, in the sense that whoever comes close will immediately sense him, whether they want to or not.

[τοιοῦτον ὅλως δεῖ τὸν ἁπλοῦν καὶ ἀγαθὸν εἶναι, οἶον γράσωνα, ἵνα ὁ παραστὰς ἅμα τῷ προσελθεῖν, θέλει οὐ θέλει, αἴσθηται.]

Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180) Roman emperor (161-180), Stoic philosopher
Meditations [To Himself; Τὰ εἰς ἑαυτόν], Book 11, ch. 15 (11.15) [tr. Needleman/Piazza (2008)

Sourcing, notes, alternate translations: wist.info/marcus-aureleus/7521…

#quote #quotes #quotation #goat #goodness #goodperson #honesty #obvious #simplicity #smell #stink #straightforwardness

WIST Quotations Has Moved!Feb 10, 2025

A quotation from Whitman

I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contain’d,
I stand and look at them long and long.
They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,
Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things,
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago,
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.

Walt Whitman (1819-1892) American poet
Poem (1855), “Song of Myself,” sec. 32, l. 684ff, Leaves of Grass

Sourcing, notes: wist.info/whitman-walt/74677/

#quote #quotes #quotation #animals #humancondition #humanity #simplicity #straightforwardness

Poem (1855), "Song of Myself," sec. 32, l. 684ff, Leaves of Grass - Whitman, Walt | WIST Quotations

I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contain'd, I stand and look at them long and long. They do not sweat and whine about their condition, They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins, They do not make…

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WIST Quotations moves again!Oct 15, 2024

A quotation from Emerson, Ralph Waldo:

«
Nothing astonishes men so much as common sense and plain dealing.
»

Full quote, sourcing, notes:
https://wist.info/emerson-ralph-waldo/122/

#quote #quotes #quotation #commonsense #fairness #honesty #humannature #straightforwardness #surprise #expectations

Essay (1841), "Art," Essays: First Series, No. 12 - Emerson, Ralph Waldo | WIST Quotations Quotations

Nothing astonishes men so much as common sense and plain dealing.

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David Gross Nov 26, 2022

This post examines a cluster of #virtues that includes #straightforwardness, #frankness, #sincerity, #earnestness, #candor, and #parrhêsia.

These virtues have to do with communicating in a way that is clear, precise, efficient, and useful. They show respect for those you are communicating with by “giving it to them straight” and not forcing a lot of second-guessing and interpretation.

https://www.lesswrong.com/s/xqgwpmwDYsn8osoje/p/haikNyAWze9SdBpb6

Notes on Sincerity and such - LessWrong

This post examines a cluster of virtues that includes straightforwardness, frankness, sincerity, earnestness, candor, and parrhêsia. I hope it will help people who want to know more about these virtu…