Fausto Cercignani Quotes

Fausto Cercignani is an Italian scholar, essayist and poet.

✵ 21. March 1941
Fausto Cercignani photo
Fausto Cercignani: 65   quotes 1   like

Famous Fausto Cercignani Quotes

“Perhaps it is not true that “a man becomes what he dreams”; but if he does not dream, what kind of a man is he?”

This quote is itself quoting Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman in the film Grey Owl (1999)
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““Tomorrow is another day” is something you can say only to yourself, not to the person you want to comfort.”

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“If sudden, the visit of the Grim Reaper cannot be unwelcome.”

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“The best speeches are those that hurt your mind, not your ear.”

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“If use becomes abuse, we should intervene at once, for if abuse becomes habit, then there is no remedy.”

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Fausto Cercignani Quotes about people

“Courtesy is fundamental: sometimes it keeps at bay even snarling people.”

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“Some people maintain that what one believes becomes true, but the poor sick person who has hoped in vain would certainly not agree.”

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“Personal dignity is to be measured with the yardstick of one’s conscience, not with that of other people’s judgement.”

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Fausto Cercignani: Trending quotes

“Unity of intent is on the lips of many, but in the hearts of few.”

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“Inner freedom demands the rejection of any imposition that injures our dignity.”

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“Sometimes one would almost like to say: what really matters is only the mind. But where can you find a mind without a body?”

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Fausto Cercignani Quotes

“Genuine living and mere vegetating have only breathing in common (and a few other things).”

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“Sometimes moderation is a bad counselor.”

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“Emulation can be positive, if you succeed in avoiding imitation.”

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“If you persevere in your rancor, you do nothing but keep feeding yourself on poison.”

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“Titles are like clothes: they do not make the man.”

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“We learn a lot from the mistakes of others, but even more from our own.”

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“Every human relationship implies compromises, but the limit to any compromise is one’s own dignity.”

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“If you refuse to take account of theory, then you have forgotten that practice is often an offspring of theory.”

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“Wishing to dare serves no purpose at all, if it remains a wish.”

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“If you look incessantly for variety, sooner or later you will discover that you need more wisdom.”

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“If you have no aim, you need not worry about the means.”

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“Unlike money, hope is all: for the rich as well as for the poor.”

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“If the unconscious is an abyss, how could Sigmund Freud get out of it?”

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“Self-discipline is indispensable, if you want to master your character.”

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“You should only boast about having nothing to boast about!”

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“Order is a necessity for everyone, but not everyone understands it in the same way.”

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“As long as his strength permits, the poor mortal must always climb new mountains.”

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“No form and no degree of alleged liberty can justify calumny or the publication of calumnious material.”

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“The origin of certain superstitions is often connected to the intention of attributing adverse events to specific causes.”

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“Your will cannot always choose the path; very often the route is determined by chance or by the will of others.”

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“Perhaps it is true that the trials of life always teach us something, but it is undeniable that we are not always so eager to learn.”

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“If you have never had a dream, perhaps you have only dreamt to be alive.”

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“Calumny can injure you only if you reflect yourself in others and not in your conscience.”

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“If you despise habits so much, it is because you do not realize that nobody can do without them.”

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“The loafer believes he is enjoying life, but sooner or later he must face disillusion.”

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“The present is nothing else than the sum of what one perceives, remembers and hopes for.”

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“When one must fight, one had better do it without hesitation, according to his own nature.”

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“A secret remains a secret until you make someone promise never to reveal it.”

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“The essence of my optimism is constructive pessimism.”

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“An exception is nothing else than a rule that applies exceptionally.”

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“If I lost the privilege of being despised by certain individuals, I would certainly suspect that my actions and words are wrong in some way.”

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“If you are living in the past or in the future, you will never find a meaning in the present.”

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“Perfection is the dream of imperfection that refuses to wake up.”

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“Sometimes true tolerance requires an extraordinary strength, which we are often too weak to exercise.”

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“Your identity is like your shadow: not always visible and yet always present.”

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“If some speak ill of me, I will try to understand their reasons, but after my death I will certainly come to terms with it.”

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“Refuse all excess, except in youthful enthusiasm.”

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“When you would suffocate or ignore dissent, remember how many times you dissented.”

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“Once I believed that sooner or later I would come across a really wise person; today I couldn’t even say what wisdom is.”

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“Even good arguments fail, if they are spiced with digressions.”

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“Secret thoughts are only half free: they fly undisturbed in the skies of the inner freedom, but they can never leave them.”

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