“A reproach can only hurt if it hits the mark. Whoever knows that he does not deserve a reproach can treat it with contempt.”

Parerga and Paralipomena (1851), Aphorisms on the Wisdom of Life, p. 383 in Oxford University Press edition of Parerga and Paralipomena: Short Philosophical Essays (1974)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 10, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "A reproach can only hurt if it hits the mark. Whoever knows that he does not deserve a reproach can treat it with conte…" by Arthur Schopenhauer?
Arthur Schopenhauer photo
Arthur Schopenhauer 261
German philosopher 1788–1860

Related quotes

Anatole France photo

“We reproach people for talking about themselves but it is the subject they treat best.”

Anatole France (1844–1924) French writer

On reproche aux gens de parler d’eux-mêmes. C’est pourtant le sujet qu’ils traitent le mieux.
Series I: À propos du journal des Goncourt http://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/%C3%80_propos_du_%C2%AB_journal_des_Goncourt_%C2%BB
The Literary Life (1888-1892)

Pliny the Younger photo

“Such is the disposition of mankind, if they cannot blast an action, they will censure the parade of it; and whether you do what does not deserve to be taken notice of, or take notice yourself of what does, either way you incur reproach.”
Homines enim cum rem destruere non possunt, iactationem eius incessunt. Ita si silenda feceris, factum ipsum, si laudanda non sileas, ipse culparis.

Pliny the Younger (61–113) Roman writer

Letter 8, 15.
Letters, Book I

“He does not deserve your praise, but he deserves to be treated as if someday he might.”

James Richardson (1950) American poet

#293
Vectors: Aphorisms and Ten Second Essays (2001)

Samuel Butler photo
Confucius photo

“In a high situation, he does not treat with contempt his inferiors. In a low situation, he does not court the favor of his superiors.”

Confucius (-551–-479 BC) Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher

The Analects, The Doctrine of the Mean
Context: The superior man does what is proper to the station in which he is; he does not desire to go beyond this. In a position of wealth and honor, he does what is proper to a position of wealth and honor. In a poor and low position, he does what is proper to a poor and low position. Situated among barbarous tribes, he does what is proper to a situation among barbarous tribes. In a position of sorrow and difficulty, he does what is proper to a position of sorrow and difficulty. The superior man can find himself in no situation in which he is not himself. In a high situation, he does not treat with contempt his inferiors. In a low situation, he does not court the favor of his superiors. He rectifies himself, and seeks for nothing from others, so that he has no dissatisfactions. He does not murmur against Heaven, nor grumble against men. Thus it is that the superior man is quiet and calm, waiting for the appointments of Heaven, while the mean man walks in dangerous paths, looking for lucky occurrences.

Aristophanés photo

“Just Discourse: Do not bandy words with your father, nor treat him as a dotard, nor reproach the old man, who has cherished you, with his age.”

tr. Athen. 1912, vol. 1, p. 359 http://books.google.com/books?id=9vpxAAAAIAAJ&q=%22Do+not+bandy+words+with+your+father%2C+nor+treat+him+as+a+dotard%2C+nor+reproach+the+old+man%2C+who+has+cherished+you%2C+with+his+age%22
Clouds, line 998-999
Clouds (423 BC)

Jonathan Safran Foer photo
Bernart de Ventadorn photo

“This is how she shows herself a woman indeed,
My lady, and I reproach her for it:
She does not want what one ought to want,
And what she is forbidden to do, she does.”

Can vei la lauzeta mover, line 33; translation by Frederick Goldin, from Boris Ford (ed.) Medieval Literature: The European Inheritance (1983) p. 440.

Babe Ruth photo

“Yes, he's a prick, but he sure can hit. God Almighty, that man can hit!”

Babe Ruth (1895–1948) American baseball player

About Ty Cobb, a notoriously vicious player. Quoted in The Sporting News (12 July 1950); as actually published in The Sporting News, "prick" was replaced by "[censored]" — elsewhere, including Field of Screams: The Dark Underside of America's National Pastime (1994) the quote has appeared as "Ty Cobb is a prick." or sometimes "Cobb is a prick. But he sure can hit. God Almighty, that man can hit."

Prevale photo

“Who can not love, does not deserve prisoners.”

Prevale (1983) Italian DJ and producer

Original: (it) Chi non riesce ad amare, non merita prigionieri.
Source: prevale.net

Related topics