“A cowardly act! What do I care about that? You may be sure that I should never fear to commit one if it were to my advantage.”

Quoted by George Gordon Andrews in Napoleon in Review (1939) http://books.google.com/books?id=hnvRAAAAMAAJ&q="A+cowardly+act+What+do+I+care+about+that+You+may+be+sure+that+I+should+never+fear+to+commit+one+if+it+were+to+my+advantage"&pg=PA8#v=onepage

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Dec. 19, 2024. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "A cowardly act! What do I care about that? You may be sure that I should never fear to commit one if it were to my adva…" by Napoleon I of France?
Napoleon I of France photo
Napoleon I of France 259
French general, First Consul and later Emperor of the French 1769–1821

Related quotes

Octavia E. Butler photo

“If you don’t care about my people, why should I care about yours?”

Part II “Phoenix” chapter 15 (p. 383)
Adulthood Rites (1988)

Antonio Llidó photo
Amitabh Bachchan photo
Jeremy Irons photo

“I've never been passionate about acting, and I find more and more that I work to live the life I want to live. An actor like Al Pacino lives to act. I'm not sure though, there's something about the detachment I have, the feeling of the lack of importance about what I do, that is healthy.”

Jeremy Irons (1948) English actor

King of all his castles
The New Zealand Herald
2005-05-14
Elaine
Lipworth
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10125499
2011-08-11

Carl Schurz photo

“What is the rule of honor to be observed by a power so strongly and so advantageously situated as this Republic is? Of course I do not expect it meekly to pocket real insults if they should be offered to it. But, surely, it should not, as our boyish jingoes wish it to do, swagger about among the nations of the world, with a chip on its shoulder, shaking its fist in everybody's face. Of course, it should not tamely submit to real encroachments upon its rights. But, surely, it should not, whenever its own notions of right or interest collide with the notions of others, fall into hysterics and act as if it really feared for its own security and its very independence.”

Carl Schurz (1829–1906) Union Army general, politician

Speech at the Chamber of Commerce, New York City, New York (2 January 1896)
Context: What is the rule of honor to be observed by a power so strongly and so advantageously situated as this Republic is? Of course I do not expect it meekly to pocket real insults if they should be offered to it. But, surely, it should not, as our boyish jingoes wish it to do, swagger about among the nations of the world, with a chip on its shoulder, shaking its fist in everybody's face. Of course, it should not tamely submit to real encroachments upon its rights. But, surely, it should not, whenever its own notions of right or interest collide with the notions of others, fall into hysterics and act as if it really feared for its own security and its very independence.
As a true gentleman, conscious of his strength and his dignity, it should be slow to take offense. In its dealings with other nations it should have scrupulous regard, not only for their rights, but also for their self-respect. With all its latent resources for war, it should be the great peace power of the world. It should never forget what a proud privilege and what an inestimable blessing it is not to need and not to have big armies or navies to support. It should seek to influence mankind, not by heavy artillery, but by good example and wise counsel. It should see its highest glory, not in battles won, but in wars prevented. It should be so invariably just and fair, so trustworthy, so good tempered, so conciliatory, that other nations would instinctively turn to it as their mutual friend and the natural adjuster of their differences, thus making it the greatest preserver of the world's peace.
This is not a mere idealistic fancy. It is the natural position of this great republic among the nations of the earth. It is its noblest vocation, and it will be a glorious day for the United States when the good sense and the self-respect of the American people see in this their "manifest destiny." It all rests upon peace. Is not this peace with honor? There has, of late, been much loose speech about "Americanism." Is not this good Americanism? It is surely today the Americanism of those who love their country most. And I fervently hope that it will be and ever remain the Americanism of our children and our children's children.

Konrad Adenauer photo

“What do I care about my chitchat from yesterday?”

Konrad Adenauer (1876–1967) German statesman, Federal Chancellor of Germany, politician (CDU)

As quoted in Discussion : Mastering the Skills of Moderation (2009) by Horst Hanisch, p. 91

Booker T. Washington photo

“The world cares very little what you or I know, but it does care a great deal about what you or I do.”

Booker T. Washington (1856–1915) African-American educator, author, orator, and advisor

Address to the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Boston, Massachusetts (30 July 1903), printed in "Account of the Boston Riot," Boston Globe (31 July 1903) http://web.archive.org/20071031084056/www.historycooperative.org/btw/Vol.7/html/235.html

Vasco Rossi photo

“And now that I've arrived here thanks to my dreams / what should I do with reality? / And now that I don't even have my illusions / I don't even care about truth.”

Vasco Rossi (1980) Italian singer-songwriter

from E adesso tocca a me, 2008
Siamo solo noi (1981)

Related topics