“He has not acquired a fortune; the fortune has acquired him.”
Diogenes Laërtius (180–240) biographer of ancient Greek philosophers
Bion, 50.
The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers (c. 200 A.D.), Book 4: The Academy
Source: Midwinter (1923), Ch. II
“He has not acquired a fortune; the fortune has acquired him.”
Diogenes Laërtius (180–240) biographer of ancient Greek philosophers
Bion, 50.
The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers (c. 200 A.D.), Book 4: The Academy
François de La Rochefoucauld book Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims
Les gens heureux ne se corrigent guère; ils croient toujours avoir raison quand la fortune soutient leur mauvaise conduite.
Maxim 227.
Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (1665–1678)
“Most people judge men only by success or by fortune.”
François de La Rochefoucauld book Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims
La plupart des gens ne jugent des hommes que par la vogue qu'ils ont, ou par leur fortune.
Variant translation: Most people judge men only by their fashion or their fortune.
Maxim 212.
Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (1665–1678)
“Fortunately, when he lacks reason he also lacks words.”
Joseph Joubert (1754–1824) French moralist and essayist
P.T. Barnum (1810–1891) American showman and businessman
Source: The Art of Money Getting: Golden Rules for Making Money
Kurt Vonnegut book The Sirens of Titan
Source: The Sirens of Titan (1959), Chapter 6 “A Deserter in Time of War” (p. 162)
W. Douglas P. Hill (1884–1962) British Indologist
Source: The Bhagavadgītā (1973), p. 214–15. (78.)
Roger Kahn (1927–2020) American baseball writer
Source: The Boys Of Summer, Lines On The Transpontine Madness, p. xxi
Dennis Sciama (1926–1999) British physicist
Source: Modern Cosmology (1971), p. 73