BartholomewWest
Banned
“Men ever praise the olden time and find fault with the present, though often without reason.
They are such partisans of the past that they extol not only the times which they know only by the accounts left of them by historians, but, having grown old, they also laud all they remember to have seen in their youth. Their opinion is generally erroneous in that respect, and I think the reasons which cause this illusion are various. The first I believe to be the fact that we never know the whole truth about the past, and very frequently writers conceal such events as would reflect disgrace upon their century, whilst they magnify and amplify those that lend lustre to it. The majority of authors obey the fortune of conquerors to that degree that, by way of rendering their victories more glorious, they exaggerate not only the valiant deeds of the victor, but also of the vanquished; so that future generations of the countries of both will have cause to wonder at those men and times, and are obliged to praise and admire them to the utmost”
Machiavelli ~
Most of this has been retained by my brain.
It’s one of my favorite quotes, as it references the schemes, biases, and sycophancy of writers and authors alike.
Human beings exhibit a tendency to ruminate on past events, frequently romanticizing what once was. For them, nostalgic feelings are induced by the musings of a bygone era, even when they were never a part of said era.
Post Script:
At the end of each day, there is no greater danger to a man’s intellect than being surrounded by men who concede themselves to baser pursuits, baser instincts.
They are such partisans of the past that they extol not only the times which they know only by the accounts left of them by historians, but, having grown old, they also laud all they remember to have seen in their youth. Their opinion is generally erroneous in that respect, and I think the reasons which cause this illusion are various. The first I believe to be the fact that we never know the whole truth about the past, and very frequently writers conceal such events as would reflect disgrace upon their century, whilst they magnify and amplify those that lend lustre to it. The majority of authors obey the fortune of conquerors to that degree that, by way of rendering their victories more glorious, they exaggerate not only the valiant deeds of the victor, but also of the vanquished; so that future generations of the countries of both will have cause to wonder at those men and times, and are obliged to praise and admire them to the utmost”
Machiavelli ~
Most of this has been retained by my brain.
It’s one of my favorite quotes, as it references the schemes, biases, and sycophancy of writers and authors alike.
Human beings exhibit a tendency to ruminate on past events, frequently romanticizing what once was. For them, nostalgic feelings are induced by the musings of a bygone era, even when they were never a part of said era.
Post Script:
At the end of each day, there is no greater danger to a man’s intellect than being surrounded by men who concede themselves to baser pursuits, baser instincts.
