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In this section, you'll find inspirational quotations and proverbs about the following topics: greatness, merit, excellence, distinction, distinguished, illustrious, illustriousness, outstanding, recognition, superior, superiority, eminent, eminence, inspiring quotes, inspirational quotes, greatest, achievement, admiration, ambition, eulogy, eulogies, praise, nobility, noble, nobleness, vile, vileness, worthless, worthlessness, failure, mediocrity, honor, honour, honors, honours, virtue, virtues, inspirative, inspirational, success, famous quotations, fame, glory, Shakespeare, reputation, renown, celebrity, and vanity. Check out our Motivational and Inspirational Quotes for more inspirational thoughts and maxims, or our main page for more high quality quotes on other subjects and categories.
He that lies upon the ground, can fall no lower. Latin Proverb
The higher up, the greater the fall. Proverb
Fame is like a river, that beareth up things light and swoln, and drowns things weighty and solid. F. Bacon, 1st Baron Verulam, Essays. 53. Of Praise
Great men are not always wise. The Bible, Job, 32, 9
Achievement, n. The death of endeavor and the birth of disgust. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Achievement
Admiration, n. Our polite recognition of another's resemblance to ourselves. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Admiration
Ambition, n. An overmastering desire to be vilified by enemies while living and made ridiculous by friends when dead. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Ambition
"I need no bondsmen," he replied, "for I can give you my word of honor." "And pray what may be the value of that?" inquired the amused Regent. "Monsieur, it is worth its weight in gold." Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Bondsman
Congratulation, n. The civility of envy. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Congratulation
Eccentricity, n. A method of distinction so cheap that fools employ it to accentuate their incapacity. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Eccentricity
Eulogy, n. Praise of a person who has either the advantages of wealth and power, or the consideration to be dead. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Eulogy
Grammar, n. A system of pitfalls thoughtfully prepared for the feet of the self-made man, along the path by which he advances to distinction. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Grammar
Each reckons greatness to consist In that in which he heads the list, And Harrie thinks he tops his class Because he is the greatest Ass.Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Great
Monument, n. A structure intended to commemorate something which either needs no commemoration or cannot be commemorated.The bones of Agamemnon are a show, And ruined is his royal monument,but Agamemnon's fame suffers no diminution in consequence. The monument custom has its reductiones ad absurdum in monuments "to the unknown dead" - that is to say, monuments to perpetuate the memory of those who have left no memory. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Monument
Nobleman, n. Nature's provision for wealthy American maids ambitious to incur social distinction and suffer high life. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Nobleman
Perseverance, n. A lowly virtue whereby mediocrity achieves an inglorious success. [...] Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Perseverance
Posterity, n. An appellate court which reverses the judgment of a popular author's contemporaries, the appellant being his obscure competitor. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Posterity
Prince, n. A young gentleman who, in romance, bestows his affections on a peasant girl, and in real life, on his friends' wives. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Prince
Problem, n. If fifty disgusted persons in a theatre make an "enthusiastic success" what is a failure? Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Problem
Rumor, n. A favorite weapon of the assassins of character. [...] Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Rumor
The advantage of doing one's praising for oneself is that one can lay it on so thick and exactly in the right places. S. Butler, The Way of All Flesh, Ch. 34
Beauty is the mark God sets upon virtue. Every natural action is graceful. Every heroic act is also decent, and causes the place and the bystanders to shine. We are taught by great actions that the universe is the property of every individual in it. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature, Beauty, III, 2
Not he is great who can alter matter, but he who can alter my state of mind. Ralph Waldo Emerson, The American Scholar
The man has never lived that can feed us ever. Ralph Waldo Emerson, The American Scholar
To be great is to be misunderstood. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays, Self-Reliance
The paths of glory lead but to the grave.T. Gray, Elegy Written in a Country Church-Yard, 1
The nations which have put mankind and posterity most in their debt have been small states - Israel, Athens, Florence, Elizabethan England. W. R. Inge, Marchant, Wit and and Wisdom of Dean inge
No place affords a more striking conviction of the vanity of human hopes, than a public library. S. Johnson, The Rambler, 23 March 1751
I would sooner fail than not be among the greatest. J. Keats, Letter to J. A. Hessey, 9 Oct. 1818
Here lies one whose name was writ in water. J. Keats, Epitaph
The opinion is the world's, truly, but it may be called theirs as a man would call a book his, having bought it; he did not write the book, but it is his; they did not originate the opinion, but it is theirs. A fool, for example, thinks Shakespeare a great poet - yet the fool has never read Shakespeare. E. A. Poe, Letter to B-
[...] for it is with literature as with law or empire - an established name is an estate in tenure, or a throne in possession. E. A. Poe, Letter to B-
For my own part, I would much rather have written the best song of a nation than its noblest epic. E. A. Poe, Song-writing
Nature and Nature's Laws lay hid in Night: God said, Let Newton be! and all was light.A. Pope, Epitaph, intended for Sir Isaac Newton
Charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul.A. Pope, The Rape of the Lock, Canto 5, 34
It out-herods Herod.W. Shakespeare, Hamlet, 3, 2, 14
Rightly to be great Is not to stir without great argument, But greatly to find quarrel in a straw, When honour's at the stake.W. Shakespeare, Hamlet, 4, 4, 53
What is honour? A word. What is in that word? Honour. What is that honour? Air. W. Shakespeare, Henry the Fourth, Part One, 5, 1, 129
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You see, my good wenches, how men of merit are sought after; the undeserver may sleep, when the man of action is call'd on. W. Shakespeare, Henry the Fourth, Part Two, 2, 4, 361
If we are mark'd to die, we are enow To do our country loss; and if to live, The fewer men, the greater share of honour.W. Shakespeare, Henry the Fifth, 4, 3, 20
Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.W. Shakespeare, Measure for Measure, 2, 1, 38
Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial. W. Shakespeare, Othello, 2, 3, 254
Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing; 'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands; But he that filches from me my good name Robs me of that which not enriches him And makes me poor indeed.W. Shakespeare, Othello, 3, 3, 161
Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em. W. Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, 2, 5, 129
'Tis better to be vile than vile esteemed, [...]W. Shakespeare, Sonnet 121
Martyrdom... is the only way in which a man can become famous without ability. G. B. Shaw, The Devil's Disciple, Act 3
With the single exception of Homer, there is no eminent writer, not even Sir Walter Scott, whom I can despise so entirely as I despise Shakespeare when I measure my mind against his. G. B. Shaw, Dramatic Opinions and Essays, Vol. 2, 52
It did not last: the Devil howling "Ho, Let Einstein be," restored the status quo.Sir J. C. Squire, In Continuation of Pope on Newton
When the Rudyards cease from kipling And the Haggards ride no more.J. K. Stephen, Lapsus Calami, To R. K.
Three things I never lends - my 'oss, my wife, and my name. R. S. Surtees, Hillingdon Hall, Ch. 33
There is always room at the top. D. Webster (When advised not to become a lawyer, as there were already too many)
I would rather have written that poem [Gray's Elegy], gentlemen, than take Quebec. J. Wolfe (The night before he was killed in battle in Quebec)
There is One great society alone on earth: The noble Living and the noble Dead.W. Wordsworth, The Prelude, 11, 393
Si monumentum requiris, circumspice. [If you seek my monument, look around you.] Sir C. Wren (Inscription in St Paul's Cathedral, London, written by his son)
Some for renown, on scraps of learning dote, And think they grow immortal as they quote.E. Young, Love of Fame, 1, 89
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