A Quote by Ivy Compton-Burnett

Duty is seldom liked either by the doer or the object ... And why should it be? It is not often of advantage to either.

Ivy Compton-Burnett

Quote Topics

Advantage Doer Duty Either Liked Object Often Seldom Should Should I Why

Quote Author

Ivy Compton-Burnett
English - Novelist
June 5, 1884 - August 27, 1969

Men seldom rise from low condition to high rank without employing either force or fraud, unless that rank should be attained either by gift or inheritance.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Prudence operates on life in the same manner as rule of composition; it produces vigilance rather than elevation; rather prevents loss than procures advantage; and often miscarriages, but seldom reaches either power or honor.

Samuel Johnson

We should never allow ourselves to be bullied by an either-or. There is often the possibility of something better than either of these two alternatives.

Mary Parker Follett

The advocates of a criminal are seldom artists enough to turn the beautiful terribleness of the deed to the advantage of the doer.

Friedrich Nietzsche

I never see why we should do anything unless it is either a duty or a pleasure! Life's short enough without filling up hours unnecessarily

C. S. Lewis

I don't get recognised in London or at home either - very seldom anyway. Either that or I look so crazy no one wants to come up to me.

Alison Krauss

Injustice arises either from precipitation, or indolence, or from a mixture of both. - The rapid and slow are seldom just; the unjust wait either not at all, or wait too long.

Johann Kaspar Lavater

I don't understand why it has to be either - or - either socialism or democracy. Why can't we combine things to get the best of each system?

Tim Allen

My own beliefs are that the road to a scientific discovery is seldom direct and that it does not necessarily require great expertise. In fact, I am convinced that often a newcomer to a field has a great advantage because he is ignorant and does not know all the complicated reasons why a particular experiment should not be attempted.

Ivar Giaever

The flatterer's object is to please in everything he does; whereas the true friend always does what is right, and so often gives pleasure, often pain, not wishing the latter, but not shunning it either, if he deems it best.

Plutarch

When I was a kid, there was no distinction between a movie about old people or young people. It was either funny or not. It was either entertaining or not. It was either exciting or not. It was either thrilling or not.

Joseph Bologna

It's often the case that when a critic uses an embarrassingly accurate term to describe what a wrong-doer is doing, the wrong-doer protests: "Why don't you use my white-washed, conscience-soothing euphemism?" Such euphemisms, they claim, help promote "civilized debate."

Steve Kangas

As a matter of personal philosophy, I have generally said, 'Why not?' far more often than either 'Why?' or 'Not.'

Rachel Sklar

The only way I was going to be funny was if I was myself, and either you liked it, or you didn't. Either you got on my train, or you didn't. Freeing myself of this idea that I had to fit a certain mold was when I was able to be my funniest.

Aisha Tyler

Great merit or great failings will make you respected or despised; but trifles, little attentions, mere nothings, either done or neglected, will make you either liked or disliked, in the general run of the world. Examine yourself, why you like such and such people and dislike such and such others; and you will find that those different sentiments proceed from very slight causes.