A Quote by James Boswell

All censure of a man's self is oblique praise.

James Boswell

Quote Topics

Censure Man Oblique Praise Self

Quote Author

James Boswell
Scottish - Lawyer
October 29, 1740 - May 19, 1795

All censure of a man's self is oblique praise. It is in order to show how much he can spare.

Samuel Johnson

Most of our censure of others is only oblique praise of self, uttered to show the wisdom and superiority of the speaker. It has all the invidiousness of self-praise, and all the ill-desert of falsehood.

Tryon Edwards

The praise of the envious is far less creditable than their censure; they praise only that which they can surpass, but that which surpasses them they censure.

Charles Caleb Colton

The silence of a man who loves to praise is a censure sufficiently severe.

Charlotte Lennox

An egotist will always speak of himself, either in praise or in censure, but a modest man ever shuns making himself the subject of his conversation.

Jean de la Bruyere

The villain's censure is extorted praise.

Alexander Pope

You do ill if you praise, but worse if you censure, what you do not understand.

Leonardo da Vinci

For what is the self-complacent man but a slave to his own self-praise.

Saint Augustine

As my object was not myself, I set out with the determination, and happily with the disposition, of not being moved by praise or censure, friendship or calumny, nor of being drawn from my purpose by any personal altercation; and the man who cannot do this, is not fit for a public character.

Thomas Paine

It is salutary to train oneself to be no more affected by censure than by praise.

W. Somerset Maugham

Never be afraid of the world's censure; it's praise is much more to be dreaded.

Charles Spurgeon

Praise from a friend, or censure from a foe, Are lost on hearers that our merits know.

Alexander Pope

Criticism can never instruct or benefit you. Its chief effect is that of a telegram with dubious news. Praise leaves no glow behind, for it is a writer's habit to remember nothing good of himself. I have usually forgotten those who have admired my work, and seldom anyone who disliked it. Obviously, this is because praise is never enough and censure always too much.

Ben Hecht

It is harder to avoid censure than to gain applause; for this may be done by one great or wise action in an age. But to escape censure a man must pass his whole life without saying or doing one ill or foolish thing

David Hume

It has been shrewdly said, that when, men abuse us we should suspect ourselves, and when they praise us, them. It is a rare instance of virtue to despise which censure which we do not deserve; and still more rare to despise praise which we do.

Charles Caleb Colton

I find the pain of a little censure, even when it is unfounded, is more acute than the pleasure of much praise.