Montesquieu Quotes

False praise is worse than no praise.

No compliment can be eloquent, except as an expression of indifference.

Praise undeserved, is satire in disguise.

The more people say nice things about me, the more I feel it's false.

I will praise any man that will praise me.

A refusal of praise is a desire to be praised twice.

Usually we praise only to be praised.

I never want to get caught up in praises. Never want to get caught up in people telling me how good I am.

Praise is good. Some people over-praise, though. Genuine appreciation is rare to come by.

Men sometimes think they hate flattery, but they hate only the manner of flattering.

A man is never more serious than when he praise himself.

Flattery is false money, which would not be current were it not for our vanity.

Flattery of the verbal kind is gross. In short, applause is of too coarse a nature to be swallowed in the gross, though the extract or tincture be ever so agreeable.

He who refuses praise the first time that it is offered does so because he would hear it a second time.

There is no such flatterer as is a man's self.

Because all men are apt to flatter themselves, to entertain the addition of other men's praises is most perilous.

If you're sincere, praise is effective. If you're insincere, it's manipulative.

I can take any amount of criticism, as long as it is unqualified praise.

Hunger is never delicate; they who are seldom gorged to the full with praise may be safely fed with gross compliments, for the appetite must be satisfied before it is disgusted.

No adulation; 'tis the death of virtue; Who flatters, is of all mankind the lowest Save he who courts the flattery.

VANITY, n. The tribute of a fool to the worth of the nearest ass.

People who ask for your criticism want only praise.

We all are imbued with the love of praise.

There is scarcely any man, how much soever he may despise the character of a flatterer, but will condescend in the meanest manner to flatter himself.