Babylon violated diminishes Alexander; Rome enslaved diminishes Caesar; massacred Jerusalem diminishes Titus. Tyranny follows the tyrant. Woe to the man who leaves behind a shadow that bears his form.
Victor Hugo in Les Miserables
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy! | In Romanian
Related quotes
My freedom will be so much the greater and more meaningful the more narrowly I limit my field of action and the more I surround myself with obstacles. Whatever diminishes constraint diminishes strength. The more constraints one imposes, the more one frees one's self of the chains that shackle the spirit.
quote by Igor Stravinsky
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy! | In Romanian
Knowledge that is not replenished diminishes every day.
When the spleen increases, the body diminishes.
Do not eat the strangers' bread as this diminishes your stature.
The curse of the romantic is a greed for dreams, an intensity of expectation that, in the end, diminishes the reality.
quote by Marya Mannes
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The law, which restrains a man from doing mischief to his fellow citizens, though it diminishes the natural, increases the civil liberty of mankind.
quote by William Blackstone
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Absence diminishes mediocre passions and increases great ones, as the wind extinguishes candles and fans fires.
quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The spirals of the helix should be as nearly approximated as possible, as each aids by its heat that of its neighbour, or rather diminishes the cooling effect of the gaseous atmosphere.
quote by William Robert Grove
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
A Holy Thursday
tradition finally diminishes
its stature
slowly its promise for fasting
and self-restraint
has become another
non-fulfillment
someone is crucified
for tourism purposes
there are those who roam
not for the quest of God
but for sight-seeing
this is another form of global change
people do not believe easily anymore
each stone is upturned
with another kind of question
the consciousness is higher now
as faith sits behind the scenes
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Shadow and Light Source Both
How does a part of the world leave the world?
How does wetness leave water?
Dont' try to put out fire by throwing on
more fire! Don't wash a wound with blood.
No matter how fast you run, your shadow
keeps up. Sometimes it's in front!
Only full overhead sun diminishes your shadow.
But that shadow has been serving you.
What hurts you, blesses you. Darkness is
your candle. Your boundaries are your quest.
I could explain this, but it will break the
glass cover on your heart, and there's no
fixing that.
You must have shadow and light source both.
Listen, and lay your head under the tree of awe.
When from that tree feathers and wings sprout on you,
be quieter than a dove. Don't even open your mouth for
even a coo.
The prudent see only the difficulties, the bold only the advantages, of a great enterprise; the hero sees both; diminishes the former and makes the latter preponderate, and so conquers.
quote by Johann Kaspar Lavater
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Courage enlarges, cowardice diminishes resources. In desperate straits the fears of the timid aggravate the dangers that imperil the brave.
quote by Christian Nestell Bovee
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Whatever diminishes life is evil, and whatever enhances life is good.
quote by John Shelby Spong
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.
quote by Rosa Parks
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
quote by John Donne
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Obvious Glares
You proclaim others' flaws...
In public settings
As if to do that,
Diminishes your own blemishes.
You should refrain from doing that.
Since it may decrease what you perceive as adulation...
From the obvious glares of those,
Who seem not too amused by fools!
And they do not laugh 'with' you at all!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
It Isn't There
Making a decision to use alibis,
Instead of confronting with honesty...
Diminishes one's integrity.
And to use excuses to protect insecurities,
Speaks volumes about the presence of a maturity!
It isn't there to appreciate truth!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The time is not far
The time your authority diminishes
Your influence evaporates
And your words become vaporous
In front of even your children.
The time is not far off to each of us.
10.11.2006
poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
I guess when you have that one monster season, it's good because you're recognized. If it weren't for that season, not as many people would know about my career. But it also kind of diminishes what I did in other years.
quote by Brady Anderson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!