merit quotes

Moderation has been called a virtue to limit the ambition of great men, and to console undistinguished people for their want of fortune and their lack of merit.

Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving.

Plagiarists, at least, have the merit of preservation.

It seems to never occur to fools that merit and good fortune are closely united.

Mere bashfulness without merit is awkwardness.

Immediately after 11 September, the U.S. closed down the Somali charitable network Al-Barakaat on grounds that it was financing terror. This achievement was hailed one of the great successes of the ‚war on terror.‘ In contrast, Washington’s withdrawal of its charges as without merit a year later aroused little notice.

Arrogance on the part of the meritorious is even more offensive to us than the arrogance of those without merit: for merit itself is offensive.

Celebrity is the chastisement of merit and the punishment of talent.

Nearly all the things I do that are of any merit at all start off just being good fun, and I think I’m sort of building up to doing something else quite soon.

Fondly we think we honor merit then, When we but praise ourselves in other men.

Ambition is pitiless. Any merit that it cannot use it finds despicable.

Beauties in vain their pretty eyes may roll; charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul.

Charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul.

There are few cases in which mere popularity should be considered a proper test of merit; but the case of song-writing is, I think, one of the few.

The merit of originality is not novelty; it is sincerity.