"Those who are serious in ridiculous matters will be ridiculous in serious matters."

Experience

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Insight & Reflection

Words carry weight, and Cato the Elder's insight into experience is no exception. It serves as a gentle reminder that amidst the chaos of modern life, timeless wisdom still holds the power to guide our decisions and clarify our values.

About Cato the Elder

Marcus Porcius Cato, also known as Cato the Censor, the Elder and the Wise, was a Roman soldier, senator, and historian known for his conservatism and opposition to Hellenization. He was the first to write history in Latin with his Origines, a now fragmentary work on the history of Rome. His work De agri cultura, a treatise on agriculture, rituals, and recipes, is the oldest extant prose written in the Latin language. Cato's epithet "Elder" distinguishes him from his great-grandson Cato the Younger.

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Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the ShortQuote Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

More by Cato the Elder

"Wise men profit more from fools than fools from wise men; for the wise men shun the mistakes of fools, but fools do not imitate the successes of the wise."

— Cato the Elder
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"Cessation of work is not accompanied by cessation of expenses."

— Cato the Elder
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"I would much rather have men ask why I have no statue, than why I have one."

— Cato the Elder
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More about Experience

"I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience."

— Patrick Henry
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"I would say the most help I got was from my dad. My dad is a civil engineer in Switzerland he's 90 years old now, so he's no longer active as a civil engineer, but still a very active person."

— Claude Nicollier
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"Get the best people and train them well."

— Scott McNealy
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"Every second given to regret is a precious second stolen from creation. This remains the cornerstone of personal mastery."

— Tony Abbott (author)
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