“A rational man never distorts or corrupts his own standards...in order to appeal to the irrationality, dishonesty or stupidity of others.”
More from Ayn Rand on Wisdom
“Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.”
“The man who does not value himself, cannot value anything or anyone.”
“Integrity is the ability to stand by an idea.”
“I have yet to see a genius or a hero who, if stuck with a burning match, would feel less pain than his undistinguished average brother.”
“The unrecognized genius-that's one old story. Have you ever thought of a much worse one-the genius recognized too well?”
Others on Wisdom
Sun Tzu
30 quotes“Do not swallow bait offered by the enemy. Do not interfere with an army that is returning home.”
Dalai Lama
22 quotes“Compassion is the radicalism of our time.”
Cervantes
20 quotes“A closed mouth catches no flies.”
Aesop
19 quotes“Little by little does the trick.”
Confucius
19 quotes“The gem cannot be polished without friction nor man perfected without trials.”
Ben Franklin
18 quotes“Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.”
Napoleon
16 quotes“Ability is of little account without opportunity.”
Cicero
15 quotes“Great is the power of habit. It teaches us to bear fatigue and to despise wounds and pain.”
George Washington
14 quotes“Let your Discourse with Men of Business be Short and Comprehensive.”
Rudyard Kipling
14 quotes“I keep six honest serving men. (They taught me all I know) Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and...”
Khalil Gibran
14 quotes“Perplexity is the beginning of knowledge.”
George R.R. Martin
14 quotes“This was how an enemy should be dealt with: with a dagger, not a declaration.”