Charles Caleb Colton Quotes

The petty man is eager to make boasts, yet desires that others should believe in him. He enthusiastically engages in deception, yet wants others to have affection for him. He conducts himself like an animal, yet wants others to think well of him.

Although a skillful flatterer is a most delightful companion if you have him all to yourself, his taste becomes very doubtful when he takes to complimenting other people.

A hypocrite despises those whom he deceives, but has no respect for himself. He would make a dupe of himself too, if he could.

It is simpler and easier to flatter people than to praise them.

Commend a fool for his wit, or a rogue for his honesty and he will receive you into his favor.

We ask advice, but we mean approbation.

He who says he hates every kind of flattery, and says it in earnest, certainly does not yet know every kind of flattery.

Among all the diseases of the mind there is not one more epidemical or more pernicious than the love of flattery.

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

Pope had been flattered till he thought himself one of the moving powers of the system of life. When he talked of laying down his pen, those who sat round him intreated and implored; and self-love did not suffer him to suspect that they went away and laughed.

In fact, it was all I could do to stop myself from saying, 'I've always been a big fan of your work.

Flattery makes fools of the best of us.

We sometimes imagine we hate flattery, but we only hate the way we are flattered.

Flattery is telling the other person precisely what he thinks about himself.

People are ridiculous only when they try or seem to be that which they are not.

We confess our little faults to persuade people that we have no large ones.

It is happy for you that you possess the talent of flattering with delicacy. May I ask whether these pleasing attentions proceed from the impulse of the moment, or are they the result of previous study?

Praise undeserved, is satire in disguise.

I cannot think of any character below the flatterer, except he who envies him.

He who knows how to flatter also knows how to slander.

Flattery is all right so long as you don't inhale.

There have been many great men that have flattered the people who ne'er loved them.

Everyone always tells you that you're the only one that can do this or that role right, and if you say no, they go to somebody else and tell them that they're the only one that can do it right. But when they're talking to you, you're always the 'Best Actor of Your Generation.'

You know when someone's over-flattering you in a way. You smile but you can't believe it.

False modesty can be worse than arrogance.