That man is thought a dangerous knave,
Or zealot plotting crime,
Who for advancement of his kind
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That man is thought a dangerous knave,
Or zealot plotting crime,
Who for advancement of his kind
Is wiser than his time.

I consider him of no account who esteems himself just as the
popular breath may chance to raise him.
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I consider him of no account who esteems himself just as the
popular breath may chance to raise him.
[Ger., Ich halte nichts von dem, der von sich denkt
Wie ihn das Volk vielleicht erheben mochte.]

If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you'd best
teach it to dance.

If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you'd best
teach it to dance.

The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.

The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.

Until you've lost your reputation, you never realize what a burden it was or what freedom really is.

Until you've lost your reputation, you never realize what a burden it was or what freedom really is.

The reputation of a man is like his shadow, gigantic when it precedes him, and pigmy in its proportions when read more

The reputation of a man is like his shadow, gigantic when it precedes him, and pigmy in its proportions when it follows.

A man's reputation is what other people think of him; his character is what he really is.

A man's reputation is what other people think of him; his character is what he really is.

Good will, like a good name, is got by many actions, and lost by one.

Good will, like a good name, is got by many actions, and lost by one.

In various talk th' instructive hours they past,
Who gave the ball, or paid the visit last;
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In various talk th' instructive hours they past,
Who gave the ball, or paid the visit last;
One speaks the glory of the British queen,
And one describes a charming Indian screen;
A third interprets motions, looks, and eyes;
At every word a reputation dies.