Frederick the Great Quotes

It is pardonable to be defeated, but never to be surprised.

A crown is merely a hat that lets the rain in.

The greatest and noblest pleasure which men can have in this world is to discover new truths; and the next is to shake off old prejudices.

The sick man is anxious for life, the healthy one prefers to die.

He who defends everything, defends nothing.

If my soldiers were to begin to think, not one would remain in the ranks.

I begin by taking. I shall find scholars later to demonstrate my perfect right.

I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.

I must look for enemies, for a king cannot be without them.

Passion is stronger than reason.

All religions must be tolerated… for every man must get to heaven in his own way.

Remember that a person’s name is, to him or her, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.

The greatest honor that can be paid to me is that of speaking the truth in opposition to power.

To achieve great things, we must live as though we were never going to die.

He who has imagination without learning, has wings and no feet.

The more I see of other nations, the better I like my own.

If you want to be loved, love and be lovable.

People must tolerate the unpleasant, and live in hope.

True glory consists in the doing what deserves to be written; in writing what deserves to be read.

Frederick the Great Quotes part 2

If you want to be respected, you must respect yourself.

He who defends everything, defends nothing.

Do not do an immoral thing for moral reasons.

A footman may swear; it does not matter; he remains a footman, but if a valet swears, he loses his situation.

Never ask the advice of a man in difficulties.

The only conquests which are permanent and leave no regrets are our conquests over ourselves.

It is better to do one’s own duty, however defective it may be, than to follow the duty of another, however well one may perform it.

He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious.

To do all that one is able to do, is to be a man; to do all that one would like to do, is to be a god.

Without enthusiasm, nothing great can be achieved.

A king should love, cherish, and make much of his people, not only because they are his subjects, but also because they are men.

Happy the people whose annals are tiresome.

It is much easier to be critical than to be correct.

While one has hope, one has everything.

The force of habit is very striking.

Do not take mankind for granted; we must get our bread by the sweat of our brow.

The greatest happiness in the world is to make others happy.

A young lover is a hunter, while an old husband is a bird watcher.

A judge should not create, but only pass judgement.

The surest way to remain poor is to be honest.

A pretense of courage or a verbal boast may be mistaken for the real thing.

Everything must yield to principles.

A popular author cannot wait for a popular imagination.

Being an old soldier, I used to beg for my bread, and now I only beg for my dinner.

To trample upon conquered cities is not for a king, but to plunder them is.

A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.

Our safety does not lie in the existence of a certain trustworthy person at the top, but in the absence of dishonest mediocrity.

The man who accepts a cubit speaks to the one who offers an inch.

Hunger is the most effective advocate of doctrine.

The healing powers of bathing were never known until I was born.

To be happy, it is necessary to have done something good.