“exactly to those paths which others have taken, or attain to the virtues of those whom they would resemble, the wise man should always follow the roads that have been trodden by the great, and imitate those who have most excelled, so that if he cannot reach their perfection, he may at least acquire something of its savour.”
Explore This Quote Further
Following the Paths of the Great
In this quote, Machiavelli emphasizes the importance of learning from and imitating those who have excelled in order to improve oneself. He suggests that rather than trying to blaze a completely new trail, individuals should follow the footsteps of the great in order to attain a level of excellence similar to theirs.
Analysis of Quote by Niccolo Machiavelli
In this quote, Niccolo Machiavelli emphasizes the importance of following the paths of those who have achieved greatness in order to improve oneself. He suggests that by emulating the actions and virtues of those who have excelled, one can strive towards excellence. Machiavelli advocates for learning from the successes of others and using their achievements as a guide for personal growth and development. This idea aligns with the concept of mentorship and the importance of seeking wisdom from those who have already paved the way for success.
Following the Footsteps of the Great
In this quote by Niccolo Machiavelli, he emphasizes the importance of following the paths of greatness and learning from those who have excelled before us. This idea of seeking guidance and inspiration from the achievements of others is still relevant today in our modern society.
Reflection Questions
In this quote by Niccolo Machiavelli, he emphasizes the importance of following the paths of the great and imitating those who have excelled in order to achieve personal growth and development. Reflect on the following questions:
- Who are some individuals that you admire or look up to for their virtues or achievements?
- In what ways can you emulate these individuals in your own life to enhance your own personal growth and development?
- How can you incorporate the qualities or practices of these role models into your daily life to strive towards excellence?
- What steps can you take to align your actions and decisions with the paths of those who have succeeded before you?
- How do you define "perfection" in your own life, and how can you strive to achieve a taste of that perfection through emulating others who have excelled?
Similar quotes
“the wise man should always follow the roads that have been trodden by the great, and imitate those who have most excelled, so that if he cannot reach their perfection, he may at least acquire something of its savour.”
“he wise man should always follow the roads that have been trodden by the great, and imitate those who have most excelled, so that if he cannot reach their perfection, he may at least acquire something of its savour.”
“For since men for the most part follow in the footsteps and imitate the actions of others, and yet are unable to adhere exactly to those paths which others have taken, or attain to the virtues of those whom they would resemble, the wise man should always follow the roads that have been trodden by the great, and imitate those who have most excelled, so that if he cannot reach their perfection, he may at least acquire something of its savour. Acting in this like the skilful archer, who seeing that the object he would hit is distant, and knowing the range of his bow, takes aim much above the destined mark; not designing that his arrow should strike so high, but that flying high it may alight at the point intended.”
“A prudent man should always follow in the path trodden by great men and imitate those who are most excellent, so that if he does not attain to their greatness, at any rate he will get some tinge of it.”
“A prudent man will always try to follow in the footsteps of great men and imitate those who have been truly outstanding, so that, if he is not quite as skillful as they, at least some of their ability may rub off on him.”
“Men nearly always follow the tracks made by others and proceed in their affairs by imitation, even though they cannot entirely keep to the tracks of others or emulate the prowess of their models. So a prudent man should always follow in the footsteps of great men and imitate those who have been outstanding. If his own prowess fails to compare with theirs, at least it has an air of greatness about it. He should behave like those archers who, if they are skilful, when the target seems too distant, know the capabilities of their bow and aim a good deal higher than their objective, not in order to shoot so high but so that by aiming high they can reach the target.”