An open flatterer any one can detect, unless he is an absolute fool the covert insinuation of the cunning and the sly is what we have to be studiously on our guard against.
Cicero: “An open flatterer any one can detect, unless he is an absolute fool the covert insinuation of the cunning and the sly is…”
On the record44 BC
Said by
Cicero
Source
gutenberg.orgEditor's note · Context
Providing guidance on discerning insincere praise, Cicero distinguishes between easily identifiable overt flattery and the more dangerous, subtle insinuations of the cunning.
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