The best protection for the people is not necessarily to believe everything people tell them.

There is a great deal of wishful thinking in such cases it is the easiest thing of all to deceive ones self.

The man who is in the highest state of prosperity, and who thinks his fortune is most secure, knows not if it will remain unchanged till the evening.

A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true.

We need money, for sure, Athenians, and without money nothing can be done that ought to be done.

Success has a great tendency to conceal and throw a veil over the evil deeds of men.

Great and unexpected successes are often the cause of foolish rushing into acts of extravagance.