--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most notorious swindler has not…" description: "\"The most notorious swindler has not assumed so many names as self-love, nor is so much ashamed of his own. She calls herself patriotism, when at the sa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6d/charles-caleb-colton-270_ashamed_the-most-notorious-swindler-has-not-assu_1340196.png" --- # The most notorious swindler has not assumed so many names… ![“The most notorious swindler has not assumed so many names as self-love, nor is so much ashamed of his own. She calls herself patriotism, when at the same time she is rejoicing at just as much calamity to her native country as will introduce herself into power, and expel her rivals.” quote by Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6d/charles-caleb-colton-270_ashamed_the-most-notorious-swindler-has-not-assu_1340196.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6d/charles-caleb-colton-270_ashamed_the-most-notorious-swindler-has-not-assu_1340196.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6d/charles-caleb-colton-270_ashamed_the-most-notorious-swindler-has-not-assu_1340196.png) > “The most notorious swindler has not assumed so many names as self-love, nor is so much ashamed of his own. She calls herself patriotism, when at the same time she is rejoicing at just as much calamity to her native country as will introduce herself into power, and expel her rivals.” [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑love disguises itself as patriotism, allowing people to justify harming their country while seeking power. **In simple terms:** Self‑love masquerades as patriotism, enabling harm for power. Key Takeaway Question motives behind patriotism. Themes patriotism self‑interest politics Mood critical skeptical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - political speeches - media narratives - public policy Key Concepts nationalism ego corruption Questions to Reflect On - What signs reveal true patriotism? - How to differentiate self‑interest from civic duty? A Different Perspective Patriotism can be genuine. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ashamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashamed/) [Calamity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calamity/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Native country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/native-country/) [Patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) [Rivals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rivals/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-love/) [Swindler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swindler/) [Swindlers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swindlers/) ## Related quotes > [The more gifted by nature is a man, the more is deplorable the abuse that he does by using them to shameful ends. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/african-spir/the-more-gifted-by-nature-is-a-man-the-more-is-deplorable-the-abuse/) [African Spir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/african-spir/) > [A man's own vanity is a swindler that never lacks for a dupe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/a-man-s-own-vanity-is-a-swindler-that-never-lacks-for-a-dupe/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [The thief steals from himself. The swindler swindles himself. For the real price is knowledge and virtue, whereof wealth and credit are signs. These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-thief-steals-from-himself-the-swindler-swindles-himself-for-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Every swindle is driven by a desire for easy money; it's the one thing the swindler and the swindled have in common.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-zuckoff/every-swindle-is-driven-by-a-desire-for-easy-money-it-s-the-one-thing/) [Mitchell Zuckoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-zuckoff/) > [Memory is a swindler, a forger emeritus of facts and figures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-rodrigues/memory-is-a-swindler-a-forger-emeritus-of-facts-and-figures/) [Nelson Rodrigues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-rodrigues/) > [“I’d close those eyes again if I were you.” Sterling jerked his head to the side to discover his worst nightmare sitting there. 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It is a kind of mutual humiliation society.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/there-is-a-sense-i-think-in-which-the-swindler-and-the-swindled/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [“A company of wolves, is better than a company of wolves in sheep's clothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/a-company-of-wolves-is-better-than-a-company-of-wolves-in-sheep-s/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [“Claybourne grabbed his arm, stopping his forward movement. “Do we have a plan?” “Get Emma out alive and I don’t care who the hell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorraine-heath/claybourne-grabbed-his-arm-stopping-his-forward-movement-do-we-have-a/) [Lorraine Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorraine-heath/) > [“Learning that he was a professional swindler should have made her shame a hundred times worse. 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It had always irritated Jack that Swindler had the uncanny knack to give the impression he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorraine-heath/this-time-james-swindler-strode-into-the-room-it-had-always-irritated/) [Lorraine Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorraine-heath/) ## More by Charles Caleb Colton > [Villainy that is vigilant will be an overmatch for virtue, if she slumber at her post.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/villainy-that-is-vigilant-will-be-an-overmatch-for-virtue-if-she/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [A beautiful woman, if poor, should use double circumspection; for her beauty will tempt others, her poverty herself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/a-beautiful-woman-if-poor-should-use-double-circumspection-for-her/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Were the life of man prolonged, he would become such a proficient in villainy, that it would become necessary again to drown or to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/were-the-life-of-man-prolonged-he-would-become-such-a-proficient-in/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [To dare to live alone is the rarest courage; since there are many who had rather meet their bitterest enemy in the field, than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/to-dare-to-live-alone-is-the-rarest-courage-since-there-are-many-who/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [It is doubtful whether mankind are most indebted to those who like Bacon and Butler dig the gold from the mine of literature, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/it-is-doubtful-whether-mankind-are-most-indebted-to-those-who-like/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Be very slow to believe that you are wiser than all others; it is a fatal but common error. Where one has been saved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/be-very-slow-to-believe-that-you-are-wiser-than-all-others-it-is-a/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [None are so fond of secrets as those who do not mean to keep them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/none-are-so-fond-of-secrets-as-those-who-do-not-mean-to-keep-them/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Mental pleasures never cloy; unlike those of the body, they are increased by reputation, approved by reflection, and strengthened by enjoyment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/mental-pleasures-never-cloy-unlike-those-of-the-body-they-are/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Ignorance lies at the bottom of all human knowledge, and the deeper we penetrate, the nearer we arrive unto it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/ignorance-lies-at-the-bottom-of-all-human-knowledge-and-the-deeper-we/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Heroism, self-denial, and magnanimity, in all instances where they do not spring from a principle of religion, are but splendid altars on which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/heroism-self-denial-and-magnanimity-in-all-instances-where-they-do/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [We ought not to be over-anxious to encourage innovation in cases of doubtful improvement, for an old system must ever have two advantages over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/we-ought-not-to-be-over-anxious-to-encourage-innovation-in-cases-of/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [We owe almost all our knowledge not to those who have agreed, but to those who have differed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/we-owe-almost-all-our-knowledge-not-to-those-who-have-agreed-but-to/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Metaphysicians have been learning their lessons for the last four thousand years, and it is high time that they should now begin to teach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/metaphysicians-have-been-learning-their-lessons-for-the-last-four/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [Faith and works are necessary to our spiritual life as Christians, as soul and body are to our natural life as men; for faith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/faith-and-works-are-necessary-to-our-spiritual-life-as-christians-as/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [When all moves equally (says Pascal), nothing seems to move as in a vessel under sail; and when all run by common consent into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/when-all-moves-equally-says-pascal-nothing-seems-to-move-as-in-a/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) [Explore all 778 Charles Caleb Colton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) ## More Ashamed quotes > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I know what you're thinking... and you oughtta be ashamed of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-preston/i-know-what-you-re-thinking-and-you-oughtta-be-ashamed-of-yourself/) Robert Preston > [You never meet the writer when you're making a TV movie in America - they're too ashamed to show up and see how their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/you-never-meet-the-writer-when-you-re-making-a-tv-movie-in-america/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [I'm not ashamed of the things I believe and why I believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-m-not-ashamed-of-the-things-i-believe-and-why-i-believe-them/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [If, with all the time at my disposal, with all the wealth of the resources of this vast universe, to do with as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/if-with-all-the-time-at-my-disposal-with-all-the-wealth-of-the/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [“with her own life. 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You were created to be victorious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/you-were-never-created-to-live-depressed-defeated-guilty-condemned/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/i-never-wonder-to-see-men-wicked-but-i-often-wonder-to-see-them-not/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [“To survive during the Khmer Rouge, you had to steal, cheat, lie, point fingers at others, even kill. And now you are ashamed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-brinkley/to-survive-during-the-khmer-rouge-you-had-to-steal-cheat-lie-point/) [Joel Brinkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-brinkley/) [Browse all 1,607 Ashamed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashamed/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The most notorious swindler has not assumed so many names as self-love, nor is so much ashamed of his own. 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