--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Compliments and flattery oftenest excite…" description: "\"Compliments and flattery oftenest excite my contempt by the pretension they imply; for who is he that assumes to flatter me? To compliment often implie..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/henry-david-thoreau-20_assuming_compliments-and-flattery-oftenest-excite_3140422.jpg" --- # Compliments and flattery oftenest excite my contempt by… ![“Compliments and flattery oftenest excite my contempt by the pretension they imply; for who is he that assumes to flatter me? To compliment often implies an assumption of superiority in the complimenter. It is, in fact, a subtle detraction.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/henry-david-thoreau-20_assuming_compliments-and-flattery-oftenest-excite_3140422.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/henry-david-thoreau-20_assuming_compliments-and-flattery-oftenest-excite_3140422.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/henry-david-thoreau-20_assuming_compliments-and-flattery-oftenest-excite_3140422.jpg) > “Compliments and flattery oftenest excite my contempt by the pretension they imply; for who is he that assumes to flatter me? To compliment often implies an assumption of superiority in the complimenter. It is, in fact, a subtle detraction.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Flattery often masks superiority and can breed contempt; genuine respect should be earned, not given superficially. **In simple terms:** Flattery can hide hidden superiority. Key Takeaway Seek sincere respect over empty compliments. Themes respect authenticity ego Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - leadership - teamwork - personal boundaries - public speaking Key Concepts social dynamics power relations Questions to Reflect On - When is a compliment genuine? - How can you respond to insincere flattery? A Different Perspective Some compliments are sincere and constructive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assumption/) [Contempt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contempt/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Flattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flattery/) [Pretension](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretension/) ## Related quotes > [Candor is a compliment; it implies equality. It's how true friends talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-noonan/candor-is-a-compliment-it-implies-equality-it-s-how-true-friends-talk/) [Peggy Noonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-noonan/) > [After all the field of battle possesses many advantages over the drawing-room. 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Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) Browse all 2,452 Assuming quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Compliments and flattery oftenest excite my contempt by the pretension they imply; for who is he that assumes to flatter me? To compliment often implies an assumption of superiority in the complimenter. 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