--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Revel in the fulsome flattery, dear fool!…" description: "\"“Revel in the fulsome flattery, dear fool! It does not stop war from being a filthy trick.”\" — Joseph E. Persico" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faa/joseph-e-persico-10290_flattery_revel-in-the-fulsome-flattery-dear-fool_677650.jpg" --- # Revel in the fulsome flattery, dear fool! It does not stop… ![“Revel in the fulsome flattery, dear fool! It does not stop war from being a filthy trick.” quote by Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faa/joseph-e-persico-10290_flattery_revel-in-the-fulsome-flattery-dear-fool_677650.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faa/joseph-e-persico-10290_flattery_revel-in-the-fulsome-flattery-dear-fool_677650.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faa/joseph-e-persico-10290_flattery_revel-in-the-fulsome-flattery-dear-fool_677650.jpg) > ““Revel in the fulsome flattery, dear fool! It does not stop war from being a filthy trick.”” [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Flattery may be seductive, but it cannot prevent war’s inherent deceit and cruelty. **In simple terms:** Flattery won’t stop war’s tricks. Key Takeaway Beware of deceptive praise in conflict. Themes politics war deception flattery Mood cautious critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - diplomacy - media analysis - leadership training Key Concepts propaganda psychology ethics Questions to Reflect On - How does flattery influence decision‑makers? - What are ethical limits of persuasion? A Different Perspective May underestimate the power of propaganda. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Flattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flattery/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Many, affecting wit beyond their power, Have got to be a dear fool for an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/many-affecting-wit-beyond-their-power-have-got-to-be-a-dear-fool-for/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Hi Dear FOOL, Wish you a Happy April Fool Day. Today is your day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bubbly/hi-dear-fool-wish-you-a-happy-april-fool-day-today-is-your-day/) Bubbly > [The U.N. had such lofty goals to eliminate poverty and stop war and cure diseases and help refugees - things that no one country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-turner/the-u-n-had-such-lofty-goals-to-eliminate-poverty-and-stop-war-and/) [Ted Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-turner/) > [Words create conceptions and self-conceptions and ultimately nations. They can start and stop wars. They can would and heal. Choosing words carefully is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/words-create-conceptions-and-self-conceptions-and-ultimately-nations/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [If we are going to stop wars on this earth, we are going to have to make war on hunger our number one priority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/if-we-are-going-to-stop-wars-on-this-earth-we-are-going-to-have-to/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [War is not the only means to stop war. Men of goodwill, who fully recognize their duties, should be able, with the assistance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/war-is-not-the-only-means-to-stop-war-men-of-goodwill-who-fully/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The monk that invented gunpowder did as much to stop war as did all the sermons of his brethren.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-o-malley/the-monk-that-invented-gunpowder-did-as-much-to-stop-war-as-did-all/) [Austin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-o-malley/) > [Perhaps you stop the war and the fire is not burning anymore, you can never stop the dying cause the heartache will never be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/perhaps-you-stop-the-war-and-the-fire-is-not-burning-anymore-you-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't know if music has ever achieved anything past appealing to the people that it appeals to. If a song could stop a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-don-t-know-if-music-has-ever-achieved-anything-past-appealing-to/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [“Oh, one of the things that I am most proud of is that people can say, "I am an atheist," in the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/oh-one-of-the-things-that-i-am-most-proud-of-is-that-people-can-say-i/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [The Stop The War Coalition is a sort of home to Jew-haters because its hate music about Israel is so catchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/the-stop-the-war-coalition-is-a-sort-of-home-to-jew-haters-because/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [“A blanket could be used to stop a war, particularly if that war is a Cold War. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-blanket-could-be-used-to-stop-a-war-particularly-if-that-war-is-a/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [No music is going to stop the war. What's going to stop the war is a large amount of body bags, or a large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-vedder/no-music-is-going-to-stop-the-war-what-s-going-to-stop-the-war-is-a/) [Eddie Vedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-vedder/) > [“Whatever your grievances, I'm sure we can address them without resorting to war," persisted Argyle… Nonsense," said the alien. "Do you know how many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-resnick/whatever-your-grievances-i-m-sure-we-can-address-them-without/) [Mike Resnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-resnick/) > [Life is getting better, but that won't stop a war if politicians and business people decide it's to their advantage to have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavia-butler/life-is-getting-better-but-that-won-t-stop-a-war-if-politicians-and/) [Octavia Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavia-butler/) ## More by Joseph E. Persico > [“Sergeant Powell would never understand what compelled Henry Gunther to rise up and charge the enemy. Gunther had never been seduced by dreams of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-e-persico/sergeant-powell-would-never-understand-what-compelled-henry-gunther/) [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) > [“Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Henry Cabot Lodge. Wilson rejected even reasonable compromises, and Lodge refused to budge. Hence, the United States failed to enter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-e-persico/senate-foreign-relations-committee-henry-cabot-lodge-wilson-rejected/) [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) > [“On December 18, he asked each side to set forth its terms for ending the war. The Allies demanded conditions certain to be unacceptable:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-e-persico/on-december-18-he-asked-each-side-to-set-forth-its-terms-for-ending/) [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) > [“The first-day casualties on the Somme totaled 57,470.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-e-persico/the-first-day-casualties-on-the-somme-totaled-57-470/) [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) > [“The last deaths of the Great War on the western front occurred at midnight on the twelfth in Hamont, a Belgian town near the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-e-persico/the-last-deaths-of-the-great-war-on-the-western-front-occurred-at/) [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) > [“German resistance continued to present a hodgepodge of fanaticism amid disorder. A British patrol entering a deserted village east of Valenciennes in the northern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-e-persico/german-resistance-continued-to-present-a-hodgepodge-of-fanaticism/) [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) > [“The imperative of war is to kill, and thus all wars are exercises in sanctioned murder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-e-persico/the-imperative-of-war-is-to-kill-and-thus-all-wars-are-exercises-in/) [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) > [“The initial conclusion of the subcommittee was that “needless slaughter” took place on November 11, 1918. However, this finding was beaten back by vocal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-e-persico/the-initial-conclusion-of-the-subcommittee-was-that-needless/) [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) > [“Moltke began to tamper with Schlieffen’s plan. Instead of investing 90 percent of the German Army in the French campaign, as required, he began…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-e-persico/moltke-began-to-tamper-with-schlieffen-s-plan-instead-of-investing-90/) [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) > [“Compounding the horror, German officials committed an act of staggering insensitivity: they struck a commemorative medal with a depiction of the sinking ship on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-e-persico/compounding-the-horror-german-officials-committed-an-act-of/) [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) > [“constant companions throughout the project: Stanley Weintraub’s A Stillness Heard Round the World, A. J. P. Taylor’s The First World War, John Keegan’s The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-e-persico/constant-companions-throughout-the-project-stanley-weintraub-s-a/) [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) > [“Mustard gas was stubborn, clinging to the ground as long as three days. Heavier than air, it settled into craters and trenches where men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-e-persico/mustard-gas-was-stubborn-clinging-to-the-ground-as-long-as-three-days/) [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) > [“Barely across the Ourcq, Donovan’s battalion began taking fire from three sides. One bullet grazed Wild Bill’s thigh; another tore off the heel of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-e-persico/barely-across-the-ourcq-donovan-s-battalion-began-taking-fire-from/) [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) > [“A great many of the Army officers were very fine in the way that they took care of their men. But there were certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-e-persico/a-great-many-of-the-army-officers-were-very-fine-in-the-way-that-they/) [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) > [“MacArthur strode before his men, armed only with a riding crop, a cigarette holder clamped jauntily between his teeth, without the slightest suggestion in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-e-persico/macarthur-strode-before-his-men-armed-only-with-a-riding-crop-a/) [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) [Explore all 66 Joseph E. Persico quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) ## More Flattery quotes > [“Flattery looks like friendship, just like a wolf looks like a dog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/flattery-looks-like-friendship-just-like-a-wolf-looks-like-a-dog/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) > [“What a situation!' cried Miss Squeers; '...What is the reason that men fall in love with me, whether I like it or not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/what-a-situation-cried-miss-squeers-what-is-the-reason-that-men-fall/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [By God, I cannot flatter, I do defy The tongues of soothers! but a braver place In my heart's love hath no man than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/by-god-i-cannot-flatter-i-do-defy-the-tongues-of-soothers-but-a/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I'm not drunk, I'm just intoxicated by you. I was so enchanted by your beauty that I ran into that wall over there. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paperboi/i-m-not-drunk-i-m-just-intoxicated-by-you-i-was-so-enchanted-by-your/) Paperboi > [The most skillful flattery is to let a person talk on, and be a listener.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/the-most-skillful-flattery-is-to-let-a-person-talk-on-and-be-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Love of another is merely empty flattery and self-deception for one who cannot accept himself without pretense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-e-modesitt-jr/love-of-another-is-merely-empty-flattery-and-self-deception-for-one/) [L.E. Modesitt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-e-modesitt-jr/) > [I have a car that I call Flattery because it gets me nowhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henny-youngman/i-have-a-car-that-i-call-flattery-because-it-gets-me-nowhere/) [Henny Youngman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henny-youngman/) > [Dont get confused between flattery and kindness these are the new kind of deceptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chops/dont-get-confused-between-flattery-and-kindness-these-are-the-new/) [Chops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chops/) > [It is an unquestionable truth, that the body of the people in every country desire sincerely its prosperity. But it is equally unquestionable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/it-is-an-unquestionable-truth-that-the-body-of-the-people-in-every/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [Truth and ceremony are two things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/truth-and-ceremony-are-two-things/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [The best form of flattery is to master the art of listening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/the-best-form-of-flattery-is-to-master-the-art-of-listening/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“You are the belle of the ball tonight.” He said as he moved in closer. “How can you be so sinfully beautiful Mrs. Norman?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-gray/you-are-the-belle-of-the-ball-tonight-he-said-as-he-moved-in-closer/) [Barry Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-gray/) > [He who says he hates all kinds of flattery, and says so in earnest, has undoubtedly not as yet become acquainted with all kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/he-who-says-he-hates-all-kinds-of-flattery-and-says-so-in-earnest-has/) [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) > [What signifies protesting so against flattery when a person speaks well of one, it must either be true or false, you know if true,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/what-signifies-protesting-so-against-flattery-when-a-person-speaks/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [But it is hard to know them from friends, they are so obsequious and full of protestations; for a wolf resembles a dog, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/but-it-is-hard-to-know-them-from-friends-they-are-so-obsequious-and/) [Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/) [Browse all 636 Flattery quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flattery/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Revel in the fulsome flattery, dear fool! 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