--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Memmius would only be useless to him for…" description: "\"Memmius would only be useless to him for a short time, but that he would remain useless to himself and the Republic forever.\" — Scipio Africanus" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/scipio-africanus-58162_forever_memmius-would-only-be-useless-to-him-for_1816407.jpg" --- # Memmius would only be useless to him for a short time, but… ![“Memmius would only be useless to him for a short time, but that he would remain useless to himself and the Republic forever.” quote by Scipio Africanus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/scipio-africanus-58162_forever_memmius-would-only-be-useless-to-him-for_1816407.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/scipio-africanus-58162_forever_memmius-would-only-be-useless-to-him-for_1816407.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/scipio-africanus-58162_forever_memmius-would-only-be-useless-to-him-for_1816407.jpg) > “Memmius would only be useless to him for a short time, but that he would remain useless to himself and the Republic forever.” [Scipio Africanus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scipio-africanus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Uselessness to self leads to lasting harm for both individual and state. **In simple terms:** Self‑neglect harms all. Key Takeaway Cultivate personal usefulness. Themes self‑development civic duty leadership Mood thoughtful cautionary Type historical philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - public service - education - community projects Key Concepts philosophy political theory Questions to Reflect On - How can personal growth benefit society? - What prevents people from realizing their potential? A Different Perspective Self‑interest may conflict with public good. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forever/) [Historical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Humour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humour/) [Memmius Useless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memmius-useless-2157927/) [Remain Useless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remain-useless-2157929/) [Republic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republic/) [Republic Forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republic-forever-2157930/) [Short time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short-time/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Useless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useless/) [Useless Republic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useless-republic-2157928/) ## Related quotes > [The hopes of the Republic cannot forever tolerate either undeserved poverty or self-serving wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/the-hopes-of-the-republic-cannot-forever-tolerate-either-undeserved/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [A non-analogue image has an extremely compressed life. It starts as this and, in increasingly short time spans, becomes that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roni-horn/a-non-analogue-image-has-an-extremely-compressed-life-it-starts-as/) [Roni Horn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roni-horn/) > [I don't like department stores. I had a chain of department stores back in 1994 which was Lewis's and Owen Owen, only for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-green/i-don-t-like-department-stores-i-had-a-chain-of-department-stores/) [Philip Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-green/) > [Life is short,time is fast,no replay,no rewind,so enjoy every moment that you can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-madison/life-is-short-time-is-fast-no-replay-no-rewind-so-enjoy-every-moment/) [Victoria Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-madison/) > [The fact that a player is very short of time is, to my mind, as little to be considered an excuse as, for instance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/the-fact-that-a-player-is-very-short-of-time-is-to-my-mind-as-little/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [A mother and daughter are an edge. Edges are ecotones, transitional zones, places of danger or opportunity. House-dwelling tension. When I stand on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/a-mother-and-daughter-are-an-edge-edges-are-ecotones-transitional/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [I'm often struck by how a person can change your mind in very short time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/i-m-often-struck-by-how-a-person-can-change-your-mind-in-very-short/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [History can be formed from permanent monuments and records; but lives can only be written from personal knowledge, which is growing every day less,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/history-can-be-formed-from-permanent-monuments-and-records-but-lives/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [And nobody had told them that they were short on time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/and-nobody-had-told-them-that-they-were-short-on-time/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [...We can work it out. Life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting, my friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/we-can-work-it-out-life-is-very-short-and-there-s-no-time-for-fussing/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [The most wonderful thing in life is to do something for a child because they're children for such a short time. We can't allow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-gabriel/the-most-wonderful-thing-in-life-is-to-do-something-for-a-child/) [Juan Gabriel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-gabriel/) > [We live a short enough time on this earth. A man should do what he loves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-tsukiyama/we-live-a-short-enough-time-on-this-earth-a-man-should-do-what-he/) [Gail Tsukiyama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-tsukiyama/) > [O! how short a time does it take to put an end to a woman's liberty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-burney/o-how-short-a-time-does-it-take-to-put-an-end-to-a-woman-s-liberty/) [Fanny Burney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-burney/) > [I don't like just traveling in for a short time. I've done that before, because sometimes you work for magazines and they have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sacco/i-don-t-like-just-traveling-in-for-a-short-time-i-ve-done-that-before/) [Joe Sacco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-sacco/) > [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More by Scipio Africanus > [I'm never less at leisure than when at leisure, or less alone than when alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scipio-africanus/i-m-never-less-at-leisure-than-when-at-leisure-or-less-alone-than/) [Scipio Africanus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scipio-africanus/) > [Go, therefore, to meet the foe with two objects before you, either victory or death. For men animated by such a spirit must always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scipio-africanus/go-therefore-to-meet-the-foe-with-two-objects-before-you-either/) [Scipio Africanus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scipio-africanus/) > [Prepare for war, since you have been unable to endure a peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scipio-africanus/prepare-for-war-since-you-have-been-unable-to-endure-a-peace/) [Scipio Africanus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scipio-africanus/) > [I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 96% how I react to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scipio-africanus/i-am-convinced-that-life-is-10-what-happens-to-me-and-96-how-i-react/) [Scipio Africanus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scipio-africanus/) > [It is the part of a fool to say, I should not have thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scipio-africanus/it-is-the-part-of-a-fool-to-say-i-should-not-have-thought/) [Scipio Africanus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scipio-africanus/) [Explore all 6 Scipio Africanus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scipio-africanus/) ## More Forever quotes > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [“I believe in forever, and that’s what you and I are. We define eternity. This may sound cheesy, but you make me go there.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-mchugh/i-believe-in-forever-and-that-s-what-you-and-i-are-we-define-eternity/) [Gail McHugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-mchugh/) > [Contradictory precepts that have guided me for as long as I can remember: 1: I will live forever. 2: I will die tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/contradictory-precepts-that-have-guided-me-for-as-long-as-i-can/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [People don't always realize that a record is forever. It'll always be there under your name. You've got to be certain that it's right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-iero/people-don-t-always-realize-that-a-record-is-forever-it-ll-always-be/) [Frank Iero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-iero/) > [When you find someone you want to spend forever with you, you don't let them go, whether forever turns out to be a day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-williams/when-you-find-someone-you-want-to-spend-forever-with-you-you-don-t/) [Nicole Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-williams/) > [What does forever mean to you? When you couldnt even keep it true You said were youd forever be there But were those just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fad-ibra/what-does-forever-mean-to-you-when-you-couldnt-even-keep-it-true-you/) [Fad Ibra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fad-ibra/) > [Forever is a really long time, you know? What do you do with forever?" "The same thing you do when you don't have forever."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-hocking/forever-is-a-really-long-time-you-know-what-do-you-do-with-forever/) [Amanda Hocking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-hocking/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) > [Whole scenes of your life slip away forever if you don't put them down in ink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silas-house/whole-scenes-of-your-life-slip-away-forever-if-you-don-t-put-them/) [Silas House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silas-house/) > [Tonight I feel like a prisoner on fire, waiting desperately... denied, sentenced forever more. Only your love can set me free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bolton/tonight-i-feel-like-a-prisoner-on-fire-waiting-desperately-denied/) [Michael Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bolton/) > [It all depends on you. You can go on sleeping forever, you can wake up right this moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/it-all-depends-on-you-you-can-go-on-sleeping-forever-you-can-wake-up/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [There is nothing more I ask of this life than this moment, exactly so. And suddenly forever seems like too short a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/there-is-nothing-more-i-ask-of-this-life-than-this-moment-exactly-so/) [Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/) > [I want to do - I want to be putting out classic stuff that's gonna stick and last forever, you feel me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yg/i-want-to-do-i-want-to-be-putting-out-classic-stuff-that-s-gonna/) [YG](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yg/) > [“I will run every mile, i will save every line, i will say i reached the top and i will fall back down standing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mennah-al-refaey/i-will-run-every-mile-i-will-save-every-line-i-will-say-i-reached-the/) [Mennah al refaey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mennah-al-refaey/) [Browse all 10,689 Forever quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forever/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Memmius would only be useless to him for a short time, but that he would remain useless to himself and the Republic forever.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Scipio Africanus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scipio-africanus/memmius-would-only-be-useless-to-him-for-a-short-time-but-that-he/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Forever" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scipio-africanus/memmius-would-only-be-useless-to-him-for-a-short-time-but-that-he/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/scipio-africanus-58162_forever_memmius-would-only-be-useless-to-him-for_1816407.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/scipio-africanus-58162_forever_memmius-would-only-be-useless-to-him-for_1816407.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d05/scipio-africanus-58162_forever_memmius-would-only-be-useless-to-him-for_1816407.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Memmius would only be useless to him for a short time, but that he would remain useless to himself and the…” — Scipio Africanus", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Scipio Africanus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scipio-africanus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Memmius would only be useless to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scipio-africanus/memmius-would-only-be-useless-to-him-for-a-short-time-but-that-he/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scipio-africanus/memmius-would-only-be-useless-to-him-for-a-short-time-but-that-he/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```