--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Be not too hasty either with praise or…" description: "\"Be not too hasty either with praise or blame; speak always as though you were giving evidence before the judgement-seat of the Gods.\" — Seneca the Younger" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb4/seneca-the-younger-219_blame_be-not-too-hasty-either-with-praise-or-b_738081.jpg" --- # Be not too hasty either with praise or blame; speak always… ![“Be not too hasty either with praise or blame; speak always as though you were giving evidence before the judgement-seat of the Gods.” quote by Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb4/seneca-the-younger-219_blame_be-not-too-hasty-either-with-praise-or-b_738081.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb4/seneca-the-younger-219_blame_be-not-too-hasty-either-with-praise-or-b_738081.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb4/seneca-the-younger-219_blame_be-not-too-hasty-either-with-praise-or-b_738081.jpg) > “Be not too hasty either with praise or blame; speak always as though you were giving evidence before the judgement-seat of the Gods.” [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates measured judgment, urging caution in both praise and blame, as if before divine scrutiny. **In simple terms:** Judge carefully, avoid rash praise or blame. Key Takeaway Think before you judge. Themes wisdom justice moderation Mood reflective serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - courtroom decisions - performance reviews - parenting discipline Key Concepts Stoicism ethical reasoning Questions to Reflect On - When have you judged too quickly? - How can you ensure fairness? A Different Perspective Over‑cautiousness can hinder honest feedback. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blame/) [Blame Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blame-speak-5767932/) [Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-evidence-1947403/) [Hasty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hasty/) [Hasty Praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hasty-praise-5767931/) [Judgement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgement/) [Praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praise/) [Praise Blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praise-blame/) [Seats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seats/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) ## Related quotes > [“Giving evidence against one's employers was the first step to unemployment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/giving-evidence-against-one-s-employers-was-the-first-step-to/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [Praise and blame, good and bad, even heat and cold, must be equally acceptable to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/praise-and-blame-good-and-bad-even-heat-and-cold-must-be-equally/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [What is life? A continuous praise and blame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/what-is-life-a-continuous-praise-and-blame/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“All faults or defects, from the slightest misconduct to the most flagitious crime, Pantocyclus attributed to some deviation from perfect Regularity in the bodily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-a-abbott/all-faults-or-defects-from-the-slightest-misconduct-to-the-most/) [Edwin A. Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-a-abbott/) > [Praise and blame alike mean nothing. No, delightful as the pastime of measuring may be, it is the most futile of all occupations, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/praise-and-blame-alike-mean-nothing-no-delightful-as-the-pastime-of/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“you can delegate the activity but not the responsibility; you can share the praise but not the blame.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-a-pychyl/you-can-delegate-the-activity-but-not-the-responsibility-you-can/) [Timothy A. Pychyl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-a-pychyl/) > [Great tranquility of heart is his who cares for neither praise nor blame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/great-tranquility-of-heart-is-his-who-cares-for-neither-praise-nor/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [The world is a nest of crows; some caw in praise; some caw in derision. 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I simply follow my own feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/i-pay-no-attention-whatever-to-anybody-s-praise-or-blame-i-simply/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [Praise of blame in the moment means little: it is how their decisions play out over time that matters, and so the redemption they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/praise-of-blame-in-the-moment-means-little-it-is-how-their-decisions/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Researchers have found that people with an internal locus of control tend to praise or blame themselves for success or failure, rather than assigning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/researchers-have-found-that-people-with-an-internal-locus-of-control/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [The enjoyment that all morality has given us to now and that it continues to give us--and so, what has kept it going up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-enjoyment-that-all-morality-has-given-us-to-now-and-that-it/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [You should know," said Estella. "I am what you have made me. Take all the praise, take all the blame; take all the success,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/you-should-know-said-estella-i-am-what-you-have-made-me-take-all-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [When the last moment arrives, praise and blame will be the same to you, to me, and to others. We are here to work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/when-the-last-moment-arrives-praise-and-blame-will-be-the-same-to-you/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Neither praise or blame is the object of true criticism. Justly to discriminate, firmly to establish, wisely to prescribe, and honestly to award. These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gilmore-simms/neither-praise-or-blame-is-the-object-of-true-criticism-justly-to/) [William Gilmore Simms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gilmore-simms/) ## More by Seneca the Younger > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [It is for the superfluous we sweat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/it-is-for-the-superfluous-we-sweat/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Men trust rather to their eyes than to their ears; the effect of precepts is therefore slow and tedious, whilst that of examples is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/men-trust-rather-to-their-eyes-than-to-their-ears-the-effect-of/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [A great step towards independence is a good-humored stomach, one that is willing to endure rough treatment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/a-great-step-towards-independence-is-a-good-humored-stomach-one-that/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Men can be divided into 2 groups: one that goes ahead and achieves something, and one that comes after and criticizes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/men-can-be-divided-into-2-groups-one-that-goes-ahead-and-achieves/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Leisure without study is death, and the grave of a living man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/leisure-without-study-is-death-and-the-grave-of-a-living-man/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Such as the chain of causes we call Fate, such is the chain of wishes: one links on to another; the whole man is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/such-as-the-chain-of-causes-we-call-fate-such-is-the-chain-of-wishes/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [To rule yourself is the ultimate power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/to-rule-yourself-is-the-ultimate-power/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [The road by precepts is tedious, by example, short and efficacious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/the-road-by-precepts-is-tedious-by-example-short-and-efficacious/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Misfortune is the test of a person's merit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/misfortune-is-the-test-of-a-person-s-merit/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [He who does not want to die should not want to live. For life is tendered to us with the proviso of death. Life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/he-who-does-not-want-to-die-should-not-want-to-live-for-life-is/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Let us not seek our disease out of ourselves; 'tis in us, and planted in our bowels; and the mere fact that we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/let-us-not-seek-our-disease-out-of-ourselves-tis-in-us-and-planted-in/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [After death there is nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/after-death-there-is-nothing/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Adversity finds at last the man whom she has often passed by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/adversity-finds-at-last-the-man-whom-she-has-often-passed-by/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Hesitation is the best cure for anger. The first blows of anger are heavy, but if it waits, it will think again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/hesitation-is-the-best-cure-for-anger-the-first-blows-of-anger-are/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) [Explore all 872 Seneca the Younger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) ## More Blame quotes > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [Me mum used to always have the radio on - even now she has it on in every room. Me girlfriend sort of blames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/me-mum-used-to-always-have-the-radio-on-even-now-she-has-it-on-in/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [I like to praise and reward loudly, to blame quietly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-the-great/i-like-to-praise-and-reward-loudly-to-blame-quietly/) [Catherine the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-the-great/) > [Some of the things that I said I hated to say, but blame yourself mother fucker you made it this way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jedi-mind-tricks/some-of-the-things-that-i-said-i-hated-to-say-but-blame-yourself/) [Jedi Mind Tricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jedi-mind-tricks/) > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“In places where government priorities and market imperatives create a world so capricious that to help a neighbor is to risk your ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/in-places-where-government-priorities-and-market-imperatives-create-a/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [“Stop Blaming Others For Your Own Actions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-g-roldan/stop-blaming-others-for-your-own-actions/) [Alexis G. 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