If the bubble reputation can be obtained only at the cannon's mouth, I am willing to go there for it, provided the cannon is empty. If it is loaded my immortal and inflexible purpose is to get over the fence and go home. My invariable practice in war has been to bring out of every fight two-thirds more men than when I went in. This seems to me Napoleonic in its grandeur.
If the bubble reputation can ...
Quotes from the same author
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.
Whoever is happy will make others happy, too.
Always tell the truth. That way, you don't have to remember what you said.
A thing long expected takes the form of the unexpected when at last it comes.