Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led France for more than 20 years.
He was born on August 15, 1769, but his place of birth is disputed among scholars. Despite the many controversies surrounding Napoleon’s origins, there are no doubts about his early brilliance and dedication to study to gain power for himself.
He won a series of battles in Europe against major European powers, including the Kingdom of Prussia and defeating Ottoman Turkey. He led several successful campaigns in the Middle East before invading Egypt. He is viewed as one of history’s greatest generals and military strategists.
Napoleon Bonaparte is one of history’s most prolific military leaders whose legacy and influence are still felt today.
And the following are some of his best quotes that will inspire you to build a strong character.
61 Most Famous Napoleon Bonaparte Quotes
“Victory belongs to the most persevering.”
“You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war.”
“Never awake me when you have good news to announce, because with good news nothing presses; but when you have bad news, arouse me immediately, for then there is not an instant to be lost.”
“The human race is governed by its imagination.”
“Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools.”
“There are two levers for moving men — interest and fear.”
“Imagination rules the world.”
“Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them.”
“Throw off your worries when you throw off your clothes at night.”
“The stupid speak of the past, the wise of the present, and fools of the future.”
“Greatness be nothing unless it be lasting.”
“Riches do not consist in the possession of treasures, but in the use made of them.”
“Friends must always be treated as if one day they might be enemies.”
“One should never forbid what one lacks the power to prevent.”
“Courage is like love; it must have hope for nourishment.”
“The hand that gives is among the hand that takes. Money has no fatherland, financiers are without patriotism and without decency, their sole object is gain.”
“There is only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous.”
“History is a set of lies agreed upon.”
“Death is nothing, but to live defeated and inglorious is to die daily.”
“The surest way to remain poor is to be an honest man.”
“The fool has one great advantage over a man of sense; he is always satisfied with himself.”
“Once you have made up your mind, stick to it; there no longer any ‘if’ or ‘but’.”
“Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever.”
“There are only two forces in the world, the sword and the spirit. In the long run the sword will always be conquered by the spirit.”
“To do all that one is able to do, is to be a man; to do all that one would like to do, is to be a god.”
“All great events hang by a single thread. The clever man takes advantage of everything, neglects nothing that may give him some added opportunity; the less clever man, by neglecting one thing, sometimes misses everything.”
“Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action has arrived, stop thinking and go.”
“There are only two forces that unite men – fear and interest.”
“Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.”
“There is only one thing in this world, and that is to keep acquiring money and more money, power and more power. All the rest is meaningless.”
“Until you spread your wings, you’ll have no idea how far you can fly.”
“He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat.”
“A leader is a dealer in hope.”
“Great men are meteors designed to burn so that earth may be lighted.”
“Ability is of little account without opportunity.”
“Ability is nothing without opportunity.”
“Impossible is the word found only in a fool’s dictionary. Wise people create opportunities for themselves and make everything possible.”
“You become strong by defying defeat and by turning loss and failure into success.”
“A man will fight harder for his interests than for his rights.”
“The fool has one great advantage over a man of sense; he is always satisfied with himself”
“If you want a thing done well, do it yourself.”
“Men of great ambition have sought happiness and have found fame.”
“If you wish to be success in the world, promise everything, deliver nothing.”
“I have seen in the most significant of circumstances, that some little thing always decides great events.”
“The greater the man, the less is he opinionative, he depends upon events and circumstances.”
“With audacity one can undertake anything, but not do everything.”
“No one but myself can be blamed for my fall. I have been my own greatest enemy-the cause of my own disastrous fate.”
“The strong man is the one who is able to intercept at will the communication between the senses and the mind.”
“The best way to keep one’s word is not to give it.”
“Six hours sleep for a man, seven for a woman and eight for a fool.”
“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.”
“It requires more courage to suffer than to die.”
“Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action has arrived, stop thinking and go in.”
“Impossible is a word found only in the dictionary of fools.”
“Courage isn’t having the strength to go on – it is going on when you don’t have strength.”
“We walk faster when we walk alone.”
“The word impossible is not in my dictionary.”
“A picture is worth a thousand words.”
“The only conquests which are permanent and leave no regrets are our conquests over ourselves.”
“Power is my mistress. I have worked too hard at her conquest to allow anyone to take her away from me.”
“The reason most people fail instead of succeeding is that they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment.”
