There smites nothing so sharp, nor smelleth so sour as shame.

—William Langland

About William Langland

Portrait of William Langland

William Langland (; Latin: Willielmus de Langland; c. 1330 – c. 1386) is the presumed author of a work of Middle English alliterative verse generally known as Piers Plowman, an allegory with a complex variety of religious themes. The poem translated the language and concepts of the cloister into symbols...

More quotations from William Langland

Necessity has no law.

—William Langland

More quotations tagged with “shame”

Shame is always easier to handle if you have someone to share it with.

—Craig Thompson in Blankets

love friendship sharing shame

It has become a common feeling, I believe, as we have watched our heroes falling over the years, that our own small stone of activism, which might not seem to measure up to the rugged boulders of heroism we have so admired, is a paltry offering toward the building of an edifice of hope. Many who believe this choose to withhold their offerings out of shame. This is the tragedy of the world. For we can do nothing substantial toward changing our course on the planet, a destructive one, without rousing ourselves, individual by individual, and bringing our small, imperfect stones to the pile.

—Alice Walker

hope heroism tragedy shame heroes the world

Guys would sleep with a bicycle if it had the right color lip gloss on. They have no shame. They're like bull elks in a field. It's a scent to them, a smell.

Nature soaks every evil with either fear or shame.

fear nature shame

In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress.

History

30 Nov 2022 Added