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I have seen a trifle decide the most important issues in the gravest affairs. It is only by prudence, wisdom, and dexterity, that great ends are attained and obstacles overcome. Without these qualities nothing succeeds

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More quotes by Napoleon

I never was truly my own master but was always ruled by circumstances.

From the sublime to the ridiculous is but a step.

The greater the man, the less is he opinionative, he depends upon events and circumstances.

Political Aphorisms, Moral and Philosophical Thoughts (1848)

Sometimes a great example is necessary to all the public functionaries of the state.

Political Aphorisms, Moral and Philosophical Thoughts (1848)

There is only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous.

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Napoleon (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.