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Many a one commits a reprehensible action, who is at bottom an honourable man, because man seldom acts upon natural impulse, but from some secret passion of the moment which lies hidden and concealed within the narrowest folds of his heart.

— Napoleon Political Aphorisms, Moral and Philosophical Thoughts (1848)

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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.