Percy Bysshe Shelley - Thomas Paine - George Bernard Shaw - Hesketh Pearson - William Shakespeare - Lionel Messi - George Washington - Niccolo Machiavelli - Laurence Sterne - Pete Sampras -
Titles are tinsel, power a corrupter, glory a bubble, and excessive wealth a libel on its possessor. Percy Bysshe Shelley, Declaration of Rights
Titles are but nick-names, and every nick-name is a title. Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man, 1791
Titles distinguish the mediocre, embarrass the superior, and are disgraced by the inferior. George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman
There is no stronger craving in the world than that of the rich for titles, except perhaps that of the titled for riches. Hesketh Pearson, The Pilgrim Daughters, 1961
Lear: Dost thou call me fool, boy?
Fool: All my other titles thou hast given away; that thou wast born with. William Shakespeare, The History of King Lear I iv 163
Now does he feel his title
Hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe
Upon a dwarfish thief. William Shakespeare, Macbeth V ii 20
I prefer to win titles with the team ahead of individual awards or scoring more goals than anyone else. I’m more worried about being a good person than being the best football player in the world. When all this is over, what are you left with? When I retire, I hope I am remembered for being a decent guy. Lionel Messi
I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man. George Washington
It is not titles that honour men, but men that honour titles. Niccolo Machiavelli
Titles of honour are like the impressions on coins, which add no value to gold or silver, but only render brass current. Laurence Sterne
I never wanted to be the great guy or the colorful guy or the interesting guy. I wanted to be the guy who won titles. Pete Sampras