"Contemporaries appreciate the person rather than their merit, posterity will regard the merit rather than the person"

This quote by Charles Caleb Colton talks to the idea that people in the present tend to focus on the person rather than their achievements, while future generations will concentrate on the achievements instead of the person. This is likely due to the reality that people in today are most likely to be influenced by the individual's credibility, while future generations will be most likely to evaluate the person's achievements by themselves merit. This quote is a reminder that although people may be valued in the present, their real tradition will be determined by their accomplishments. It is a suggestion to concentrate on the merit of an individual's work rather than their track record, as it is the merit that will be remembered in the future.