"Of present fame think little, and of future less; the praises that we receive after we are buried, like the flowers that are strewed over our grave, may be gratifying to the living, but they are nothing to the dead"
About this Quote
The subtext is quietly accusatory. If praise after death “may be gratifying to the living,” then the whole ritual of legacy is revealed as audience-centered theater. We pretend we’re honoring the departed, but we’re managing our own discomfort with mortality and meaninglessness. Colton’s line also exposes how easily “immortality” gets commodified: reputation as a long-term investment, a brand that keeps accruing value. He calls it what it is - an account you can’t withdraw from.
Context matters: Colton wrote in a Britain where social standing, print culture, and moral aphorisms traded briskly. The early 19th century was a period of expanding readership and public opinion, with “fame” becoming less aristocratic inheritance and more market feedback. Colton, an aphorist by craft, understands how praise circulates: it outlives bodies, not because it’s true, but because it’s useful. The intent isn’t nihilism; it’s triage. Live as if you won’t be around to enjoy your press, because you won’t.
Quote Details
| Topic | Legacy & Remembrance |
|---|---|
| Source | Charles Caleb Colton, "Lacon; or, Many Things in Few Words" , aphorism commonly attributed to Colton (see reproduced text on Wikiquote). |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Colton, Charles Caleb. (2026, January 15). Of present fame think little, and of future less; the praises that we receive after we are buried, like the flowers that are strewed over our grave, may be gratifying to the living, but they are nothing to the dead. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/of-present-fame-think-little-and-of-future-less-85656/
Chicago Style
Colton, Charles Caleb. "Of present fame think little, and of future less; the praises that we receive after we are buried, like the flowers that are strewed over our grave, may be gratifying to the living, but they are nothing to the dead." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/of-present-fame-think-little-and-of-future-less-85656/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Of present fame think little, and of future less; the praises that we receive after we are buried, like the flowers that are strewed over our grave, may be gratifying to the living, but they are nothing to the dead." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/of-present-fame-think-little-and-of-future-less-85656/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
