It's a little long and I had to traslate it, but it's pretty true.
"Non bisogna credere che gli uomini si inchinino spontaneamente alla virtù, al carattere, al talento; non bisogna credere che l'innocenza, la rettitudine, la mitezza siano una difesa sufficiente nel mondo: se la tua individualità non impone rispetto, gli uomini onoreranno in astratto le tue doti eminenti, ma le disprezzeranno e le derideranno nella tua persona"
"You shouldn't think that people stoop of their own accord to virtue, disposition, talent; you shouldn't think that innocence, probity, mildness are a sufficient protection in the world: if your personality doesn't command respect, people will celebrate your eminent skills in the abstract, but they will scorn and mock them in your person."
(Piero Martinetti)
I hope to not have made too much mistakes. Too bad it doesn't exist a english traslation of Martinetti's works.