Baltasar Gracian
» Action » “The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.”
» Age and Aging » “At twenty a man is a peacock, at thirty a lion, at forty a camel, at fifty a serpent, at sixty a dog, at seventy an ape, at eighty a nothing at all.”
» Anger » “Never do anything when you are in a temper, for you will do everything wrong.”
» Beauty » “A beautiful woman should break her mirror early.”
» Brevity » “Good things, when short, are twice as good.”
» Courtesy » “It is better to have too much courtesy than too little, provided you are not equally courteous to all, for that would be injustice.”
» Danger » “Many have had their greatness made for them by their enemies.”
» Desire » “When desire dies, fear is born.”
» Enemies » “A wise man learns more from his enemies than a fool from his friends.”
» Envy » “The envious die not once, but as oft as the envied win applause.”
» Excellence » “There is none who cannot teach somebody something, and there is none so excellent but he is excelled.”
» Fights and Fighting » “Never contend with a man who has nothing to lose.”
» Gratitude » “He that has satisfied his thirst turns his back on the well.”
» Gratitude » “Hope has a good memory, gratitude a bad one.”
» Heroes and Heroism » “Aspire rather to be a hero than merely appear one.”
» Imitation » “To equal a predecessor, one must have twice they worth.”
» Insanity » “Better mad with the rest of the world than wise alone.”
» Leisure » “To be at ease is better than to be at business. Nothing really belongs to us but time, which even he has who has nothing else.”
» Losers and Losing » “Never contend with a man who has nothing to lose.”
» Love » “Let the first impulse pass, wait for the second.”
» Luck » “It is a great piece of skill to know how to guide your luck even while waiting for it.”
» Luck » “Luck can be assisted. It is not all chance with the wise.”
» Opportunity » “One must pass through the circumference of time before arriving at the center of opportunity.”
» Originality » “Begin with another’s to end with your own.”
» Procrastination » “The wise does at once what the fool does at last.”
» Self-esteem » “Respect yourself if you would have others respect you.”
» Service » “To oblige persons often costs little and helps much.”
» Speakers and Speaking » “Little said is soon amended. There is always time to add a word, never to withdraw one.”
» Words » “There is always time to add a word, never to withdraw one.”
