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Home
Authors
Baltasar Gracian
Spanish
Philosopher
About the author
Never contend with a man who has nothing to lose.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Nothing
#Man
Nature scarcely ever gives us the very best; for that we must have recourse to art.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Art
#Nature
Work is the price which is paid for reputation.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Work
#Reputation
A bad manner spoils everything, even reason and justice; a good one supplies everything, gilds a No, sweetens a truth, and adds a touch of beauty to old age itself.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Reason
#Old
#Truth
#Age
#Justice
#Beauty
When desire dies, fear is born.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Fear
#Desire
Without courage, wisdom bears no fruit.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Wisdom
#Courage
Don't take the wrong side of an argument just because your opponent has taken the right side.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Right
#Wrong
#Argument
Evil report carries further than any applause.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Evil
#Applause
We often have to put up with most from those on whom we most depend.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
A beautiful woman should break her mirror early.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Woman
A man of honour should never forget what he is because he sees what others are.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Forget
#Man
A single lie destroys a whole reputation of integrity.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Integrity
#Lie
#Reputation
Advice is sometimes transmitted more successfully through a joke than grave teaching.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Teaching
#Grave
#Advice
Better mad with the rest of the world than wise alone.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#World
#Rest
Aspire rather to be a hero than merely appear one.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
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.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Nothing
#Man
Attempt easy tasks as if they were difficult, and difficult as if they were easy; in the one case that confidence may not fall asleep, in the other that it may not be dismayed.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#May
#Confidence
Be content to act, and leave the talking to others.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Act
#Talking
#Content
Begin with another's to end with your own.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#End
Don't show off every day, or you'll stop surprising people. There must always be some novelty left over. The person who displays a little more of it each day keeps up expectations, and no one ever discovers the limits of his talent.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#People
#Day
#Talent
#Novelty
#Limits
#Expectations
True knowledge lies in knowing how to live.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Knowledge
#Lies
Even knowledge has to be in the fashion, and where it is not, it is wise to affect ignorance.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Ignorance
#Knowledge
#Fashion
A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Man
#Friends
#Enemies
#Fool
Fortunate people often have very favorable beginnings and very tragic endings. What matters isn't being applauded when you arrive - for that is common - but being missed when you leave.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#People
#Being
#Beginnings
Fortune pays you sometimes for the intensity of her favors by the shortness of their duration. She soon tires of carrying any one long on her shoulders.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Fortune
#Favors
Friendship multiplies the good of life and divides the evil.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Life
#Evil
#Friendship
Great ability develops and reveals itself increasingly with every new assignment.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Ability
Have friends. 'Tis a second existence.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Friends
#Existence
He that can live alone resembles the brute beast in nothing, the sage in much, and God in everything.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#God
#Nothing
He that communicates his secret to another makes himself that other's slave.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
He that has satisfied his thirst turns his back on the well.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
Hope has a good memory, gratitude a bad one.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Hope
#Memory
#Gratitude
Hope is a great falsifier. Let good judgment keep her in check.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Hope
#Judgment
I strive to be brief, and I become obscure.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
It is a great piece of skill to know how to guide your luck even while waiting for it.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Luck
#Waiting
#Skill
It is better to have too much courtesy than too little, provided you are not equally courteous to all, for that would be injustice.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Courtesy
#Injustice
Dreams will get you nowhere, a good kick in the pants will take you a long way.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Will
#Dreams
Never do anything when you are in a temper, for you will do everything wrong.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Will
#Wrong
#Temper
Those who insist on the dignity of their office show they have not deserved it.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Dignity
#Office
Things do not pass for what they are, but for what they seem. Most things are judged by their jackets.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
There is none who cannot teach somebody something, and there is none so excellent but he is excelled.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
There is always time to add a word, never to withdraw one.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Time
#Word
The wise does at once what the fool does at last.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Fool
The things we remember best are those better forgotten.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
The envious die not once, but as oft as the envied win applause.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Applause
Respect yourself if you would have others respect you.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Respect
Quit while you're ahead. All the best gamblers do.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
One must pass through the circumference of time before arriving at the center of opportunity.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Time
#Opportunity
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.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Time
#Nothing
#Business
Never have a companion that casts you in the shade.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
Many have had their greatness made for them by their enemies.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Enemies
#Greatness
True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. Strive to have friends, for life without friends is like life on a desert island... to find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep him is a blessing.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Life
#Friendship
#Fortune
Luck can be assisted. It is not all chance with the wise.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Chance
#Luck
Always leave something to wish for; otherwise you will be miserable from your very happiness.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Will
#Happiness
Let the first impulse pass, wait for the second.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#First
Let him that hath no power of patience retire within himself, though even there he will have to put up with himself.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Will
#Patience
#Power
Know or listen to those who know.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
It is good to vary in order that you may frustrate the curious, especially those who envy you.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#May
#Order
#Envy
It is better to sleep on things beforehand than lie awake about them afterwards.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Lie
#Sleep
Never open the door to a lesser evil, for other and greater ones invariably slink in after it.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Evil
#Open
Little said is soon amended. There is always time to add a word, never to withdraw one.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Time
#Word
To oblige persons often costs little and helps much.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
To equal a predecessor, one must have twice they worth.
Baltasar Gracian,
Spanish
Philosopher
#Worth