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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

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A Bad Manner Spoils

Baltasar Gracian

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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.

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The Greatest Wisdom Often Consist In Ignorance.

Many People Who Pretend To Be Very Busy Have The Least To Do.

There Is None Who Cannot Teach Somebody Something, And There Is None So Excellent But He Is Excelled.

Maturity Is The Slowness In Which A Man Believes.

Nothing Is Good For Him For Whom Nothing Is Bad.

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.

Surfeits Of Happiness Are Fatal.

Evil Report Carries Further Than Any Applause.

The Best Remedy For Disturbances Is To Let Them Run Their Course, For So They Quiet Down.

To Keep Is More Important Than To Make Friends.

Hope Has A Good Memory, Gratitude A Bad One.

When You Counsel Someone, You Should Appear To Be Reminding Him Of Something He Had Forgotten, Not Of The Light He Was Unable To See.

Mix A Little Mystery With Everything, For Mystery Arouses Veneration.

Many Have Had Their Greatness Made For Them By Their Enemies.

Take Care To Make Things Turn Out Well. Some People Scruple More Over Pointing Things In The Right Direction Than Over Successfully Reaching Their Goals. The Disgrace Of Failure Outweighs The Diligence They Showed. A Winner Is Never Asked For Explanations.

Politeness Is The Chief Sign Of Culture.

One Should Cultivate Good Habits Of Memory, For It Is Capable Of Making Existence A Paradise Or An Inferno.

Leave Your Luck While Still Winning.

Do Not Make Mistakes About Character. Better Be Cheated In The Price Than In The Quality Of Goods.

Many Pleasant Things Are Better When They Belong To Someone Else. When Things Belong To Others, We Enjoy Them Twice As Much, Without The Risk Of Losing Them, And With The Pleasure Of Novelty.

He Who Laughs At Everything Is As Big A Fool As He Who Weeps At Everything.

There Are Certain Inessential Activities-moths Of Precious Time-and It Is Worse To Busy Yourself With The Trivial Than To Do Nothing.

They Make The Greatest Show Of What They Have Done, Who Have Done Least.

The Hossanas Of The Multitude Can Never Bring Satisfaction To The Discerning. Yet There Exist Those Chamaleons Of Popularity Who Find Their Joy, Not In The Sweet Breath Of Apollo, But In The Smell Of The Crowd. And Not In Mind: Do Not Be Taken In By What Are Miracles To The Populace, For The Ignorant Do Not Rise Above Marveling. Thus The Stupidity Of A Crowd Is Lost In Admiration, Even As The Brain Of An Individual Uncovers The Trick.

Hurry Is The Weakness Of Fools.

Keep The Extent Of Your Abilities Unknown.the Wise Man Does Not Allow His Knowledge And Abilities To Be Sounded To The Bottom, If He Desires To Be Honored At All. He Allows You To Know Them But Not To Comprehend Them. No One Must Know The Extent Of His Abilities, Lest He Be Disappointed. No One Ever Has An Opportunity Of Fathoming Him Entirely. For Guesses And Doubts About The Extent Of His Talents Arouse More Veneration Than Accurate Knowledge Of Them, Be They Ever So Great.

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.

Cultivate Those Who Can Teach You.

Hear, See, And Be Silent.

Know How To Use Evasion. That Is How Smart People Get Out Of Difficulties.

Display Startling Novelty-rise Afresh Like The Sun Every Day. Change Too The Scene On Which You Shine, So That You Rloss May Be Felt In The Old Scenes Of Your Triumph, While The Novelty Of Your Powers Wins Applause In The New.

Even Knowledge Has To Be In The Fashion, And Where It Is Not, It Is Wise To Affect Ignorance.

The Wise Person Finds Enemies More Useful Than The Fool Does Friends .

Few Are The Friends Of A Mans Self, Most Those Of His Circumstances.

Knowledge And Courage Take Turns At Greatness.

The Heaven Of The Envied Is Hell For The Envious.

Nature Scarcely Ever Gives Us The Very Best; For That We Must Have Recourse To Art.

Trust Your Heart, Especially When It Is A Strong One.

Trust Your Heart

Passion Colors All That It Touches In Its Own Hues.

Do Not Show Your Wounded Finger For Everything Will Knock Up Against It.

Politeness And A Sense Of Honor Have This Advantage: We Bestow Them On Others Without Losing A Thing.

Never Contend With A Man Who Has Nothing To Lose.

The Crutch Of Time Accomplishes More Than The Club Of Hercules.

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.

Wisdom And Courage Make Mutual Contributions To Greatness.

All Victories Breed, And That Over Your Superior Is Foolish Or Fatal.

Put Yourself On View. This Brings Your Talents To Light.

Keep To Yourself The Final Touches Of Your Art.

Many Would Be Wise If They Did Not Think Themselves Wise.

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.

Treat Your Enemies With Courtesy, And You'll See How Valuable It Really Is. It Costs Little But Pays A Nice Dividend: Those Who Honor Are Honored. Politeness And A Sense Of Honor Have This Advantage: We Bestow Them On Others Without Losing A Thing.

A Wise Prince Must Never Take Things Easy In Times Of Peace.

There Is No Revenge Like Oblivion, For It Is The Entombment Of The Unworthy In The Dust Of Their Own Nothingness.

No One Demands More Caution Than A Spy, And When Someone Has The Skeleton Key To Minds, Counter Him By Leaving The Key Of Caution Inside, On The Other Side Of The Keyhole.

Have Friends. 'tis A Second Existence.

It Is A Great Misfortune To Be Of Use To Nobody; Scarcely Less To Be Of Use To Everybody.

Some Are Satisfied To Stand Politely Before The Portals Of Fortune And To Await Her Bidding; Better Those Who Push Forward, Who Employ Their Enterprise, Who On The Wings Of Their Worth And Valor Seek To Embrace Luck, And To Effectively Gain Her Favor.

Two Kinds Of People Are Good At Foreseeing Danger: Those Who Have Learned At Their Own Expense, And The Clever People Who Learn A Great Deal At The Expense Of Others.

Friends Provoked Become The Bitterest Of Enemies.

It Is Better To Have Too Much Courtesy Than Too Little, Provided You Are Not Equally Courteous To All, For That Would Be Injustice.

Chance Has Something To Say, Even How To Write A Good Letter.

Never Lose Your Self-respect, Nor Be Too Familiar With Yourself When You Are Alone. Let Your Integrity Itself Be Your Own Standard Of Rectitude, And Be More Indebted To The Severity Of Your Own Judgment Of Yourself Than To All External Percepts. Desist From Unseemly Conduct, Rather Out Of Respect For Your Own Virtue Than For The Strictures Of External Authority.

A Gilded No Is More Satisfactory Than A Dry Yes.

There Is No Wilderness Like A Life Without Friends.

Without Friends

Admiration Is The Basis Of Ignorance.

For A Thing To Remain Undone Nothing More Is Needed Than To Think Of It Done.

Know How To Keep Anticipation Alive: Always Strive To Feed It, By Letting The Much Promise More, And The One Achievement Be The Announcement Only Of A Greater. Put Not All Your Reserves Into The First Throw; The Great Trick Is To Dole Out Strength, And To Dole Out Mind, In Such A Fashion As To Bring Forward Increasingly The Fulfillment Of What Was Expected Of You.

It Is A Great Deed To Leave Nothing For Tomorrow.

The Truth Is Generally Seen, Rarely Heard.

Tis By No Means The Least Of Life's Rules: To Let Things Alone.

There Is No Wilderness Like A Life Without Friends; Friendship Multiplies Blessings And Minimizes Misfortunes; It Is A Unique Remedy Against Adversity, And It Soothes The Soul.

The Path To Greatness Is Along With Others.

The Worthless Usually Live Long.

Success Rarely Brings Satisfaction.

Knowledge Without Wisdom Is Double Folly.

A Prudent Man Will Think More Important What Fate Has Conceded To Him, Than What It Has Denied.

What Is Not Seen Is As If It Was Not. Even The Right Does Not Receive Proper Consideration If It Does Not Seem Right.

Keep Expectation Alive. Keep Stirring It Up. Let Much Promise More, And Great Deeds Herald Greater.

Those Who Insist On The Dignity Of Their Office Show They Have Not Deserved It.

Know How To Play The Card Of Contempt. It Is The Most Politic Kind Of Revenge. For There Are Many Of Whom We Should Have Known Nothing If Their Distinguished Opponents Had Taken No Notice Of Them. There Is No Revenge Like Oblivion, For It Is The Entombment Of The Unworthy In The Dust Of Their Own Nothingness.

Be Known For Pleasing Others, Especially If You Govern Them. Ruling Other Has One Advantage: You Can Do More Good Than Anyone Else.

Pleasing Others

When Everyone Covets Something, They Are Easily Annoyed By It.

Possession Hinders Enjoyment. It Merely Gives You The Right To Keep Things For Or From Others, And Thus You Gain More Enemies Than Friends.

There Are Friendships Merely For Pleasure, Some For The Exchange Of Ideas. Rarest Are Those Friends Of One's Inmost Self.

You Can Cultivate Taste, As You Can The Intellect. Full Understanding Whets The Appetite And Desire, And, Later, Sharpens The Enjoyment Of Possession.

A Synonym Is A Word You Use When You Can't Spell The Other One.

There Are Rules To Luck, Not Everything Is Chance For The Wise; Luck Can Be Helped By Skill.

Aspire Rather To Be A Hero Than Merely Appear One.

If There Is Nothing Left To Desire, There Is Everything To Fear, An Unhappy State Of Happiness.

Deceit Comes In Through The Ears, But Usually Leaves Through The Eyes.

To Be At Ease Is Better Than To Be At Business.

Know Or Listen To Those Who Know.

Watchfulness Is The Only Guard Against Cunning. Be Intent On His Intentions. Many Succeed In Making Others Do Their Own Affairs, And Unless You Possess The Key To Their Motives You May At Any Moment Be Forced To Take Their Chestnuts Out Of The Fire To The Damage Of Your Own Fingers.

An Ounce Of Prudence Is Worth A Pound Of Cleverness.

Make Your Friends Your Teachers And Mingle The Pleasures Of Conversation With The Advantages Of Instruction.

The Wise Are Always Impatient, For He That Increases Knowledge Increases Impatience Of Folly.

Little Said Is Soon Amended. There Is Always Time To Add A Word, Never To Withdraw One.

Some Would Be Sages If They Did Not Believe They Were So Already.

Sometimes It Proves The Highest Understanding Not To Understand.

Peacemakers Not Only Live, They Rule Life.

It Is More Offensive To Outshine In Dignity Than In Personal Attractions.

Tis Much To Gain Universal Admiration; More, Universal Love.

Share Weight And Woe, For Misfortune Falls With Double Force On Him That Stands Alone.

The Passions Are The Humors Of The Mind, And The Least Excess Sickens Our Judgment. If The Disease Spreads To The Mouth, Your Reputation Will Be In Danger.

Know How To Ask. There Is Nothing More Difficult For Some People, Nor For Others, Easier.

Most Do Violence To Their Natural Aptitude, And Thus Attain Superiority In Nothing.

Friendship Multiplies Blessings And...soothes The Soul.

Work Is The Price Which Is Paid For Reputation.

Mediocrity Obtains More With Application Than Superiority Without It.

Rate The Intensive Above The Extensive. The Perfect Does Not Lie In Quantity, But In Quality.

Without Courage, Wisdom Bears No Fruit.

Let Him That Hath No Power Of Patience Retire Within Himself, Though Even There He Will Have To Put Up With Himself.

All Men Are Idolators, Some Of Fame, Others Of Self-interest, Most Of Pleasure.

Fools Rush In Through The Door; For Folly Is Always Bold.

It Takes More To Make One Sage Today Than It Did To Make The Seven Of Greece. And You Need More Resources To Deal With A Single Person These Days Than With An Entire Nation In Times Past.

Begin With Another's To End With Your Own.

We Live By Information, Not By Sight.

When A Man's Knowledge Is Deep, He Speaks Well Of An Enemy. Instead Of Seeking Revenge, He Extends Unexpected Generosity. He Turns Insult Into Humor, ... And Astonishes His Adversary Who Finds No Reason Not To Trust Him.

Help Others Solve Their Problems; Standing Farther Away, You Can Often See Matters More Clearly Than They Do. . . The Greatest Service You Can Render Someone Else Is Helping Him Or Her Help Themselves.

Do Pleasant Things Yourself, But Unpleasant Things Through Others.

Pleasant Things

A Man Is Judged By His Friends, For The Wise And The Foolish Have Never Agreed.

Knowledge Without Courage Is Sterile.

There Is No Beauty Unaided, No Excellence That Does Not Sink To The Barbarous, Unless Saved By Art.

Never Risk Your Reputation On A Single Shot, For If You Miss The Loss Is Irreparable.

You Should Aim To Be Independent Of Any One Vote, Of Any One Fashion, Of Any One Century.

Better Mad With The Rest Of The World Than Wise Alone.

It Is Therefore An Excellent Device To Acquire Knowledge From Everybody.

Respect Yourself If You Would Have Others Respect You.

Man Is Born A Barbarian, And Only Raises Himself Above The Beast By Culture.

The Wise Have A Solid Sense Of Silence And The Ability To Keep A Storehouse Of Secrets. Their Capacity And Character Are Respected.

He Who Finds Fortune On His Side Should Go Briskly Ahead, For She Is Wont To Favor The Bold.

Quit While You're Ahead. All The Best Gamblers Do.

Attain And Maintain A Reputation, For It Is The Usufruct Of Fame. A Stiff Climb, For It Is The Issue Of Excellence, As Rare As Mediocrity Is Common.

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.

There Must Be Something Good In A Thing That Pleases So Many; Even If It Cannot Be Explained, It Is Certainly Enjoyed.

The Heaven Of The Envied Is Hell For The Envious. [...because They Focus On What They Don't Have Rather Than Being Grateful For What They Have, Which Is Always Better Than Some Others.]

Advice Is Sometimes Transmitted More Successfully Through A Joke Than Grave Teaching.

Know How To Choose Well. Most Of Life Depends Thereon. It Needs Good Taste And Correct Judgment, For Which Neither Intellect Nor Study Suffices.

Exaggeration Is A Branch Of Lying.

Exaggeration Is

La Galantería Y La Honra Tienen Esta Ventaja, Que Se Quedan: Aquélla En Quien La Usa, ésta En Quien La Haze.

There Is No Need To Show Your Ability Before Everyone.

Human Condition

Don't Take The Wrong Side Of An Argument Just Because Your Opponent Has Taken The Right Side.

A Beautiful Woman Should Break Her Mirror Early.

Words Are Feminine; Deeds Are Masculine.

Friendship Multiplies The Good Of Life And Divides The Evil.

Luck Can Be Assisted. It Is Not All Chance With The Wise.

When Desire Dies, Fear Is Born.

Knowing How To Keep A Friend Is More Important Than Gaining A New One.

No' And 'yes' Are Words Quickly Said, But They Need A Great Amount Of Thought Before You Utter Them.

A Person Of Your Century: Great Persons Are Of Their Time. Not All Were Born Into A Period Worthy Of Them, And Many So Born Failed To Benefit By It. Some Merited A Better Century, For All That Is Good Does Not Always Triumph. Fashions Have Their Periods And Even The Greatest Virtues, Their Styles. But The Philosopher, Being Ageless, Has One Advantage: Should This Not Prove The Right Century, Many To Follow Will.

Beauty And Folly Are Generally Companions.

Beautiful Women

Character And Intelligence Are The Poles You Talent Spins On, Displaying Your Gifts.

It Is Profound Philosophy To Sound The Depths Of Feeling And Distinguish Traits Of Character. Men Must Be Studied As Deeply As Books.

Great Ability Develops And Reveals Itself Increasingly With Every New Assignment.

Honorable Beginnings Should Serve To Awaken Curiosity, Not To Heighten People's Expectations. We Are Much Better Off When Reality Surpasses Our Expectations, And Something Turns Out Better Than We Thought It Would.

Oh Life, You Should Never Had Begun, But Since You Did, You Should Never End

Nature Often Lets Us Down When We Most Need Her; Let Us Turn To Art.

You May Be Obliged To Wage War, But Not To Use Poisoned Arrows.

Things Do Not Pass For What They Are, But For What They Seem. Most Things Are Judged By Their Jackets.

Everything Foreign Is Respected, Partly Because It Comes From Afar, Partly Because It Is Ready Made And Perfect.

A Man Of Honour Should Never Forget What He Is Because He Sees What Others Are.

To Overvalue Something Is A Form Of Lying.

I Strive To Be Brief, And I Become Obscure.

Self Improvement

The Great Art Of Giving Consists In This The Gift Should Cost Very Little And Yet Be Greatly Coveted, So That It May Be The More Highly Appreciated.

To Oblige People Often Costs Little And Helps Much.

One Deceit Needs Many Others, And So The Whole House Is Built In The Air And Must Soon Come To The Ground

A Brand New Mediocrity Is Thought More Of Than Accustomed Excellence.

Do Not Be Inaccessible. None Is So Perfect That He Does Not Need At Times The Advice Of Others. He Is An Incorrigible Ass Who Will Never Listen To Any One. Even The Most Surpassing Intellect Should Find A Place For Friendly Counsel. Sovereignty Itself Must Learn To Lean. There Are Some That Are Incorrigible Simply Because They Are Inaccessible: They Fall To Ruin Because None Dares To Extricate Them. The Highest Should Have The Door Open For Friendship; It May Prove The Gate Of Help. A Friend Must Be Free To Advise, And Even To Upbraid, Without Feeling Embarrassed.

Not He That Adorns But He That Adores Makes A Divinity.

The Greatest Fool Is He Who Thinks He Is Not One And All Others Are.

Nothing Arouses Ambition So Much In The Heart As The Trumpet-clang Of Another's Fame.

God Himself Chasteneth Not With A Rod But With Time.

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.

The More Merit, The Less Affection.

It Is Impossible To Live Without Brains, Either One's Own Or Borrowed.

He Who Puts Off Nothing Till Tomorrow Has Done A Great Deal.

Procrastination

Putting Things Off

The Best Skill At Cards Is Knowing When To Discard.

Excellence Resides In Quality, Not In Quantity. The Best Is Always Few And Rare; Much Lowers Value.

Fortune Soon Tires Of Carrying Anyone Long On Her Shoulders.

There Is No Desert Like Being Friendless.

Always Act As If You Were Seen.

What The Multitude Says, Is So, Or Soon Will Be So.

Many Get The Repute Of Being Witty But Thereby Lose The Credit Of Being Sensible. Jest Has Its Little Hour, Seriousness Should Have All The Rest.

None Is So Perfect That He Does Not Need At Times The Advice Of Others.

Many Of The Things That Bring Delight Should Not Be Owned. They Are More Enjoyed If Another's, Than If Yours; The First Day They Give Pleasure To The Owner, But In All The Rest To The Others: What Belongs To Another Rejoices Doubly, Because It Is Without The Risk Of Going Stale And With The Satisfaction Of Freshness. . . The Possession Of Things Not Only Diminishes Their Enjoyment, But Augments Their Annoyance, Whether Shared Or Not Shared.

Courtesy Is The Politic Witchery Of Great Personages.

Wisdom Is Immortal. She Can Wait Forever, But You Cannot.

The Wise Does At Once What The Fool Does At Last.

He That Communicates His Secret To Another Makes Himself That Other's Slave.

Harness The Imagination, For She Is The Whole Of Happiness.

If To Talk To Oneself When Alone Is Folly, It Must Be Doubly Unwise To Listen To Oneself In The Presence Of Others.

Yes And No Are Soon Said, But Give Much To Think Over.

Always Leave Something To Wish For; Otherwise You Will Be Miserable From Your Very Happiness.

It Is A Great Piece Of Skill To Know How To Guide Your Luck Even While Waiting For It.

Even Monarchs Have Need Of Authors, And Fear Their Pens More Than Ugly Women The Painter's Pencil.

It Is Good To Vary In Order That You May Frustrate The Curious, Especially Those Who Envy You.

Wise Men Appreciate All Men, For They See The Good In Each And Know How Hard It Is To Make Anything Good.

Hope Is A Great Falsifier Of Truth.

The Liar Suffers Twice: He Neither Believes Nor Is Believed.

Do Not Be Held A Cheat, Even Though It Is Impossible To Live Today Without Being One. Let Your Greatest Cunning Lie In Covering Up What Looks Like Cunning.

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