Baltasar Gracián Quotes

Begin with another's to end with your own.

The heaven of the envied is hell for the envious.

A beautiful woman should break her mirror early.

For the advice in a joke is sometimes more useful than the most serious teaching.

Cunning grows in deceit at seeing itself discovered, and tries to deceive with truth itself.

Rivalry discovers that courtesy overlooks.

Be first the master of yourself

One should cultivate good habits of memory, for it is capable of making existence a Paradise or an I...

Never open the door to a lesser evil, for other and greater ones invariably slink in after it.

There are rules to luck, not everything is chance for the wise; luck can be helped by skill.

The best skill at cards is knowing when to discard.

Say farewell to luck when winning. It is the way of the gamblers of reputation. Quite as important a...

Memory is not only unruly, leaving us in the lurch when most needed, but stupid as well, putting its...

Cautious silence is the refuge of good sense

Deal with people from whom you can learn

The great art of giving consists in this the gift should cost very little and yet be greatly coveted...

Folly consists not in committing Folly, but in being incapable of concealing it. All men make mistak...

True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. Strive to have friends, for life ...

Without courage, wisdom bears no fruit.

We have eyelids but not earlids, for the ears are the portals of learning, and Nature wanted to keep...

Respect yourself is you would have others respect you.

A synonym is a word you use when you can't spell the other one.

Never contend with a man who has nothing to lose.

Though such authority and respect shouldn't be handed to all and sundry, have in caution's innermost...

Knowledge without courage is sterile.

He that has satisfied his thirst turns his back on the well.

Even knowledge has to be in fashion and where it is not it is wise to affect ignorance.

Superiority is always detested.

It is a great misfortune to be of use to nobody scarcely less to be of use to everybody.

Words are feminine deeds are masculine.

Nothing arouses ambition so much as the trumpet clang of another's fame.

Great ability develops and reveals itself increasingly with every new assignment.

A bad manner spoils everything, even reason and justice; a good one supplies everything, gilds a No,...

Attempt easy tasks as if they were difficult and difficult as if they were easy in the one case th...

Even knowledge has to be in the fashion, and where it is not, it is wise to affect ignorance.

Surfeits of happiness are fatal.

Dreams will get you nowhere, a good kick in the pants will take you a long way.

Harness the imagination: Sometimes curbing her, sometimes giving her rein, for she is the whole of h...

Sometimes it proves the highest understanding not to understand.

Always leave something to wish for otherwise you will be miserable from your very happiness.

Nothing really belongs to us but time which even he has who has nothing else.

The wise have a solid sense of silence and the ability to keep a storehouse of secrets. Their capaci...

Luck can be assisted. It is not all chance with the wise.

Do not show your wounded finger for everything will knock up against it.

Hope has a good memory, gratitude a bad one.

Time and I against any two.

The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.

A prudent man will think more important what fate has conceded to him than what it has denied.

Advice is sometimes transmitted more successfully through a joke than grave teaching.

There is no wilderness like a life without friends friendship multiplies blessings and minimizes mi...

Better mad with the rest of the world than wise alone.

Never have a companion that casts you in the shade.

Let him that hath no power of patience retire within himself, though even there he will have to put ...

He who finds Fortune on his side should go briskly ahead for she is wont to favor the bold.

The greatest wisdom often consists in ignorance.

He that can live alone resembles the brute beast in nothing, the sage in much, and God in everything...

'No' and 'Yes' are words quickly said but they need a great amount of thought before you utter them...

If you are wise live as you can if you cannot live as you would.

True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. Strive to have friends, for life ...

Friends are a second existence.

Some are satisfied to stand politely before the portals of Fortune and to await her bidding better ...

Respect yourself if you would have others respect you.

The envious die not once, but as oft as the envied win applause.

The truths that matter most to us come always half spoken.

Wise men appreciate all men for they see the good in each and know how hard it is to make anything ...

Truth always lags last limping along on the arm of Time.

A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.

Good things when short are twice as good.

Friendship multiplies the good of life and divides the evil. Tis the sole remedy against misfortune ...

He that communicates his secret to another makes himself that other's slave.

Never do anything when you are in a temper, for you will do everything wrong.

A sage has one advantage he is immortal. If this is not his century many others will be.

One who was adored by all in prosperity is abhorred by all in adversity.

It is a great piece of skill to know how to guide your luck even while waiting for it.

At twenty a man is a peacock at thirty a lion at forty a camel at fifty a serpent at sixty a dog...

The wise does at once what the fool does at last.

Little said is soon amended. There is always time to add a word never to withdraw one.

It requires as much caution to tell the truth as to conceal it.

Never compete with someone who has nothing to lose.

Know or listen to those who know.

Friendship multiplies the good of life and divides the evil.