Admiration is the basis of ignorance. Baltasar Gracian More Quotes by Baltasar Gracian More Quotes From Baltasar Gracian It is a great deed to leave nothing for tomorrow. Baltasar Gracian future tomorrow deeds What is not seen is as if it was not. Even the Right does not receive proper consideration if it does not seem right. Baltasar Gracian consideration appearance doe Beauty and folly are generally companions. Baltasar Gracian beautiful-women companion beauty The true way is the middle one, halfway between deserving a place and pushing oneself into it. Baltasar Gracian pushing ambition way 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. Baltasar Gracian triumph style fashion Not he that adorns but he that adores makes a divinity. Baltasar Gracian divinity adore Have Friends. 'Tis a second existence. Baltasar Gracian existence real friendship 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. Baltasar Gracian judgment self integrity The sage has one advantage: he is immortal. If this is not his century, many others will be. Baltasar Gracian sage intelligence wisdom Be known for pleasing others, especially if you govern them. Ruling other has one advantage: you can do more good than anyone else. Baltasar Gracian pleasing-others advantage inspirational When everyone covets something, they are easily annoyed by it. Baltasar Gracian greed annoyed It is a novel kind of supremacy, the best that life can offer, to have as servants by skill those who by nature are our masters. Baltasar Gracian skills kind work It is therefore an excellent device to acquire knowledge from everybody. Baltasar Gracian devices acquire excellent Chance has something to say, even how to write a good letter. Baltasar Gracian chance letters writing 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. Baltasar Gracian achievement fashion promise 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.] Baltasar Gracian gratitude grateful focus Knowing how to keep a friend is more important than gaining a new one. Baltasar Gracian important knowing The happy are an exception who enjoy innocently their simple happiness. Baltasar Gracian simple-happiness enjoy simple Exaggeration is a branch of lying. Baltasar Gracian exaggeration-is branches lying The sage never seems to know his own merits, for only by not noticing them can you call others' attention to them. Baltasar Gracian sage merit attention
