Better too much form than too little. Richard Whately More Quotes by Richard Whately More Quotes From Richard Whately Of Rhetoric various definitions have been given by different writers; who, however, seem not so much to have disagreed in their conceptions of the nature of the same thing, as to have had different things in view while they employed the same term. Richard Whately definitions different views The tendency of party spirit has ever been to disguise and propagate and support error. Richard Whately support errors party Party spirit enlists a man's virtues in the cause of his vices. Richard Whately party vices men All frauds, like the wall daubed with untempered mortar ... always tend to the decay of what they are devised to support. Richard Whately decay wall support Concerning the utility of Rhetoric, it is to be observed that it divides itself into two; first, whether Oratorical skill be, on the whole, a public benefit, or evil; and secondly, whether any artificial system of Rules is conducive to the attainment of that skill. Richard Whately skills evil two As a science, logic institutes an analysis of the process of the mind in reasoning, and investigating the principles on which argumentation is conducted; as an art, it furnishes such rules as may be derived from those principles, for guarding against erroneous deductions. Richard Whately principles mind art A fanatic, either, religious or political, is the subject of strong delusions. Richard Whately political strong religious That is suitable to a man, in point of ornamental expense, not which he can afford to have, but which he can afford to lose. Richard Whately expenses extravagance men No one complains of the rules of Grammar as fettering Language; because it is understood that correct use is not founded on Grammar, but Grammar on correct use. A just system of Logic or of Rhetoric is analogous, in this respect, to Grammar. Richard Whately logic use complaining The love of admiration leads to fraud, much more than the love of commendation; but, on the other hand, the latter is much more likely to spoil our: good actions by the substitution of an inferior motive. Richard Whately admiration action hands Unless people can be kept in the dark, it is best for those who love the truth to give them the full light. Richard Whately communication dark love The best security against revolution is in constant correction of abuses and the introduction of needed improvements. It is the neglect of timely repair that makes rebuilding necessary. Richard Whately rebuilding abuse revolution As there are dim-sighted people who live in a sort of perpetual twilight, so there are some who, having neither much clearness of head nor a very elevated tone of morality, are perpetually haunted by suspicions of everybody and everything. Richard Whately tone twilight people To follow imperfect, uncertain, or corrupted traditions, in order to avoid erring in our own judgment, is but to exchange one danger for another. Richard Whately erring imperfect order Happiness is no laughing matter. Richard Whately matter happiness laughing Everyone wishes to have truth on his side, but not everyone wishes to be on the side of truth. Richard Whately truth wish sides He who is not aware of his ignorance will be only misled by his knowledge. Richard Whately intelligence ignorance education Never argue at the dinner table, for the one who is not hungry gets the best of the argument. Richard Whately dinner tables food It is worth noticing that those who assume an imposing demeanor and seek to pass themselves off for something beyond what they are, are not unfrequently as much underrated by some as overrated by others. Richard Whately underrated overrated assuming Woman is like the reed which bends to every breeze, but breaks not in the tempest. Richard Whately tempest reeds women
