How difficult it is to get men to believe that any other man can or does act from disinterestedness! Benjamin Haydon More Quotes by Benjamin Haydon More Quotes From Benjamin Haydon The great difficulty is first to win a reputation; the next to keep it while you live; and the next to preserve it after you die, when affection and interest are over, and nothing but sterling excellence can preserve your name. Never suffer youth to be an excuse for inadequacy, nor age and fame to be an excuse for indolence. Benjamin Haydon nameswinningcharacter Art is a reality, not a definition; inasmuch as it approaches a reality, it approaches perfection, and inasmuch as it approaches a mere definition, it is imperfect and untrue. Benjamin Haydon perfectionrealityart There surely is in human nature an inherent propensity to extract all the good out of all the evil. Benjamin Haydon propensityhuman-natureevil When a man is no longer anxious to do better than well, he is done for. Benjamin Haydon get-betterqualitymen Never disregard what your enemies say. They may be severe, they may be prejudiced, they may be determined to see only in one direction, but still in that direction see clearly. They do not speak all the truth, but they generally speak the truth from one point of view; so far as that goes, attend to them. Benjamin Haydon one-directionviewsenemy Never suffer youth to be an excuse for inadequacy, nor age and fame to be an excuse for indolence. Benjamin Haydon reputationsufferingage Fortunately for serious minds, a bias recognized is a bias sterilized. Benjamin Haydon prejudiceseriousmind All government is an evil, but, of the two form's of that evil, democracy or monarchy, the sounder is monarchy; the more able to do its will, democracy. Benjamin Haydon governmenteviltwo Mistrusts sometimes come over one's mind of the justice of God. But let a real misery come again, and to whom do we fly? To whom do we instinctively and immediately look up? Benjamin Haydon realgodjustice Newton's health, and confusion to mathematics. Benjamin Haydon newtonmathematicsconfusion Genius is nothing more than common faculties refined to a greater intensity. There are no astonishing ways of doing astonishing things. All astonishing things are done by ordinary materials. Benjamin Haydon geniusdoneordinary The explanation of the propensity of the English people to portrait painting is to be found in their relish for a Fact. Let a man do the grandest things, fight the greatest battles, or be distinguished by the most brilliant personal heroism, yet the English people would prefer his portrait to a painting of the great deed. The likeness they can judge of; his existence is a Fact. But the truth of the picture of his deeds they cannot judge of, for they have no imagination. Benjamin Haydon fightingmenpeople The longer a man lives in this world the more he must be convinced that all domestic quarrels had better never be obtruded on the public; for, let the husband be right, or let him be wrong, there is always a sympathy existing for women which is certain to give the man the worst of it. Benjamin Haydon husbandgivingmen It is highly convenient to believe in the infinite mercy of God when you feel the need of mercy, but remember also his infinite justice. Benjamin Haydon mercy-of-godjusticebelieve Invention is totally independent of the will. Benjamin Haydon inventionindependent We are a compound of both here and hereafter; we shall be made responsible for the actions of both while here. Anything beyond this is beyond our power to prove, and would be of no real value if we could. Benjamin Haydon realresponsibilitywould-be If men would only take the chances of doing right because it is right, instead of the immediate certainty of the advantage of doing wrong, how much happier would their lives be. Benjamin Haydon chancelife-ismen No man, perhaps, is so wicked as to commit evil for its own sake. Evil is generally committed under the hope of some advantage the pursuit of virtue seldom obtains. Yet the most successful result of the most virtuous heroism is never without its alloy. Benjamin Haydon successfulevilmen It is better to make friends than adversaries of a conquered race. Benjamin Haydon adversariesfriendsrace To procrastinate seems inherent in man, for if you do to-day that you may enjoy to-morrow it is but deferring the enjoyment; so that to be idle or industrious, vicious or virtuous, is but with a view of procrastinating the one or the other. Benjamin Haydon procrastinationviewsmen
