Baltasar Gracián Quotes

Respect yourself is you would have others respect you.

But a man of honour should never forget what he is because he sees what others are.

The greater your exploits the less you need affect them: content yourself with doing, leave the talking to others.

Prefiere estar loco igual que todos, y no cuerdo y solitario.
Así dicen los políticos, con toda razón. Que si todos son locos, tú no saldrás perdiendo por estarlo. Si eres el único cuerdo, te acusarán de loco. Por iso es importante seguir la corrente de la gente. Muchas veces, la mayor sabiduría consiste en no saber, o aparentar no saber. Has de vivir con la gente, y la mayoría son ignorantes.

In Prosperity prepare for Adversity. It is both wiser and easier to collect winter stores in summer. In prosperity favours are cheap and friends are many. ’Tis well therefore to keep them for more unlucky days, for adversity costs dear and has no helpers.

Triviality is annoying, and in a person's character, tedious. To keep coming back to a disagreement is a kind of mania.

No one is born complete; perfect yourself and your activities day by day until you become a truly consummate being, your talents and your qualities all perfected.

There is no desert like living without friends. Friendship multiplies the good of life and divides the evil. ’Tis the sole remedy against misfortune, the very ventilation of the soul. clix

The envious man dies not only once but as many times as the person he envies lives to hear the voice of praise ...

You are as much as you know, and a wise person can do anything. A person without knowledge is a world in darkness.

You will never belong entirely to someone else nor they to you. Neither ties of blood, nor friendship, nor the most pressing obligation are sufficient for this, for there's a big difference between opening your heart and surrendering your will. Even the greatest intimacy has its limits, and the laws of courtesy are not offended by this. A friend always keeps some secret to himself and a son conceals something from his father...

Many owe their greatness to their enemies. Flattery is fiercer than hatred, for hatred corrects the faults flattery had disguised.

If you cannot make knowledge your servant, make it your friend.

This is the single advantage of power, that it enables the holder to do more good.

Don't so belong to others that you don't belong to yourself. Even friends should not be abused; you shouldn't want more from them than they're willing to concede. Any extreme is a vice, and especially in dealings with others. Sensible moderation is the best way to maintain goodwill and respect because ever-precious dignity won't be worn away.