Philip Dormer Stanhope Quotes

People hate those who make them feel their own inferiority.

Conceal your learning from the company.

Never display your learning, but on particular occasions. Reserve it for learned men, and let even these rather extort it from you, than appear forward to display it. Hence you will be deemed modest, and reputed to possess more knowledge than you really have. Never seem wiser or more learned than your company. The man who affects to display his learning, will be frequently questioned; and if found superficial, will be ridiculed and despised; if otherwise, he will be deemed a pedant. Nothing can lessen real merit (which will always shew itself) in the opinion of the world, but an ostentatious display by its possessor.

Idleness is only the refuge of weak
minds, and the holiday of fools.

You will find that reason, which always ought to direct mankind, seldom does; but that passions and weaknesses commonly usurp its seat, and rule in its stead.

The world is a country which nobody ever yet knew by description; one must travel through it one’s self to be acquainted with it.

I am convinced that a light supper, a good night's sleep, and a fine morning, have sometimes made a hero of the same man, who, by an indigestion, a restless night, and rainy morning, would have proved a coward.

If you have an hour, will you not improve that hour, instead of idling it away?

An injury is much sooner forgotten than an insult.

Jangan memaksa orang mendengarkan anda, sebab kalau orang tidak mau mendengarkan anda, lebih baik tutup mulut.

There is nothing that people bear more impatiently or forgive less, than contempt: and an injury is much sooner forgotten than an insult.

Sikap yang santun harus menghiasi orang yang berpengetahuan dan melicinkan jalannya dalam pergaulan.

I come now to another part of your letter, which is the orthography, if I may call bad spelling orthography. You spell induce, enduce; and grandeur, you spell grandure; two faults, of which few of my house-maids would have been guilty. I must tell you, that orthography, in the true sense of the word, is so absolutely necessary for a man of letters, or a gentleman, that one false spelling may fix a ridicule upon him for the rest of his life; and I know a man of quality, who never recovered the ridicule of having spelled wholesome without the w.

In matters of religion and matrimony I never give advice, because I will not have anybody's torments in this world or the next laid to my charge.

Take warning then by them: choose your pleasures for yourself, and do not let them be imposed upon you. Follow nature and not fashion: weigh the present enjoyment of your pleasures against the necessary consequences of them, and then let your own common sense determine your choice.

Women who are either indisputably beautiful or indisputably ugly are best flattered upon the score of their understandings; but those who are in a state of mediocrity are best flattered upon their beauty, or at least their graces, for every woman who is not absolutely ugly thinks herself handsome; but not hearing often that she is so is the more grateful and the more obliged to the few who tell her so; whereas a decided and conscious beauty looks upon every tribute paid to her beauty only as her due, but wants to shine and to be considered on the side of her understanding…