Baltasar Gracian
Baltasar Gracian
Baltasar Gracián y Morales, SJ, formerly Anglicized as Baltazar Gracian, was a Spanish Jesuit and baroque prose writer and philosopher. He was born in Belmonte, near Calatayud. His writings were lauded by Schopenhauer and Nietzsche...
NationalitySpanish
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth8 January 1601
CountrySpain
loss missing risk
Never risk your reputation on a single shot, for if you miss the loss is irreparable.
giving risk delight
Many of the things that bring delight should not be owned. They are more enjoyed if another's, than if yours; the first day they give pleasure to the owner, but in all the rest to the others: what belongs to another rejoices doubly, because it is without the risk of going stale and with the satisfaction of freshness. . . the possession of things not only diminishes their enjoyment, but augments their annoyance, whether shared or not shared.
risk novelty losing
Many pleasant things are better when they belong to someone else. ... When things belong to others, we enjoy them twice as much, without the risk of losing them, and with the pleasure of novelty.
conquered courage difficulty joking later yields
Like love, courage is no joking matter. If it yields once, it will have to yield again, and again. The same difficulty will have to be conquered later on, and it would have been better to get it over with.
along arm time truth
Truth always lags last, limping along on the arm of Time
memories remember forgotten
The things we remember best are those better forgotten.
time truth lag
Truth always lags behind, limping along on the arm of Time.
writing letters chance
Chance has something to say in everything, even how to write a good letter
dignity offensive attraction
It is more offensive to outshine in dignity than in personal attractions.
fashion achievement promise
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.
gratitude grateful heaven
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.]
success satisfaction
Success rarely brings satisfaction.
wise learning ignorance
The greatest wisdom often consist in ignorance.
motivation men age
Know the great men of your age.