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
future deeds tomorrow
It is a great deed to leave nothing for tomorrow.
time truth lag
Truth always lags behind, limping along on the arm of Time.
eye deception ears
Deceit comes in through the ears, but usually leaves through the eyes.
patience no-patience retiring
Let him that hath no power of patience retire within himself, though even there he will have to put up with himself.
nature art needs
Nature often lets us down when we most need her; let us turn to art.
helping
The greatest service you can render someone else is helping him help himself.
mountain lightning strikes
Censure is like the lightning which strikes the highest mountains.
cities beast wild-beasts
The truest wild beasts live in the most populous places.
annoyed greed
When everyone covets something, they are easily annoyed by it.
wisdom forever waiting
Wisdom is immortal. She can wait forever, but you cannot.
expectations people each-day
Don't show off every day, or you'll stop surprising people. There must always be some novelty left over. The person who displays a little more of it each day keeps up expectations, and no one ever discovers the limits of his talent.
wisdom intelligence sage
The sage has one advantage: he is immortal. If this is not his century, many others will be.
mistake character quality
Do not make mistakes about character. Better be cheated in the price than in the quality of goods.
greatness contribution mutual
Wisdom and courage make mutual contributions to greatness.