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
along arm time truth
Truth always lags last, limping along on the arm of Time
time truth lag
Truth always lags behind, limping along on the arm of Time.
telling-the-truth caution
It requires as much caution to tell the truth as to conceal it.
truth-is heard
The truth is generally seen, rarely heard.
truth men never-forget
A man of honour should never forget what he is because he sees what others are.
lying dont-lie whole-truth
Don't lie, but don't tell the whole truth.
truth minorities truth-is
Truth is for the minority.
truth integrity lying
A single lie destroys a whole reputation of integrity.
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.
memories remember forgotten
The things we remember best are those better forgotten.
loss missing risk
Never risk your reputation on a single shot, for if you miss the loss is irreparable.
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.