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
door greater invariably lesser open spanish-philosopher
Never open the door to the lesser evil, for other and greater ones invariably slink in after it.
great guide piece skill waiting
It is a great piece of skill to know how to guide your luck, even while waiting for it
art great sell wind
It is a great art to know how to sell wind
greatness contribution mutual
Wisdom and courage make mutual contributions to greatness.
teamwork greatness team-work
The path to greatness is along with others.
courtesy manners great-person
Courtesy is the politic witchery of great personages.
knowledge greatness turns
Knowledge and courage take turns at greatness.
greatness enemy danger
Many have had their greatness made for them by their enemies.
man spanish-philosopher
At 20 a man is a peacock, at 30 a lion, at 40 a camel, at 50 a serpent, at 60 a dog, at 70 an ape, and at 80 nothing.
argument opponent side taken wrong
Don't take the wrong side in an argument just because your opponent has taken the right side
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.
duration favors fortune intensity pays
Fortune pays sometimes for the intensity of her favors by the shortness of their duration
integrity done shows
They make the greatest show of what they have done, who have done least.
along arm time truth
Truth always lags last, limping along on the arm of Time