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
nature art needs
Nature often lets us down when we most need her; let us turn to art.
needs opinion said
No' and 'Yes' are words quickly said, but they need a great amount of thought before you utter them.
needs human-condition ability
There is no need to show your ability before everyone.
writing needs ugly
Even monarchs have need of authors, and fear their pens more than ugly women the painter's pencil.
air house needs
One deceit needs many others, and so the whole house is built in the air and must soon come to the ground
choices needs taste
Know how to choose well. Most of life depends thereon. It needs good taste and correct judgment, for which neither intellect nor study suffices.
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
spanish-philosopher
Be content to act, and leave the talking to others.
spanish-philosopher time withdraw
There is always time to add a word, never to withdraw one.