248 Quotes by Baltasar Gracian
Baltasar Gracián was a Spanish philosopher and writer known for his influential works on ethics, wisdom, and human behavior. Born in 1601 in Aragon, Spain, Gracián entered the Society of Jesus and dedicated his life to intellectual pursuits. His most renowned work, "The Art of Worldly Wisdom," is a collection of aphorisms and maxims that provide guidance on navigating the complexities of human relationships and achieving success in life.
Gracián's writings delve into the intricacies of human nature, offering insights into the art of persuasion, the cultivation of virtue, and the mastery of one's own character. He emphasized the importance of discernment, adaptability, and strategic thinking in navigating the challenges of the world.
Gracián's works continue to be studied and appreciated for their timeless wisdom and profound observations about human psychology and social dynamics. His philosophy encourages individuals to strive for personal growth, self-awareness, and the pursuit of excellence. Baltasar Gracián's contributions to the field of philosophy have made a lasting impact, inspiring readers to lead more fulfilling and meaningful lives.
Baltasar Gracian Quotes
Watchfulness is the only guard against cunning. Be intent on his intentions. Many succeed in making others do their own affairs, and unless you possess the key to their motives you may at any moment be forced to take their chestnuts out of the fire to the damage of your own fingers.
Dreams will get you nowhere, a good kick in the pants will take you a long way. (Meaning)
A synonym is a word you use when you can't spell the other one.
Do not commit yourself to anybody or anything, for that is to be a slave, a slave to every man Above all, keep yourself free of commitments and obligations - they are the device of another to get you into his power
It is better to sleep on things beforehand than lie awake about them afterwards.
He that can live alone resembles the brute beast in nothing, the sage in much, and God in everything.
A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.
Self-reflection is the school of wisdom.
Never open the door to a lesser evil, for other and greater ones invariably slink in after it.
To find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep him is a blessing.
The wise have a solid sense of silence and the ability to keep a storehouse of secrets. Their capacity and character are respected.
Friendship multiplies the good of life and divides the evil.
Know or listen to those who know.
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.
Keep the extent of your abilities unknown. The wise man does not allow his knowledge and abilities to be sounded to the bottom, if he desires to be honored at all. He allows you to know them but not to comprehend them. No one must know the extent of his abilities, lest he be disappointed. No one ever has an opportunity of fathoming him entirely. For guesses and doubts about the extent of his talents arouse more veneration than accurate knowledge of them, be they ever so great.
There are friendships merely for pleasure, some for the exchange of ideas. Rarest are those friends of one's inmost self.
A single lie destroys a whole reputation for integrity.
Know how to play the card of contempt. It is the most politic kind of revenge. For there are many of whom we should have known nothing if their distinguished opponents had taken no notice of them. There is no revenge like oblivion, for it is the entombment of the unworthy in the dust of their own nothingness.
Always act as if you were seen.
It is a great piece of skill to know how to guide your luck even while waiting for it.
Don't take the wrong side of an argument just because your opponent has taken the right side.
The envious die not once, but as oft as the envied win applause.
One must pass through the circumference of time before arriving at the center of opportunity.
Never do anything when you are in a temper, for you will do everything wrong.
Do not be inaccessible. None is so perfect that he does not need at times the advice of others. He is an incorrigible ass who will never listen to any one. Even the most surpassing intellect should find a place for friendly counsel. Sovereignty itself must learn to lean. There are some that are incorrigible simply because they are inaccessible: They fall to ruin because none dares to extricate them. The highest should have the door open for friendship; it may prove the gate of help. A friend must be free to advise, and even to upbraid, without feeling embarrassed.
Always leave something to wish for; otherwise you will be miserable from your very happiness.
Help others solve their problems; standing farther away, you can often see matters more clearly than they do. . . The greatest service you can render someone else is helping him or her help themselves.
The greatest service you can render someone else is helping him help himself.
Respect yourself if you would have others respect you.
Without courage, wisdom bears no fruit.
Put a grain of boldness into everything you do.
Truth is for the minority.
Words are feminine; deeds are masculine.
True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. Strive to have friends, for life without friends is like life on a desert island... to find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep him is a blessing.
At twenty a man is a peacock, at thirty a lion, at forty a camel, at fifty a serpent, at sixty a dog, at seventy an ape, at eighty a nothing at all.
Harness the imagination, for she is the whole of happiness.
True knowledge lies in knowing how to live.
Better mad with the rest of the world than wise alone.
Know how to ask. There is nothing more difficult for some people, nor for others, easier.
A man of honour should never forget what he is because he sees what others are.
When a man's knowledge is deep, he speaks well of an enemy. Instead of seeking revenge, he extends unexpected generosity. He turns insult into humor, ... and astonishes his adversary who finds no reason not to trust him.
Treat your enemies with courtesy, and you'll see how valuable it really is. It costs little but pays a nice dividend: those who honor are honored. Politeness and a sense of honor have this advantage: we bestow them on others without losing a thing.
To oblige people often costs little and helps much.
Things do not pass for what they are, but for what they seem. Most things are judged by their jackets.
Friendship multiplies blessings and...soothes the soul.
Fortunate people often have very favorable beginnings and very tragic endings. What matters isn't being applauded when you arrive - for that is common - but being missed when you leave.
Life is a warfare against the malice of others.
Attempt easy tasks as if they were difficult, and difficult as if they were easy; in the one case that confidence may not fall asleep, in the other that it may not be dismayed.
A bad manner spoils everything, even reason and justice; a good one supplies everything, gilds a No, sweetens a truth, and adds a touch of beauty to old age itself.
The path to greatness is along with others.
Don't express your ideas too clearly. Most people think little of what they understand, and venerate what they do not.
Every fool stands convinced; and everyone convinced is a fool. The faultier a person's judgement the firmer their convictions.
Know how to use evasion. That is how smart people get out of difficulties.
Never lose your self-respect, nor be too familiar with yourself when you are alone. Let your integrity itself be your own standard of rectitude, and be more indebted to the severity of your own judgment of yourself than to all external percepts. Desist from unseemly conduct, rather out of respect for your own virtue than for the strictures of external authority.
Know how to choose well. Most of life depends thereon. It needs good taste and correct judgment, for which neither intellect nor study suffices.
He who puts off nothing till tomorrow has done a great deal.
Hurry is the weakness of fools.
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.
Know what is evil, no matter how worshipped it may be. Let the man of sense not mistake it, even when clothed in brocade, or at times crowned in gold, because it cannot thereby hide its hypocrisy, for slavery does not lose its infamy, however noble the master.
Great ability develops and reveals itself increasingly with every new assignment.
Folly consists not in committing Folly, but in being incapable of concealing it. All men make mistakes, but the wise conceal the blunders they have made, while fools make them public. Reputation depends more on what is hidden than on what is seen. If you can’t be good, be careful.
He that has satisfied his thirst turns his back on the well.
Mix a little mystery with everything, for mystery arouses veneration.
Never contend with a man who has nothing to lose.
Never have a companion that casts you in the shade.
Let him that hath no power of patience retire within himself, though even there he will have to put up with himself.
A prudent man will think more important what fate has conceded to him, than what it has denied.
He that communicates his secret to another makes himself that other's slave.
Let the first impulse pass, wait for the second.
Rate the intensive above the extensive. The perfect does not lie in quantity, but in quality.
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.
Excellence resides in quality, not in quantity. The best is always few and rare; much lowers value.
It is good to vary in order that you may frustrate the curious, especially those who envy you.
Self knowledge is the beginning of self improvement.
Be first the master of yourself
Hear, see, and be silent.
We have more days to live through than pleasures. Be slow in enjoyment, quick at work, for men see work ended with pleasure, pleasure ended with regret.
The wise persono would rather see others needing him than thanking him.
The wise are always impatient, for he that increases knowledge increases impatience of folly.
Advice is sometimes transmitted more successfully through a joke than grave teaching.
Keep expectation alive. Keep stirring it up. Let much promise more, and great deeds herald greater.
Character and intelligence are the poles you talent spins on, displaying your gifts.
It is a great misfortune to be of use to nobody; scarcely less to be of use to everybody.
It is better to have too much courtesy than too little, provided you are not equally courteous to all, for that would be injustice.
It requires as much to tell the truth as to conceal it.
They make the greatest show of what they have done, who have done least.
He who finds Fortune on his side should go briskly ahead, for she is wont to favor the bold.
Don't lie, but don't tell the whole truth.
No' and 'Yes' are words quickly said, but they need a great amount of thought before you utter them.
The wise does at once what the fool does at last.
All men are idolators, some of fame, others of self-interest, most of pleasure.
Take care to make things turn out well. Some people scruple more over pointing things in the right direction than over successfully reaching their goals. The disgrace of failure outweighs the diligence they showed. A winner is never asked for explanations.
You can cultivate taste, as you can the intellect. Full understanding whets the appetite and desire, and, later, sharpens the enjoyment of possession.
The best skill at cards is knowing when to discard.
The liar suffers twice: he neither believes nor is believed.
Little said is soon amended. There is always time to add a word, never to withdraw one.
Exaggeration is a prodigality of the judgment which shows the narrowness of one's knowledge or one's taste.
Maturity of mind is best shown in slow belief.
Fortune soon tires of carrying anyone long on her shoulders.
To be at ease is better than to be at business. Nothing really belongs to us but time, which you have even if you have nothing else.
Put yourself on view. This brings your talents to light.
One deceit needs many others, and so the whole house is built in the air and must soon come to the ground
There is no wilderness like a life without friends; friendship multiplies blessings and minimizes misfortunes; it is a unique remedy against adversity, and it soothes the soul.
Evil report carries further than any applause.
The truth is generally seen, rarely heard.
A beautiful woman should break her mirror early.
Knowledge and courage take turns at greatness.
An ounce of prudence is worth a pound of cleverness.
Beauty and folly are generally companions.
Sometimes it proves the highest understanding not to understand.
We live by information, not by sight.
Aspire rather to be a hero than merely appear one.
When desire dies, fear is born.
Make your friends your teachers and mingle the pleasures of conversation with the advantages of instruction.
Hope has a good memory, gratitude a bad one.
A wise prince must never take things easy in times of peace.
There is none who cannot teach somebody something, and there is none so excellent but he is excelled.
There is no desert like being friendless.
Keep to yourself the final touches of your art.
Hope is a great falsifier. Let good judgment keep her in check.
Maturity is the slowness in which a man believes.
Knowledge without courage is sterile.
Fortune pays you sometimes for the intensity of her favors by the shortness of their duration. She soon tires of carrying any one long on her shoulders.
Nothing is good for him for whom nothing is bad.
Lies always come first, dragging fools along by their irreparable vulgarity. Truth always lags last, limping along on the arm of time.
Silence is the sanctuary of prudence.
Never participate in the secrets of those above you; you think you share the fruit, and you share the stones - the confidence of a prince is not a grant, but a tax
Quit while you're ahead. All the best gamblers do.
There are rules to luck, not everything is chance for the wise; luck can be helped by skill.
Those who insist on the dignity of their office show they have not deserved it.
There is no need to show your ability before everyone.
Luck can be assisted. It is not all chance with the wise.
All victories breed, and that over your superior is foolish or fatal.
A gilded No is more satisfactory than a dry Yes.
Politeness and a sense of honor have this advantage: we bestow them on others without losing a thing.
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.
Attain and maintain a reputation, for it is the usufruct of fame. A stiff climb, for it is the issue of excellence, as rare as mediocrity is common.
To equal a predecessor, one must have twice they worth.
Everything foreign is respected, partly because it comes from afar, partly because it is ready made and perfect.
The sage never seems to know his own merits, for only by not noticing them can you call others' attention to them.
Admiration is the basis of ignorance.
Two kinds of people are good at foreseeing danger: those who have learned at their own expense, and the clever people who learn a great deal at the expense of others.
If there is nothing left to desire, there is everything to fear, an unhappy state of happiness.
Possession hinders enjoyment. It merely gives you the right to keep things for or from others, and thus you gain more enemies than friends.
Exaggeration is a branch of lying.
The sole advantage of power is that you can do more good.
To keep is more important than to make friends.
The more merit, the less affection.
Begin with another's to end with your own.
Nothing arouses ambition so much in the heart as the trumpet-clang of another's fame.
Many people who pretend to be very busy have the least to do.
Passion colors all that it touches in its own hues.
Most do violence to their natural aptitude, and thus attain superiority in nothing.
Have Friends. 'Tis a second existence.
To be at ease is better than to be at business.
Know the great men of your age.
Superiority is always detested.
When you counsel someone, you should appear to be reminding him of something he had forgotten, not of the light he was unable to see.
Politeness is the chief sign of culture.
Mediocrity obtains more with application than superiority without it.
God Himself chasteneth not with a rod but with time.
Some are satisfied to stand politely before the portals of Fortune and to await her bidding; better those who push forward, who employ their enterprise, who on the wings of their worth and valor seek to embrace luck, and to effectively gain her favor.
The hossanas of the multitude can never bring satisfaction to the discerning. Yet there exist those chamaleons of popularity who find their joy, not in the sweet breath of Apollo, but in the smell of the crowd. And not in mind: Do not be taken in by what are miracles to the populace, for the ignorant do not rise above marveling. Thus the stupidity of a crowd is lost in admiration, even as the brain of an individual uncovers the trick.
Do pleasant things yourself, but unpleasant things through others.
Share weight and woe, for misfortune falls with double force on him that stands alone.
Courtesy is the politic witchery of great personages.
Surfeits of happiness are fatal.
None is so perfect that he does not need at times the advice of others.
The crutch of Time accomplishes more than the club of Hercules.
The great art of giving consists in this the gift should cost very little and yet be greatly coveted, so that it may be the more highly appreciated.
Many have had their greatness made for them by their enemies.
I strive to be brief, and I become obscure.
The heaven of the envied is hell for the envious.
Trust your heart, especially when it is a strong one.
The wise person finds enemies more useful than the fool does friends .
Nature scarcely ever gives us the very best; for that we must have recourse to art.
Even monarchs have need of authors, and fear their pens more than ugly women the painter's pencil.
Censure is like the lightning which strikes the highest mountains.
Work is the price which is paid for reputation.
Even knowledge has to be in the fashion, and where it is not, it is wise to affect ignorance.
There is no beauty unaided, no excellence that does not sink to the barbarous, unless saved by art.
Do not make mistakes about character. Better be cheated in the price than in the quality of goods.
Tis by no means the least of life's rules: To let things alone.
Wise men appreciate all men, for they see the good in each and know how hard it is to make anything good.
The best remedy for disturbances is to let them run their course, for so they quiet down.
The things we remember best are those better forgotten.
He who laughs at everything is as big a fool as he who weeps at everything.
The happy are an exception who enjoy innocently their simple happiness.
It is impossible to live without brains, either one's own or borrowed.
There is no revenge like oblivion, for it is the entombment of the unworthy in the dust of their own nothingness.
Do not make Mistakes about Character. That is the worst and yet easiest error. Better be cheated in the price than in the quality of goods. In dealing with men, more than with other things, it is necessary to look within. To know men is different from knowing things. It is profound philosophy to sound the depths of feeling and distinguish traits of character. Men must be studied as deeply as books.
The worthless usually live long.
Great persons are of their time. Not all were born into a period worthy of them, and many so born failed to benefit by it. Some merited a better century, for all that is good does not always triumph. Fashions have their periods and even the greatest virtues, their styles. But the philosopher, being ageless, has one advantage: Should this not prove the right century, many to follow will.
Cunning grows in deceit at seeing itself discovered, and tries to deceive with truth itselft.
Peacemakers not only live, they rule life.
To overvalue something is a form of lying.
If you are wise, live as you can; if you cannot, live as you would.
You should avoid making yourself too clear even in your explanations.
Wisdom is immortal. She can wait forever, but you cannot.
Leave your luck while still winning.
You may be obliged to wage war, but not to use poisoned arrows.
It is a great deed to leave nothing for tomorrow.
Do not show your wounded finger for everything will knock up against it.
What is not seen is as if it was not. Even the Right does not receive proper consideration if it does not seem right.
Hope is a great falsifier of truth.
We often have to put up with most from those on whom we most depend.
Honorable beginnings should serve to awaken curiosity, not to heighten people's expectations. We are much better off when reality surpasses our expectations, and something turns out better than we thought it would.
The greatest fool is he who thinks he is not one and all others are.
What the multitude says, is so, or soon will be so.
If to talk to oneself when alone is folly, it must be doubly unwise to listen to oneself in the presence of others.
It is more offensive to outshine in dignity than in personal attractions.
Knowledge without wisdom is double folly.
Cultivate those who can teach you.
Nature often lets us down when we most need her; let us turn to art.
Yes and no are soon said, but give much to think over.
The truest wild beasts live in the most populous places.
A man is judged by his friends, for the wise and the foolish have never agreed.
Never risk your reputation on a single shot, for if you miss the loss is irreparable.
It takes more to make one sage today than it did to make the seven of Greece. And you need more resources to deal with a single person these days than with an entire nation in times past.
The true way is the middle one, halfway between deserving a place and pushing oneself into it.
Chance has something to say, even how to write a good letter.
Fools rush in through the door; for folly is always bold.
A brand new mediocrity is thought more of than accustomed excellence.
When you find Fortune favorable, stride boldly forward, for she favors the bold, and being a woman, the young.
Many get the repute of being witty but thereby lose the credit of being sensible. Jest has its little hour, seriousness should have all the rest.
Be known for pleasing others, especially if you govern them. Ruling other has one advantage: you can do more good than anyone else.
There are certain inessential activities-moths of precious time-and it is worse to busy yourself with the trivial than to do nothing.
For a thing to remain undone nothing more is needed than to think of it done.
The sage has one advantage: he is immortal. If this is not his century, many others will be.
Wisdom and courage make mutual contributions to greatness.
There is no wilderness like a life without friends.
Knowing how to keep a friend is more important than gaining a new one.
You should aim to be independent of any one vote, of any one fashion, of any one century.
You have to appear wiser and more prudent than is required by the people you are dealing with if you want to give a high opinion of yourself.
The greatest wisdom often consist in ignorance.
It is profound philosophy to sound the depths of feeling and distinguish traits of character. Men must be studied as deeply as books.
When everyone covets something, they are easily annoyed by it.
Deceit comes in through the ears, but usually leaves through the eyes.
Man is born a barbarian, and only raises himself above the beast by culture.
Many would be wise if they did not think themselves wise.
Display startling novelty-rise afresh like the sun every day. Change too the scene on which you shine, so that you rloss may be felt in the old scenes of your triumph, while the novelty of your powers wins applause in the new.
No one demands more caution than a spy, and when someone has the skeleton key to minds, counter him by leaving the key of caution inside, on the other side of the keyhole.
Friends provoked become the bitterest of enemies.
The passions are the humors of the mind, and the least excess sickens our judgment. If the disease spreads to the mouth, your reputation will be in danger.
Success rarely brings satisfaction.
Oh life, you should never had begun, but since you did, you should never end
There must be something good in a thing that pleases so many; even if it cannot be explained, it is certainly enjoyed.
One should cultivate good habits of memory, for it is capable of making existence a Paradise or an Inferno.
― Baltasar Gracian Quotes
Baltasar Gracián (Philosopher) Life Highlights
- Baltasar Gracián y Morales was born on January 8, 1601, in Belmonte, Spain.
- He was a Spanish Jesuit, philosopher, and writer during the Baroque period.
- Gracián is best known for his influential work "The Art of Worldly Wisdom" ("Oráculo Manual y Arte de Prudencia"), a collection of aphorisms and advice on life and behavior.
- He entered the Jesuit Order at the age of 18 and later became a professor of rhetoric and philosophy.
- Gracián's writings often explored themes of human behavior, ethics, and the complexities of social interactions.
- His philosophical ideas were influenced by Stoicism and Neostoicism, emphasizing the importance of self-discipline and moral integrity.
- Gracián's style of writing is characterized by its brevity and wit, making his works accessible and engaging.
- He authored several other books, including "The Hero" ("El Héroe") and "The Critic" ("El Criticón"), which delve into various aspects of human nature and society.
- Gracián's writings often contained veiled criticism of the social and political norms of his time, which led to some of his works being censored by the authorities.
- His philosophical ideas and literary style had a significant impact on European literature and philosophical thought during the Baroque era.
- Baltasar Gracián passed away on December 6, 1658, in Tarazona, Spain, but his works continue to be studied and admired for their insights into human nature and practical wisdom.
* The editor of this curated page made every effort to maintain information accuracy, including any sayings, quotes, facts, dates, or key life events.
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
