“Whoever interrupts the conversation of others to make a display of his fund of knowledge, makes notorious his own stock of ignorance.”

Use a sweet tongue, courtesy, and gentleness, and thou mayest manage to guide an elephant by a hair.

Be not so severe as to cause shyness, nor so clement as to encourage boldness.

To tell a falsehood is like the cut of a saber: for though the wound may heal, the scar of it will remain.

Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.

Be not in the desire of thine own ease.

The stranger has no friend, unless it be a stranger.

Expose not the secret failings of mankind, otherwise you must verily bring scandal upon them and distrust upon yourself.

A tree, freshly rooted, may be pulled up by one man on his own. Give it time, and it will not be moved, even with a crane.

He who lives upon the fruit of his own labor, escapes the contempt of haughty benefactors.

People are crying up the rich and variegated plumage of the peacock, and he is himself blushing at the sight of his ugly feet.

Whatever makes an impression on the heart seems lovely in the eye.

A friend whom you have been gaining during your whole life, you ought not to be displeased with in a moment. A stone is many years becoming a ruby – take care that you do not destroy it in an instant against another stone.

When a mean wretch cannot vie with another in virtue, out of his wickedness he begins to slander. The abject envious wretch will slander the virtuous man when absent, but when brought face to face his loquacious tongue becomes dumb.

It is better to break off a thousand friendships, than to endure the sight of a single enemy.

A man of virtue, judgment, and prudence speaks not until there is silence.

Whoever recounts to you the faults of your neighbour will doubtless expose your defects to others.

If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.

People are bloody ignorant apes.

Ignorance is not innocence but sin.

There will be a great loss of learning before the moon’s full cycle is completed. Fire and floods will be fomented by ignorant rulers; much time will go by before it is rectified.

Good advice is always certain to be ignored, but that’s no reason not to give it.

When something comes to my brain, I don’t ignore it. You never know what it’s going to turn into.

They that are fated to be fools, have one consolation, that they are fated also to be ignorant of it.

Ignorance is better than knowledge misapplied.