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Human foresight often leaves its proudest possessor only a choice of evils.

Charles Caleb Colton

Deliberate with caution, but act with decision and yield with graciousness, or oppose with firmness.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Act Decision Deliberate Firm Grace
There are both dull correctness and piquant carelessness; it is needless to say which will command the most readers and have the most influence.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Care Command Influence Reading
He that can enjoy the intimacy of the great, and on no occasion disgust them by familiarity, or disgrace himself by servility, proves that he is as perfect a gentleman by nature as his companions are by rank.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Enjoyment Grace Greatness Himself Intimacy Rank
He that places himself neither higher nor lower than he ought to do exercises the truest humility.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Exercise Humility Low Place True
The two most precious things this side of the grave are our reputation and our life. But it is to be lamented that the most contemptible whisper may deprive us of the one, and the weakest weapon of the other.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Grave Precious Reputation Weakness Weapon Whisper
Life isn’t like a book. Life isn’t logical or sensible or orderly. Life is a mess most of the time. And theology must be lived in the midst of that mess.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Book Life Logic Mess Midst Time
The family is the most basic unit of government. As the first community to which a person is attached and the first authority under which a person learns to live, the family establishes society’s most basic values.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Attachment Authority Basic Establishment Family Government Person Value
Attempts at reform, when they fail, strengthen despotism, as he that struggles tightens those cords he does not succeed in breaking.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Break Failure Strength Success
A man’s profundity may keep him from opening on a first interview, and his caution on a second; but I should suspect his emptiness, if he carried on his reserve to a third.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Empty Himself Man Profound Reserve Suspect
Mystery magnifies danger as the fog the sun.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Dangerous Mystery Sun
It is with antiquity as with ancestry, nations are proud of the one, and individuals of the other; but if they are nothing in themselves, that which is their pride ought to be their humiliation.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Anand Thakur
The mistakes of the fool are known to the world, but not to himself. The mistakes of the wise man are known to himself, but not to the world.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Fools Himself Known Man Mistake World
Women that are the least bashful are often the most modest.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Anand Thakur
It may be observed of good writing, as of good blood, that it is much easier to say what it is composed of than to compose it.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Compose Goodness Observation Writing
The more gross the fraud the more glibly will it go down, and the more greedily be swallowed, since folly will always find faith where impostors will find imprudence.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Faith Fraud Greedy Imposter Prudent Swallow
An Irish man fights before he reasons, a Scotchman reasons before he fights, an Englishman is not particular as to the order of precedence, but will do either to accommodate his customers.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Customer Fight Man Reason
He that is good will infallibly become better, and he that is bad will as certainly become worse; for vice, virtue, and time are three things that never stand still.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Bad Better Goodness Himself Stand Vice Virtue Worst
A house may draw visitors, but it is the possessor alone that can detain them.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Anand Thakur
Doubt is the vestibule of faith.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Doubt Faith
We are more inclined to hate one another for points on which we differ, than to love one another for points on which we agree.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Anand Thakur
Hurry is the mark of a weak mind, dispatch of a strong one.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Hurry Mark Mindset Oneself Strong Weakness
As no roads are so rough as those that have just been mended, so no sinners are so intolerant as those that have just turned saints.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Road Rough Saint
Let those who would affect singularity with success first determine to be very virtuous, and they will be sure to be very singular.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Affect Determination Success Virtue
God will excuse our prayers for ourselves whenever we are prevented from them by being occupied in such good works as to entitle us to the prayers of others.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

God Goodness Prayer Prevent Work
Silence is less injurious than a weak reply.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Injurious Reply Silence Weakness
Pride is less ashamed of being ignorant, than of being instructed, and she looks too high to find that, which very often lies beneath her.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Beneath Herself Ignorance Lying Pride Shame
Strong as our passions are, they may be starved into submission, and conquered without being killed.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Kill Ourselves Passion Strong Submission

Human foresight often leaves its proudest possessor only a choice of evils.

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Human foresight often leaves its proudest possessor only a choice of evils.

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