black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

[H]e that thinks absolute power purifies men’s blood, and corrects the baseness of human nature, need read the history of this, or any other age, to be convinced to the contrary.

John Locke

Affectation is an awkward and forced imitation of what should be genuine and easy, wanting the beauty that accompanies what is natural.
JOHN LOCKE

Awkward Easy Imitation
Let not men think there is no truth, but in the sciences that they study, or the books that they read.
JOHN LOCKE

Book Men Thinking
This is to think, that men are so foolish, that they take care to avoid what mischiefs may be done them by pole-cats, or foxes; but are content, nay, think it safety, to be devoured by lions.
JOHN LOCKE

Cat Furnish Men Pole Thinking
Beware how in making the portraiture thou breakest the pattern: for divinity maketh the love of ourselves the pattern; the love of our neighbours but the portraiture.
JOHN LOCKE

Divinity Pattern Portraiture
An excellent man, like precious metal, is in every way invariable; A villain, like the beams of a balance, is always varying, upwards and downwards.
JOHN LOCKE

Balance Integrity Men
Who are we to tell anyone what they can or can’t do?
JOHN LOCKE

Anyone Country People Tell
A king is a mortal god on earth, unto whom the living God hath lent his own name as a great honour; but withal told him, he should die like a man, lest he should be proud, and flatter himself that God hath with his name imparted unto him his nature also.
JOHN LOCKE

Kings Men Names
Moral laws are set as a curb and restraint to these exorbitant desires, which they cannot be but by rewards and punishments, that will over-balance the satisfaction any one shall propose to himself in the breach of the law.
JOHN LOCKE

Balance Law Punishment
Till a man can judge whether they be truths or not, his understanding is but little improved, and thus men of much reading, though greatly learned, but may be little knowing.
JOHN LOCKE

Knowing Men Reading
It is one thing to persuade, another to command; one thing to press with arguments, another with penalties.
JOHN LOCKE

Argument Command Penalties
It is practice alone that brings the powers of the mind, as well as those of the body, to their perfection.
JOHN LOCKE

Mind Perfection Practice
Slavery is so vile and miserable an Estate of Man, and so directly opposite to the generous Temper and Courage of our Nation; that ’tis hardly to be conceived, that an Englishman, much less a Gentleman, should plead for’t.
JOHN LOCKE

Gentleman Men Opposites
But there is only one thing which gathers people into seditious commotion, and that is oppression
JOHN LOCKE

Oppression People
Crooked things may be as stiff and unflexible as streight: and Men may be as positive and peremptory in Error as in Truth.
JOHN LOCKE

Men Science Truth
There cannot any one moral rule be proposed whereof a man may not justly demand a reason.
JOHN LOCKE

Demand May Men
There cannot be greater rudeness than to interrupt another in the current of his discourse.
JOHN LOCKE

Communication Current Rude
Thus parents, by humouring and cockering them when little, corrupt the principles of nature in their children, and wonder afterwards to taste the bitter waters, when they themselves have poison’d the fountain.
JOHN LOCKE

Children Parent Water
Knowledge is grateful to the understanding, as light to the eyes.
JOHN LOCKE

Eye Grateful Light
Mathematical proofs, like diamonds, are hard and clear, and will be touched with nothing but strict reasoning.
JOHN LOCKE

Diamond Math Proof
All rising to great place is by a winding stair; and if there be factions, it is good to side a man’s self whilst he is in the rising, and to balance himself when he is placed.
JOHN LOCKE

Balance Men Self
I thought that I had no time for faith nor time to pray, then I saw an armless man saying his Rosary with his feet.
JOHN LOCKE

Feet Men Prayer Saw Time
Since nothing appears to me to give Children so much becoming Confidence and Behavior, and so raise them to the conversation of those above their Age, as Dancing. I think they should be taught to dance as soon as they are capable of learning it.
JOHN LOCKE

Children Giving Thinking
Things of this world are in so constant a flux, that nothing remains long in the same state.
JOHN LOCKE

Long Philosophical World
Neither the inveterateness of the mischief, nor the prevalency of the fashion, shall be any excuse for those who will not take care about the meaning of their own words, and will not suffer the insignificancy of their expressions to be inquired into.
JOHN LOCKE

Expression Fashion Suffering
Man is not permitted without censure to follow his own thoughts in the search of truth, when they lead him ever so little out of the common road.
JOHN LOCKE

Common Littles Men
Not time is the measure of movement but: …each constant periodic appearance of ideas.
JOHN LOCKE

Ideas Management Movement Time
Habits wear more constantly and with greatest force than reason, which, when we have most need of it, is seldom fairly consulted, and more rarely obeyed
JOHN LOCKE

Habit Needs Reason

[H]e that thinks absolute power purifies men’s blood, and corrects the baseness of human nature, need read the history of this, or any other age, to be convinced to the contrary.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

[H]e that thinks absolute power purifies men’s blood, and corrects the baseness of human nature, need read the history of this, or any other age, to be convinced to the contrary.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More John Locke Quotes