black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

In life we shall find many men that are great, and some that are good, but very few men that are both great and good.

Charles Caleb Colton

We are sure to be losers when we quarrel with ourselves; it is civil war.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Civil Lose Ourselves War
Discretion has been termed the better part of valour, and it is more certain, that diffidence is the better part of knowledge.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Better Certain Knowledge Term
It is with nations as with individuals, those who know the least of others think the highest of themselves; for the whole family of pride and ignorance are incestuous, and mutually beget each other.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Each Other Family Ignorance Nation Pride
There are three modes of bearing the ills of life; by indifference, which is the most common; by philosophy, which is the most ostentatious; and by religion, which is the most effectual.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Difference Effect Life Philosophy Religion
Men are born with two eyes, but with one tongue, in order that they should see twice as much as they say.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Born Eyes Man Oneself Proverb
Body and mind, like man and wife, do not always agree to die together.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Agreement Body Death Man Mindset Togetherness Wife
Immitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Flattery Imitation One Liner Sincere
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
Tyrants have not yet discovered any chains that can fetter the mind.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Chain Discover Mindset
What would you do if you knew for sure that no one would ever find out?
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Choice Known Willing Yourself
Books, like friends, should be few and well chosen. Like friends, too, we should return to them again and again for, like true friends, they will never fail us – never cease to instruct – never cloy.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Book Friendship Instruction Return True
It is curious that some learned dunces, because they can write nonsense in languages that are dead, should despise those that talk sense in languages that are living.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Curiosity Death Language Live Talk
None are so fond of secrets as those who do not mean to keep them.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Fond Safety Secret
The awkwardness and embarrassment which all feel on beginning to write, when they themselves are the theme, ought to serve as a hint to author’s that self is a subject they ought very rarely to descant upon.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Awkward Beginning Embarrassment Subject Theme Writing
The worst thing that can be said of the most powerful is that they can take your life; but the same can be said of the most weak.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Anand Thakur
Time is the most undefinable yet paradoxical of things; the past is gone, the future is not come, and the present becomes the past, even while we attempt to define it.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Anand Thakur
Suicide sometimes proceeds from cowardice, but not always; for cowardice sometimes prevents it; since as many live because they are afraid to die, as die because they are afraid to live.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Afraid Coward Death Prevent Suicide Time
That is true beauty which has not only a substance, but a spirit; a beauty that we must intimately know, justly to appreciate.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Appreciate Beautiful Intimate Substance True
Nothing more completely baffles one who is full of trick and duplicity himself, than straight forward and simple integrity in another.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Complete Integrity Oneself
Constant success shows us but one side of the world; adversity brings out the reverse of the picture.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Adversity Photograph Reverse Success World
There are two way of establishing a reputation, one to be praised by honest people and the other to be accused by rogues. It is best, however, to secure the first one, because it will always be accompanied by the latter.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Accompany Establishment Oneself Reputation Secure Way
He that swells in prosperity will be sure to shrink in adversity.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Adversity Himself Prosperity
It is better to meet danger than to wait for it. He that is on a lee shore, and foresees a hurricane, stands out to sea and encounters a storm to avoid a shipwreck.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Avoid Better Dangerous Hurricane Shipwreck Storm Wait
It is easier to pretend to be what you are not than to hide what you really are; but he that can accomplish both has little to learn in hypocrisy.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Accomplishment Easy Hide Hypocrisy Learning Pretend
A high degree of intellectual refinement in the female is the surest pledge society can have for the improvement of the male.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Female Improvement Intellectual Male Pledge
The art of declamation has been sinking in value from the moment that speakers were foolish enough to publish, and hearers wise enough to read.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Art Fools Hear Moments Publish Reading Sink Talk Value
I have somewhere seen it observed that we should make the same use of a book that the bee does of a flower: she steals sweets from it, but does not injure it.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Books Flower Injury Observation Steal

In life we shall find many men that are great, and some that are good, but very few men that are both great and good.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

In life we shall find many men that are great, and some that are good, but very few men that are both great and good.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Charles Caleb Colton Quotes