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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

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
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
Theories are private property, but truth is common stock.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Common Privacy Stock Theory
If you are under obligations to many, it is prudent to postpone the recompensing of one, until it be in your power to remunerate all; otherwise you will make more enemies by what you give, than by what you withhold.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Enemy Hold Obligation Power
None are so fond of secrets as those who do not mean to keep them; such persons covet secrets as a spendthrift covets money, for the purpose of circulation.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Money Person Purpose Secret
A power above all human responsibility ought to be above all human attainment.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Attainment Human Power Responsibility
Examinations are formidable even to the best prepared, for the greatest fool may ask more than the wisest man can answer.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Answer Examination Fools Greatness Man Preparation Wisdom
Silence is foolish if we are wise, but wise if we are foolish.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Deep Fools Silence Wisdom
The man of pleasure, by a vain attempt to be more happy than any man can be, is often more miserable than most men are.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Happiness Man Misery Pleasure
Sturdy beggars can bear stout denials.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Bear Beggar Refusal
The good opinion of our fellow men is the strongest, though not the purest motive to virtue.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Goodness Man Motive Opinion Ourselves Strong Virtue
Ladies of Fashion starve their happiness to feed their vanity, and their love to feed their pride.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Fashion Happiness Love Pride Starve
Knowledge is two-fold, and consists not only in an affirmation of what is true, but in the negation of that which is false.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Affirmation Fake Knowledge Negative
None are so fond of secrets as those who do not mean to keep them.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Fond Safety Secret
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

Goodness Greatness Life Man
Temperate men drink the most, because they drink the longest.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Drink Temperature
Strong as our passions are, they may be starved into submission, and conquered without being killed.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Kill Ourselves Passion Strong Submission
Imitation is the highest form of flattery.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Flattery Form High Imitation
When you have nothing to say, say nothing; a weak defense strengthens your opponent, and silence is less injurious than a bad reply.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Bad Injury Strength Weakness
Tyrants have not yet discovered any chains that can fetter the mind.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Chain Discover Mindset
He that studies books alone, will know how things ought to be; and he that studies men, will know how things are.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Alone Book Himself Man Study
What would you do if you knew for sure that no one would ever find out?
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Choice Known Willing Yourself
Cheerfulness ought to be the viaticum vitae of their life to the old; age without cheerfulness is a Lapland winter without a sun.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Cheerful Life Old Sun Winter
I have found by experience that they who have spent all their lives in cities, improve their talents but impair their virtues; and strengthen their minds but weaken their morals.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Experience Finding Improvement Live Moral Talent Weakness
Physical courage, which despises all danger, will make a man brave in one way; and moral courage, which despises all opinion, will make a man brave in another.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Brave Courage Dangerous Man Opinion
Honor is unstable and seldom the same; for she feeds upon opinion, and is as fickle as her food.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Food Herself Honor Stability
Pedantry prides herself on being wrong by rules; while common sense is contented to be right without them.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Pride Right Rule Satisfaction Wrong

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.

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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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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