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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

A harmless hilarity and a buoyant cheerfulness are not infrequent concomitants of genius; and we are never more deceived than when we mistake gravity for greatness, solemnity for science, and pomposity for erudition.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Cheerful Genius Gravity Harm Mistake Science
Pride requires very costly food-its keeper’s happiness.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Food Happiness Pride
Unlike the sun, intellectual luminaries shine brightest after they set.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Bright Intellectual Shine Sun
Make no enemies; he is insignificant indeed that can do thee no harm.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Enemy Harm Yourself
When you have nothing to say, say nothing.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Silence Word Yourself
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
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
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
Silence is foolish if we are wise, but wise if we are foolish.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Deep Fools Silence Wisdom
It is not so difficult a task to plant new truths, as to root out old errors; for there is this paradox in men, they run after that which is new, but are prejudiced in favor of that which is old.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Difficult Errors Favor Old Prejudice Run Task
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
Much may be done in those little shreds and patches of time which every day produces, and which most men throw away.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Away Man Production Throw Time
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
Next to acquiring good friends, the best acquisition is that of good books.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Book Friendship Goodness
There is nothing more imprudent than excessive prudence.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Excess Prudent
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

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.

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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.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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