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Some read to think, these are rare; some to write, these are common; and some read to talk, and these form the great majority.

Charles Caleb Colton

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
There are two principles of established acceptance in morals; first, that self-interest is the mainspring of all of our actions, and secondly, that utility is the test of their value.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Establishment Principle Test Value
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
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
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
It is not every man that can afford to wear a shabby coat.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Afford Man Poor
Our admiration of fine writing will always be in proportion to its real difficulty and its apparent ease.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Admire Difficult Fine Writing
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
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
Those that are the loudest in their threats are the weakest in their actions.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Action Loud Threat Weakness
Logic and metaphysics make use of more tools than all the rest of the sciences put together, and do the least work.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Logic Science Togetherness Tools Work
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
Theories are private property, but truth is common stock.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Common Privacy Stock Theory
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
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
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

Some read to think, these are rare; some to write, these are common; and some read to talk, and these form the great majority.

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Some read to think, these are rare; some to write, these are common; and some read to talk, and these form the great majority.

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Popular Authors

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