black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

A house may draw visitors, but it is the possessor alone that can detain them.

Charles Caleb Colton

It is good to act as if. It is even better to grow to the point where it is no longer an act.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Act Goodness Growth Point
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
To know the pains of power, we must go to those who have it; to know its pleasures, we must go to those who are seeking it: the pains of power are real, its pleasures imaginary.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Imagination Known Pain Pleasure Power
Silence is foolish if we are wise, but wise if we are foolish.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Deep Fools Silence Wisdom
Hurry is the mark of a weak mind, dispatch of a strong one.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Hurry Mark Mindset Oneself Strong Weakness
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
Those that are the loudest in their threats are the weakest in their actions.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Action Loud Threat Weakness
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
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
Silence is less injurious than a weak reply.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Injurious Reply Silence Weakness
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
To cure us of our immoderate love of gain, we should seriously consider how many goods there are that money will not purchase, and these the best; and how many evils there are that money will not remedy, and these the worst.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Cure Goodness Immoderate Remedy Willing Worst
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
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
There are prating coxcombs in the world who would rather talk than listen, although Shakespeare himself were the orator, and human nature the theme!
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Himself Human Listening Nature World
The study of mathematics, like the Nile, begins in minuteness but ends in magnificence.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

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

Civil Lose Ourselves War
Oppression cannot prosper where none will submit to be enslaved.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Oppression Prosperity Submit
He that studies only men will get the body of knowledge without the soul; and he that studies only books, the soul without the body.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Body Knowledge Man Soul Study
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
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
Law and equity are two things which God has joined, but which man has put asunder.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Equity God Join Law
A society composed of none but the wicked could not exist; it contains within itself the seeds of its own destruction, and without a flood, would be swept away from the earth by the deluge of its own iniquity.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Destruction Earth Existence Seed Society
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
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
We ask advice but we mean approbation.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Anand Thakur
He that is gone so far as to cut the claws of the lion, will not feel himself quite secure, until he has also drawn his teeth.
CHARLES CALEB COLTON

Claw Far Feelings Himself Quite Secure

A house may draw visitors, but it is the possessor alone that can detain them.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

A house may draw visitors, but it is the possessor alone that can detain them.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Charles Caleb Colton Quotes