THE ART OF WORLDLY WISDOM         
By Balthasar Gracian Balthasar Gracian (1601-1658), Spanish-born Jesuit priest wrote Oraculo manual arte de  prudencia (1637, The Art of Worldly Wisdom), translated to English by Joseph Jacobs in 1892.  It consists of 300 maxims on politics, practical tips for professionals, and prudent advice on  one's personal life such as "Think with the few and speak with the man  ." There is no other  known work that compares, and it is as relevant toda   in the twent  -first century as it was in  the seventeenth. Balthasar Gracian died on 6 December 1658 and is buried in Tarazona near Zaragoza in the  province of Aragon. While Sun Tzu's The Art of War and Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince are  generally concerned with affairs of the state, The Art of Worldly Wisdom ranks among the  most notable and popular works of philosophical advice. Gracian influenced other such  timeless and notable authors as Nietzsche, La Rochefoucauld, Francois-Marie Arouet Voltaire,  and Schopenhauer, who translated his works to German. 
THE ART OF WORLDLY WISDOM Aphorisms 1-30 
i Ever  thing is at its Acme; especiall  the art of making one's way in the world. There is more required nowadays to make  a single wise man than formerl  to make Seven Sages, and more is needed nowadays to deal  with a single person than was required with a whole people in former times. 

ii Character and Intellect: the two poles of our capacity; one without the other is but halfwa   to happiness. Intellect  sufficeth not, character is also needed. On the other hand, it is the fool's misfortune, to fail in  obtaining the position, the employment, the neighbourhood, and the circle of friends that suit  him. 

iii Keep Matters for a Time in Suspense. Admiration at their novelty heightens the value of   our achievements, It is both useless and  insipid to play with the cards on the table. If   ou do not declare   ourself immediatel  ,   ou  arouse expectation, especially when the importance of   our position makes   ou the object of  general attention. Mix a little mystery with ever  thing, and the very mystery arouses  veneration. And when   ou explain, be not too explicit, just as   ou do not expose   our inmost  thoughts in ordinary intercourse. Cautious silence is the hol  of holies of worldly wisdom. A  resolution declared is never highly thought of; it onl   leaves room for criticism. And if it  happens to fail,   ou are doubly unfortunate. Besides   ou imitate the Divine wa   when   ou  cause men to wonder and watch. 

iv Knowledge and Courage are the elements of Greatness. They give immortalit , because they are immortal. Each is as  much as he knows, and the wise can do anything. A man without knowledge, a world without  light. Wisdom and strength, e  es and hands. Knowledge without courage is sterile. 

v Create a Feeling of Dependence. Not he that adorns but he that adores makes a divinit  . The wise man would rather see men  needing him than thanking him. To keep them on the threshold of hope is diplomatic, to trust  to their gratitude boorish; hope has a good memor , gratitude a bad one. More is to be got  from dependence than from courtes  . He that has satisfied his thirst turns his back on the  well, and the orange once sucked falls from the golden platter into the waste-basket. When  dependence disappears, good behaviour goes with it as well as respect. Let it be one of the  chief lessons of experience to keep hope alive without entirel  satisfying it, by preserving it to  make oneself always needed even by a patron on the throne. But let not silence be carried to  excess lest   ou go wrong, nor let another's failing grow incurable for the sake of   our own  advantage. 

vi A Man at his Highest Point. We are not born perfect: every da   we develop in our personalit  and in our calling till we  reach the highest point of our completed being, to the full round of our accomplishments, of  our excellences. This is known by thepurity of our taste, the clearness of our thought, the  maturity of our judgment, and the firmness of our will. Some never arrive at being complete;  somewhat is always awanting: others ripen late. The complete man, wise in speech, prudent in  act, is admitted to the familiar intimacy of discreet persons, is even sought for by them. 

vii Avoid Victories over Superiors. All victories breed hate, and that over   our superior is foolish or fatal. Superiority is always  detested, ¨¤ fortiori superiority over superiorit  . Caution can gloss over common advantages;  for example, good looks may be cloaked by careless attire. There be some that will grant   ou  precedence in good luck or good temper, but none in good sense, least of all a prince; for good  sense is a ro  al prerogative, an   claim to that is a case of l¨¨se majest¨¦. They are princes, and  wish to be so in that most princely of qualities. They will allow a man to help them but not to  surpass them, and will have any advice tendered them appear like a recollection of something  they have forgotten rather than as a guide to something they cannot find. The stars teach us  this finesse with happ  tact; though the   are hischildren and brilliant like him, they never rival  the brilliancy of the sun. 

viii To be without Passions. ¡¯Tis a privilege of the highest order of mind. Their ver   eminence redeems them from being  affected by transient and low impulses. There is no higher rule than that over oneself, over  one's impulses: there is the triumph of free will. While passion rules the character, no aiming  at high office; the less the higher. It is the only refined wa   of avoiding scandals; na , ¡¯tis the  shortest way back to good repute. 

ix Avoid the Faults of   our Nation. Water shares the good or bad qualities of the strata through which it flows, and man those of  the climate in which he is born. Some owe more than others to their native land, because  there is a more favourable sky in the zenith. There is not a nation even among the most  civilised that has not some fault peculiar to itself which other nations blame by way of boast or  as a warning. ¡¯Tis a triumph of cleverness to correct in oneself such national failings, or even  to hide them:   ou get great credit for being unique among   ourfellows, and as it is less  expected of   ou it is esteemed the more. There are also famil  failings as well as faults of  position, of office or of age. If these all meet in one person and are not carefull  guarded  against, the   make an intolerable monster. 

x Fortune and Fame. Where the one is fickle the other is enduring. The first for life, the second afterwards; the one  against env  , the other against oblivion. Fortune is desired, at times assisted: fame is earned.  
The desire for fame springs from man's best part. It was and is the sister of the giants; it  always goes to extremes--horrible monsters or brilliant prodigies. 

xi Cultivate those who can teach   ou. Let friendl   intercourse be a school of knowledge, and culture be taught through conversation:  thus   ou make   our friends   our teachers and mingle the pleasures of conversation with the  advantages of instruction. Sensible persons thus enjoy alternating pleasures: they reap  applause for what they sa , and gain instruction from what they hear. We are always attracted  to others by our own interest,but in this case it is of a higher kind. Wise men frequent the  houses of great noblemen not because the   are temples of vanit , but as theatres of good  breeding. There be gentlemen who have the credit of worldl   wisdom, because they are not  only themselves oracles of all nobleness by their example and their behaviour, but those who  surround them form a well-bred academy of worldl  wisdom of the best and noblest kind. 

xii Nature and Art: material and workmanship. There is no beauty unadorned and no excellence that would not  become barbaric if it were not supported by artifice: this remedies the evil and improves the  good. Nature scarcel   ever gives us the very best; for that we must have recourse to art.  Without this the best of natural dispositions is uncultured, and half is lacking to any excellence  if training is absent. Every one has something unpolished without artificial training, and ever    kind of excellence needs some polish. 

xiii Act sometimes on Second Thoughts, sometimes on First Impulse. Man's life is a warfare against the malice ofmen. Sagacit  fights with strategic changes of  intention: it never does what it threatens, it aims onl  at escaping notice. It aims in the air  with dexterity and strikes home in an unexpected direction, always seeking to conceal its  game. It lets a purpose appear in order to attract the opponent's attention, but then turns  round and conquers by the unexpected. But a penetrating intelligence anticipates this b   watchfulness and lurks in ambush. It always understands the opposite of what the opponent  wishes it to understand, and recognises ever   feint of guile. It lets the first impulse pass b   and waits for the second, or even the third. Sagacit  now rises to higher flights on seeing its  artifice foreseen, and tries to deceive by truth itself, changes its game in order to change its  deceit, and cheats by not cheating, and founds deception on the greatest candour. But the  opposing intelligence is on guard with increased watchfulness, and discovers the darkness  concealed by the light and deciphers every move, the more subtle because more simple. In  this wa   the guile of the P  thon combats the far darting rays of Apollo. 

xiv The Thing Itself and the Way it is done. "Substance" is not enough: "accident"is also required, as the scholastics sa  . A bad manner  spoils everything, even reason and justice; a good one supplies everything, gilds a No,  sweetens truth, and adds a touch of beaut   to old age itself. The how plays a large part in  affairs, a good manner steals into the affections. Fine behaviour is a joy in life, and a pleasant  expression helps out of a difficult  in a remarkable wa  . 

xv Keep Ministering Spirits. It is a privilege of the mighty to surround themselves with the champions of intellect; these  extricate them from every fear of ignorance, these worr   out for them the moot points of  every difficult  . ¡¯Tis a rare greatness to make use of the wise, and far exceeds the barbarous  taste of Tigranes, who had a fancy for captive monarchs as his servants. It is a novel kind of  supremac , the best that life can offer, to have as servants by skill those who by nature are  our masters. ¡¯Tis a great thing to know, little to live: no real life without knowledge. There is  remarkable cleverness in studying without stud , in getting much by means of man  , and  through them all to become wise. Afterwards   ou speak in the council chamber on behalf of  man , and as many sages speak through   ourmouth as were consulted beforehand:   ou thus  obtain the fame of an oracle by others' toil. Such ministering spirits distil the best books and  
serve up the quintessence of wisdom. But he that cannot have sages in service should have  them for his friends. 
xvi Knowledge and Good Intentions together ensure continuance of success. A fine intellect wedded to a wicked will was always an  unnatural monster. A wicked will envenoms all excellences: helped by knowledge it onl  ruins  with greater subtlet . ¡¯Tis a miserable superiorit  that only results in ruin. Knowledge without  sense is double foll  . 

xvii Vary the Mode of Action; not always the same wa , so as to distract attention, especially if there be a rival. Not always  from first impulse; they will soon recognise the uniformit , and by anticipating, frustrate   our  designs. It is easy to kill a bird on the wing that flies straight: not so one that twists. Nor  always act on second thoughts: the   can discern the plan the second time. The enemy is on  the watch, great skill is required to circumvent him. The gamesternever plays the card the  opponent expects, still less that which he wants. 

xviii Application and Abilit . There is no attaining eminence without both, and where the   unite there is the greatest  eminence. Mediocrit  obtains more with application than superiorit  without it. Work is the  price which is paid for reputation. What costs little is little worth. Even for the highest posts it  is only in some cases application that is wanting, rarel   the talent. To prefer moderate success  in great things than eminence in a humble post has the excuse of a generous mind, but not so  to be content with humble mediocrit  when   ou could shine among the highest. Thus nature  and art are both needed, and application sets on them the seal. 

xix Arouse no Exaggerated Expectations on entering. It is the usual ill-luck of all celebrities not to fulfil afterwards the expectations beforehand  formed of them. The real can never equal the imagined, for it is easy to form ideals but ver    difficult to realise them. Imaginationweds Hope and gives birth to much more than things are  in themselves. However great the excellences, they never suffice to fulfil expectations, and as  men find themselves disappointed with their exorbitant expectations they are more ready to  be disillusionised than to admire. Hope is a great falsifier of truth; let skill guard against this  by ensuring that fruition exceeds desire. A few creditable attempts at the beginning are  sufficient to arouse curiosit  without pledging one to the final object. It is better that realit   should surpass the design and is better than was thought. This rule does not appl   to the  wicked, for the same exaggeration is a great aid to them; the   are defeated amid general  applause, and what seemed at first extreme ruin comes to be thought quite bearable. 

xx A Man of the Age. The rarest individuals depend on their age. It is not ever   one that finds the age he deserves,  and even when he finds it he does not always know how to utilise it. Some men have been  worthy of a better centur , for every species of good does not always triumph. Things have  their period; even excellences are subject to fashion. The sage has one advantage: he  isimmortal. If this is not his centur  many others will be. xxi The Art of being Luck  . There are rules of luck: it is not all chance with the wise: it can be assisted by care. Some  content themselves with placing them-selves confidentl  at the gate of Fortune, waiting till she  opens it. Others do better, and press forward and profit by their clever boldness, reaching the  goddess and winning her favour on the wings of their virtue and valour. But on a true philosophy there is no other umpire than virtue and insight; for there is no luck or ill-luck  except wisdom and the reverse. 

xxii A Man of Knowledge to the Point. Wise men arm themselves with tasteful and elegant erudition; a practical knowledge of what is  going on not of a common kind but more like an expert. They possess a copious store of wise  and witt   sa  ings, and of noble deeds, and know how to emplo  them on fitting occasions.  More is often taught by a jest than by the most serious teaching. Pat knowledge helps some  more than the seven arts, be they ever so liberal. 

xxiii Be Spotless: the indispensable condition of perfection. Few live without some weak point, either physical or  moral, which the   pamper because they could easily cure it. The keenness of others often  regrets to see a slight defect attaching itself to a whole assembl   of elevated qualities, and   et  a single cloud can hide the whole of the sun. There are likewise patches on our reputation  which ill-will soon finds out and is continually noticing. The highest skill is to transform them  into ornament. So Caesar hid his natural defects with the laurel. 

xxiv Keep the Imagination under Control; sometimes correcting, sometimes assisting it. For it is all-important for our happiness, and  even sets the reason right. It can tyrannise, and is not content with looking on, but influences  and even often dominates life, causing it to be happy or burdensome according to the foll   to  which it leads. For it makes us either contented or discontented with ourselves. Before some it  continuall  holds up the penalties of action, and becomes the mortifying lash of these fools. To  others it promises happiness and adventure with blissfuldelusion. It can do all this unless the  most prudent self-control keeps it in subjection. 

xxv Know how to take a Hint. ¡¯Twas once the art of arts to be able to discourse; now ¡¯tis no longer sufficient. We must know  how to take a hint, especiall  in disabusing ourselves. He cannot make himself understood  who does not himself easil  understand. But on the other hand there are pretended diviners of  the heart and lynxes of the intentions. The ver   truths which concern us most can onl   be half  spoken, but with attention we can grasp the whole meaning. When   ou hear an  thing  favourable keep a tight rein on   our credulity; if unfavourable, give it the spur. 

xxvi Find out each Man's Thumbscrew. ¡¯Tis the art of setting their wills in action. It needs more skill than resolution. You must know  where to get at an   one. Ever   volition has a special motive which varies according to taste.  All men are idolaters, some of fame, others of self-interest, most of pleasure. Skill consists in  knowing these idols in order to bring them into pla  . Knowing any man's mainspringof motive   ou have as it were the ke   to his will. Have resort to primary motors, which are not always  the highest but more often the lowest part of his nature: there are more dispositions badl   organised than well. First guess a man's ruling passion, appeal to it by a word, set it in motion  by temptation, and   ou will infallibly give checkmate to his freedom of will. 

xxvii Prize Intensity more than Extent. Excellence resides in qualit  not in quantit  . The best is always few and rare: much lowers  value. Even among men giants are commonly the real dwarfs. Some reckon books by the  thickness, as if the   were written to tr   the brawn more than the brain. Extent alone never  rises above mediocrity: it is the misfortune of universal geniuses that in attempting to be at  
home everywhere, are so nowhere. Intensit  gives eminence, and rises to the heroic in  matters sublime. 

xxviii Common in Nothing. First, not in taste. O great and wise, to be ill at ease when   our deeds please the mob! The  excesses of popular applause never satisf  the sensible. Some there are such chameleons of  popularity that they find enjoyment not in the sweet savours of Apollo but in the breath of the  mob. Secondl , not in intelligence. Take no pleasure in the wonder of the mob, for ignorance  never gets be  ond wonder. While vulgar foll  wonders wisdom watches for the trick. 

xxix A Man of Rectitude clings to the sect of right with such tenacity of purpose that neither the passions of the mob  nor the violence of the t  rant can ever cause him to transgress the bounds of right. But who  shall be such a Ph?nix of equity? What a scanty following has rectitude! Man  praise it indeed,  but--for others. Others follow it till danger threatens; then the false deny it, the politic conceal  it. For it cares not if it fights with friendship, power, or even self-interest: then comes the  danger of desertion. Then astute men make plausible distinctions so as not to stand in the wa    of their superiors or of reasons of state. But the straightforward and constant regard  dissimulation as a kind of treason, and set more store on tenacity than on sagacit  . Such are  always to be found on the side of truth, and if the   desert a part  , they donot change from  fickleness, but because the others have first deserted truth. 

xxx Have naught to do with Occupations of Ill-repute, still less with fads that bring more notoriet  than repute. There are many fanciful sects, and  from all the prudent man has to flee. There are bizarre tastes that always take to their heart  all that wise men repudiate; they live in love with singularit  . This ma  make them well known  indeed, but more as objects of ridicule than of repute. A cautious man does not even make  profession of his wisdom, still less of those matters that make their followers ridiculous. These  need not be specified, for common contempt has sufficientl  singled them out. Aphorisms 

31-60 xxxi Select the Lucky and avoid the Unluck  . Ill-luck is generall  the penalt   of foll  , and there is no disease so contagious to those who  share in it. Never open the door to a lesser evil, for other and greater ones invariably slink in  after it. The greatest skill at cards is to know when to discard; the smallest of current trumps  is worth more than the ace of trumps of the last game. When in doubt, follow thesuit of the  wise and prudent; sooner or later they will win the odd trick. 
xxxii Have the Reputation of being Gracious. ¡¯Tis the chief glory of the high and mighty to be gracious, a prerogative of kings to conquer  universal goodwill. That is the great advantage of a commanding position--to be able to do  more good than others. Those make friends who do friendly acts. On the other hand, there are  some who lay themselves out for not being gracious, not on account of the difficult  , but from  a bad disposition. In all things they are the opposite of Divine grace. 

xxxiii Know how to Withdraw. If it is a great lesson in life to know how to den , it is a still greater to know how to den    oneself as regards both affairs and persons. There are extraneous occupations which eat awa    precious time. To be occupied in what does not concern   ou is worse than doing nothing. It is  
not enough for a careful man not to interfere with others, he must see that the   do not  interfere with him. One is not obliged to belong so much to all as not to belong at all to  oneself. So with friends, theirhelp should not be abused or more demanded from them than  they themselves will grant. All excess is a failing, but above all in personal intercourse. A wise  moderation in this best preserves the goodwill and esteem of all, for by this means that  precious boon of courtesy is not gradually worn awa  . Thus   ou preserve   our genius free to  select the elect, and never sin against the unwritten laws of good taste. 

xxxiv Know   our strongest Point--our pre-eminent gift; cultivate that and   ou will assist the rest. Every one would have  excelled in something if he had known his strong point. Notice in what qualit    ou surpass,  and take charge of that. In some judgment excels, in others valour. Most do violence to their  natural aptitude, and thus attain superiorit  in nothing. Time disillusionises us too late of what  first flattered the passions. 

xxxv Think over Things, most over the most Important. All fools come to grief from want of thought. They never see even the half of things, and as  they do not observe their own loss or gain, stillless do they apply any diligence to them. Some  make much of what imports little and little of much, always weighing in the wrong scale. Man    never lose their common sense, because they have none to lose. There are matters which  should be observed with the closest attention of the mind, and thenceforth kept in its lowest  depths. The wise man thinks over ever  thing, but with a difference, most profoundly where  there is some profound difficult , and thinks that perhaps there is more in it than he thinks.  Thus his comprehension extends as far as his apprehension. 

xxxvi In Acting or Refraining, weigh   our Luck. More depends on that than on noticing   our temperament. If he is a fool who at forty applies  to Hippocrates for health, still more is he one who then first applies to Seneca for wisdom. It is  a great piece of skill to know how to guide   our luck even while waiting for it. For something is  to be done with it by waiting so as to use it at the proper moment, since it has periods and  offers opportunities, though one cannot calculate its path, its steps are so irregular. When   ou  find Fortune favourable, stride boldly forward, for she favours the bold and, being a woman,  the   oung. Butif   ou have bad luck, keep retired so as not to redouble the influence of   our  unluck  star. 
xxxvii Keep a Store of Sarcasms, and know how to use them. This is the point of greatest tact in human intercourse. Such sarcasms are often thrown out to  test men's moods, and by their means one often obtains the most subtle and penetrating  touchstone of the heart. Other sarcasms are malicious, insolent, poisoned b  envy or  envenomed by passion, unexpected flashes which destro   at once all favour and esteem.  Struck by the slightest word of this kind, man   fall awa   from the closest intimacy with  superiors or inferiors which could not be the slightest shaken by a whole conspiracy of popular  insinuation or private malevolence. Other sarcasms, on the other hand, work favourabl ,  confirming and assisting one's reputation. But the greater the skill with which they are  launched, the greater the caution with which they should be received and the foresight with  which the   should he foreseen. For here a knowledge of the evil is in itself a means of defence,  and a shot foreseen always misses its mark. 

xxxviii Leave  our Luck while Winning. All the best pla  ers do it. A fine retreat is as good as a gallant attack. Bring  our exploits  under cover when there are enough, or even when there are many of them. Luck long lasting  was ever suspicious; interrupted seems safer, and is even sweeter to the taste for a little  infusion of bitter-sweet. The higher the heap of luck, the greater the risk of a slip, and down  
comes all. Fortune pays   ou sometimes for the intensity of her favours by the shortness of  their duration. She soon tires of carrying any one long on her shoulders. 

xxxix Recognise when Things are ripe, and then enjoy them. The works of nature all reach a certain point of maturity; up to that they improve, after that  they degenerate. Few works of art reach such a point that they cannot be improved. It is an  especial privilege of good taste to enjoy ever  thing at its ripest. Not all can do this, nor do all  who can know this. There is a ripening point too for fruits of intellect; it is well to know this  both for their value in use and for their value in exchange. 

xl The Goodwill of People. ¡¯Tis much to gain universal admiration; more, universal love. Something depends on natural  disposition, more on practice: the first founds, the second then builds on that foundation.  Brilliant parts suffice not, though they are presupposed; win good opinion and ¡¯tis easy to win  goodwill. Kindl  acts besides are required to produce kindl  feelings, doing good with both  hands, good words and better deeds, loving so as to be loved. Courtesy is the politic witcher    of great personages. First la   hand on deeds and then on pens; words follow swords; for there  is goodwill to be won among writers, and it is eternal. 

xli Never Exaggerate. It is an important object of attention not to talk in superlatives, so as neither to offend against  truth nor to give a mean idea of one's understanding. Exaggeration is a prodigalit  of the  judgment which shows the narrowness of one's knowledge or one's taste. Praise arouses livel   curiosit , begets desire, and if afterwards the value does not correspond to the price, as  generally happens, expectation revolts againstthe deception, and revenges itself by under- estimating the thing recommended and the person recommending. A prudent man goes more  cautiously to work, and prefers to err by omission than by commission. Extraordinar  things  are rare, therefore moderate ordinar  valuation. Exaggeration is a branch of l  ing, and   ou  lose by it the credit of good taste, which is much, and of good sense, which is more. 

xlii Born to Command. It is a secret force of superiority not to have to get on by artful tricker   but by an inborn  power of rule. All submit to it without knowing wh , recognising the secret vigour of connatural  authorit  . Such magisterial spirits are kings by merit and lions by innate privilege. By the  esteem which they inspire, they hold the hearts and minds of the rest. If their other qualities  permit, such men are born to be the prime motors of the state. They per-form more by a  gesture than others by a long harangue. 

xliii Think with the Few and speak with the Man  . By swimming against the stream it is impossible to remove error, easy to fall intodanger; onl   a Socrates can undertake it. To dissent from others' views is regarded as an insult, because it  is their condemnation. Disgust is doubled on account of the thing blamed and of the person  who praised it. Truth is for the few, error is both common and vulgar. The wise man is not  known by what he says on the house-tops, for there he speaks not with his own voice but with  that of common foll , however much his inmost thoughts ma  gainsay it. The prudent avoid  being contradicted as much as contradicting: though they have their censure read  the   are  not read  to publish it. Thought is free, force cannot and should not be used to it. The wise  man therefore retires into silence, and if he allows himself to come out of it, he does so in the  shade and before few and fit persons. 

xliv S  mpath  with great Minds. It is an heroic qualit to agree with heroes. ¡¯Tis like a miracle of nature for m  stery and for  use. There is a natural kinship of hearts and minds: its effects are such that vulgar ignorance  scents witchcraft. Esteem established, goodwill follows, which at times reaches affection. It persuades without words and obtains without earning. This s  mpathyis sometimes active,  sometimes passive, both alike felicific; the more so, the more sublime. ¡¯Tis a great art to  recognise, to distinguish and to utilise this gift. No amount of energy suffices without that  favour of nature. 

xlv Use, but do not abuse, Cunning. One ought not to delight in it, still less to boast of it. Ever  thing artificial should be concealed,  most of all cunning, which is hated. Deceit is much in use; therefore our caution has to be  redoubled, but not so as to show itself, for it arouses distrust, causes much anno , awakens  revenge, and gives rise to more ills than   ou would imagine. To go to work with caution is of  great advantage in action, and there is no greater proof of wisdom. The greatest skill in an deed consists in the sure mastery with which it is executed. 

xlvi Master our Antipathies. We often allow ourselves to take dislikes, and that before we know an  thing of a person. At  times this innate   et vulgar aversion attaches Itself to eminent personalities. Good sense  masters this feeling, for there is nothing more discreditable than to dislike those better  thanourselves. As s  mpathy with great men en-nobles us, so dislike to them degrades us.

xlvii Avoid "Affairs of Honour" --one of the chiefest aims of prudence. In men of great ability the extremes are kept far  asunder, so that there is a long distance between them, and they always keep in the middle of  their caution, so that they take time to break through it. It is easier to avoid such affairs than  to come well out of them. The   test our judgment; it is better to avoid them than to conquer  in them. One affair of honour leads to another, and may lead to an affair of dishonour. There  are men so constituted by nature or by nation that they easily enter upon such obligations.  But for him that walks b  the light of reason, such a matter requires long thinking over. There  is more valour needed not to take up the affair than to conquer in it. When there is one fool  ready for the occasion, one ma   excuse oneself from being the second. 

xlviii Be Thorough. How much depends on the person. The interior must be at least as much as the exterior. There  are natures all frontage, like houses thatfor want of means have the portico of a palace leading  to the rooms of a cottage. It is no use boring into such persons, although they bore   ou, for  conversation flags after the first salutation. The   prance through the first compliments like  Sicilian barbs, but silence soon succeeds, for the flow of words soon ceases where there is no  spring of thoughts. Others may be taken in by them because they themselves have but a view  of the surface, but not the prudent, who look within them and find nothing there except  material for scorn. 

xlix Observation and Judgment. A man with these rules things, not they him. He sounds at once the profoundest depths; he is  a phrenologist by means of physiognom  . On seeing a person he understands him and judges  of his inmost nature. From a few observations he deciphers the most hidden recesses of his  nature. Keen observation, subtile insight, judicious inference: with these he discovers, notices,  grasps, and comprehends everything. 

l Never lose Self-respect, or be too familiar with oneself. Let   ourown right feeling be the true standard of   our  rectitude, and owe more to the strictness of   our own self-judgment than to all external  sanctions. Leave off anything unseemly more from regard for   our own self-respect than from  fear of external authorit  . Pa   regard to that and there is no need of Seneca's imaginar  tutor. 

li Know how to Choose well. Most of life depends thereon. It needs good taste and correct judgment, for which neither  intellect nor study suffices. To be choice,   ou must choose, and for this two things are needed:  to be able to choose at all, and then to choose the best. There are many men of fecund and  subtle mind, of keen judgment, of much learning, and of great observation who   et are at a  loss when they come to choose. They always take the worst as if they had tried to go wrong.  Thus this is one of the greatest gifts from above. 

lii Never be put out. ¡¯Tis a great aim of prudence never to be embarrassed. It is the sign of a real man. of a noble  heart, for magnanimit   is not easily putout. The passions are the humours of the soul, and  every excess in them weakens prudence; if they overflow through the mouth, the reputation  will be in danger. Let a man therefore be so much and so great a master over himself that  neither in the most fortunate nor in the most adverse circumstances can anything cause his  reputation injur  by disturbing his self-possession, but rather enhance it by showing his  superiorit . 

liii Diligent and Intelligent. Diligence promptl  executes what intelligence slowl   excogitates. Hurry is the failing of fools;  they know not the crucial point and set to work without preparation. On the other hand, the  wise more often fail from procrastination; foresight begets deliberation, and remiss action  often nullifies prompt judgment. Celerity is the mother of good fortune. He has done much  who leaves nothing over till to-morrow. Festina lente is a ro  al motto. 

liv Know how to show   our Teeth. Even hares can pull the mane of a dead lion. There is no joke about courage. Give wayto the  first and   ou must   ield to the second, and so on till the last, and to gain   our point at last  costs as much trouble as would have gained much more at first. Moral courage exceeds  physical; it should be like a sword kept read  for use in the scabbard of caution. It Is the  shield of great place; moral cowardice lowers one more than physical. Many have had eminent  qualities,   et, for want of a stout heart, they passed inanimate lives and found a tomb in their  own sloth. Wise Nature has thoughtfull  combined in the bee the sweetness of its honey with  the sharpness of its sting. 

lv Wait. It's a sign of a noble heart dowered with patience, never to be in a hurr , never to be in a  passion. First be master over   ourself if   ou would be master over others. You must pass  through the circumference of time before arriving at the centre of opportunit  . A wise reserve  seasons the aims and matures the means. Time's crutch effects more than the iron club of  Hercules. God Himself chasteneth not with a rod but with time. He 1 spake a great word who  said, "Time and I against any two." 
Fortune herself rewards waiting with the first prize. 

lvi Have Presence of Mind. The child of a happy promptitude of spirit. Owing to this vivacit   and wideawakeness there is  no fear of danger or mischance. Man   reflect much onl   to go wrong in the end: others attain  their aim without thinking of it beforehand. There are natures of Antiperistasis who work best  in an emergenc  . They are like monsters who succeed in all the   do offhand, but fail in aught  they think over. A thing occurs to them at once or never: for them there is no court of appeal.  Celerit  wins applause because it proves remarkable capacity; subtlety of judgment, prudence  in action. 

lvii Slow and Sure. Early enough if well. Quickly done can be quickly undone. To last an eternit   requires an  eternit  of preparation. Only excellence counts; onl   achievement endures. Profound  intelligence is the only foundation for immortalit . Worth much costs much. The precious  metals are the heaviest. 

lviii Adapt Yourself to   our Compan  . There is no need to show   our ability before every one. Employ no more force than is  necessar  . Let there be no unnecessar   expenditure either of knowledge or of power. The  skilful falconer onl   flies enough birds to serve for the chase. If there is too much display to- da   there will be nothing to show to-morrow. Always have some novelt   wherewith to dazzle.  To show something fresh each da   keeps expectation alive and conceals the limits of capacit  . 

lix Finish off well. In the house of Fortune, if   ou enter by the gate of pleasure   ou must leave by that of sorrow  and vice versa. You ought therefore to think of the finish, and attach more importance to a  graceful exit than to applause on entrance. ¡¯Tis the common lot of the unlucky to have a ver    fortunate outset and a ver   tragic end. The important point is not the vulgar applause on  entrance--that comes to nearly all--but the general feeling at exit. Few in life are felt to  deserve an encore. Fortune rarely accompanies any one to thedoor: warml   as she ma   welcome the coming, she speeds but coldl  the parting guest. 

lx A Sound Judgment. Some are born wise, and with this natural advantage enter upon their studies, with a moiet    alread mastered. With age and experience their reason ripens, and thus they attain a sound  judgment. They abhor ever  thing whimsical as leading prudence astra , especiall  in matters  of state, where certaint   is so necessar  , owing to the importance of the affairs involved., Such  men deserve to stand by the helm of state either as pilots or as men at the wheel. Aphorisms 
61-90 lxi To Excel in what is Excellent. A great rarit  among excellences. You cannot have a great man without something pre- eminent. Mediocrities never win applause. Eminence in some distinguished post distinguishes  one from the vulgar mob and ranks us with the elect. To be distinguished in a Small post is to  be great in little: the more comfort, the less glor  . The highest eminence in great affairs has  the ro  al characteristic of exciting admiration and winning goodwill. 
lxii Use good Instruments. Some would have the subtlet   of their wits proven b  the meanness of their instruments. ¡¯Tis  a dangerous satisfaction, and deserves a fatal punishment. The excellence of a minister never  diminished the greatness of his lord. All the glor   of exploits reverts to the principal actor; also  all the blame. Fame only does business with principals. She does not sa , "This had good, that  had bad servants," but, "This was a good artist, that a bad one." Let   our assistants be  selected and tested therefore, for   ou have to trust to them for an immortalit  of fame. 

lxiii To he the First of the Kind is an Excellence, and to be eminent in it as well, a double one. To have the first move is a great ad-vantage  when the pla  ers are equal. Many a man would have been a veritable Ph?nix if he had been  the first of the sort. Those who come first are the heirs of Fame; the others get only a   ounger  brother's allowance: whatever they do, they cannot persuade the world they are an  thing  more than parrots. The skill of prodigies may find a new path toeminence, but prudence  accompanies them all the wa  . By the novelt   of their enterprises sages write their names in  the golden book of heroes. Some prefer to be first in things of minor import than second in  greater exploits. 

lxiv Avoid Worry. Such prudence brings its own reward. It escapes much, and is thus the midwife of comfort and  so of happiness. Neither give nor take bad news unless it can help. Some men's ears are  stuffed with the sweets of flattery; others with the bitters of scandal, while some cannot live  without a daily anno ance no more than Mithridates could without poison. It is no rule of life to  prepare for   ourself lifelong trouble in order to give a temporary enjoyment to another,  however near and dear. You never ought to spoil   our own chances to please another who  advises and keeps out of the affair, and in all cases where to oblige another involves  disobliging   ourself, ¡¯tis a standing rule that it is better he should suffer now than   ou  afterwards and in vain. 

lxv Elevated Taste. You can train it like the intellect. Fullknowledge whets desire and increases enjo  ment. You  may know a noble spirit by the elevation of his taste: it must be a great thing that can satisf   a great mind. Big bites for big mouths, lofty things for lofty spirits. Before their judgment the  bravest tremble, the most perfect lose confidence. Things of the first importance are few; let  appreciation be rare. Taste can be imparted by intercourse: great good luck to associate with  the highest taste. But do not affect to be dissatisfied with everything: ¡¯tis the extreme of foll  ,  and more odious if from affectation than if from Quixotr  . Some would have God create  another world and other ideals to satisf   their fantastic imagination. 

lxvi See that Things end well. Some regard more the rigour of the game than the winning of it, but to the world the discredit  of the final failure does away with an   recognition of the previous care. The victor need not  explain. The world does not notice the details of the measures emplo  ed; but onl  the good or  ill result. You lose nothing if   ou gain   our end. A good end gilds everything, however  unsatisfactory the means. Thus at times it is part of the art oflife to transgress the rules of the  art, if   ou cannot end well otherwise. 
lxvii Prefer Callings "en Evidence." Most things depend on the satisfaction of others. Esteem is to excellence what the zeph  r is to  flowers, the breath of life. There are some callings which gain universal esteem, while others  more important are without credit. The former, pursued before the e  es of all, obtain the  universal favour; the others, though they are rarer and more valuable, remain obscure and  unperceived, honoured but not applauded. Among princes conquerors are the most celebrated,  and therefore the kings of Aragon earned such applause as warriors, conquerors, and great  men. An able man will prefer callings en evidence which all men know of and utilise, and he  thus becomes immortalised by universal suffrage. 

lxviii It is better to help with Intelligence than with Memor  . The more as the latter needs onl  recollection, the former ¦Í¦Ï??. Man  persons omit the ¨¤  propos because it does not occur to them; a friend's advice on such occasions ma    enablethem to see the advantages. ¡¯Tis one of the greatest gifts of mind to be able to offer  what is needed at the moment: for want of that many things fail to be performed. Share the  light of   our intelligence, when   ou have an , and ask for it when   ou have it not, the first  cautiousl , the last anxiousl  . Give no more than a hint: this finesse is especiall  needful when  it touches the interest of him whose attention   ou awaken. You should give but a taste at first,  and then pass on to more when that is not sufficient. If he thinks of No, go in search of Yes.  Therein lies the cleverness, for most things are not obtained simpl   because they are not  attempted. 

lxix Do not give way to ever   common Impulse. He is a great man who never allows himself to be influenced by the impressions of others.  Self-reflection is the school of wisdom. To know one's disposition and to allow for it, even  going to the other extreme so as to find the juste milieu between nature and art. Self- knowledge is the beginning of self-improvement. There be some whose humours are so  monstrous that the   are always under the influence of one or other of them, and put them in  place of their real inclinations. The are torn asunder by such disharmony and get involved in  contradictor  obligations. Such excesses not onl  destroy firmness of will; all power of  judgment gets lost, desire and knowledge pulling in opposite directions. 

lxx Know how to Refuse. One ought not to give wa   in ever  thing nor to everybod. To know how to refuse is therefore  as important as to know how to consent. This is especially the case with men of position. All  depends on the how. Some men's No is thought more of than the Yes of others: for a gilded  No is more satisfactor  than a dr   Yes. There are some who always have No on their lips,  whereby they make everything distasteful. No always comes first with them, and when  sometimes they give wa   after all, it does them no good on account of the unpleasing herald.  Your refusal need not be point-blank: let the disappointment come by degrees. Nor let the  refusal be final; that would be to destroy dependence; let some spice of hope remain to soften  the rejection. Let politeness compensate and fine words supply the place of deeds. Yes and No  are soon said, but give much to think over. 
lxxi Do not Vacillate. Let not   our actions be abnormal either from disposition or affectation. An able man is always  the same in his best qualities; he gets the credit of trustworthiness. If he changes, he does so  for good reason or good consideration. In matters of conduct change is hateful. There are  some who are different ever   day; their intelligence varies, still more their will, and with this  
their fortune. Yesterday's white is to-day's black: to-day's No was   esterday's Yes. The    always give the lie to their own credit and destroy their credit with others. 

lxxii Be Resolute. Bad execution of   our designs does less harm than irresolution in forming them. Streams do  less harm flowing than when dammed up. There are some men so infirm of purpose that the    always require direction from others, and this not on account of an   perplexit , for they judge  clearl , but from sheer incapacit   for action. It needs some skill to find out difficulties, but  more to find a way out of them. There are others who are never in straits . their clear  judgment and determined characterit them for the highest callings: their intelligence tells  them where to insert the thin end of the wedge, their resolution how to drive it home. The    soon get through an  thing: as soon as they have done with one sphere of action, they are  ready for another. Affianced to Fortune, they make themselves sure of success. 

lxxiii Utilise Slips. That is how smart people get out of difficulties. They extricate themselves from the most  intricate labyrinth by some witty application of a bright remark. The   get out of a serious  contention b  an airy nothing or by raising a smile. Most of the great leaders are well  grounded in this art. When   ou have to refuse, it is often the polite wa   to talk of something  else. Sometimes it proves the highest understanding not to understand. 

lxxiv Do not be Unsociable. The truest wild beasts live in the most populous places. To be inaccessible is the fault of those  who distrust themselves, whose honours change their manners. It is no wa   of earning  people's goodwill b  being ill-temperedwith them. It is a sight to see one of those unsociable  monsters who make a point of being proudl  impertinent. Their dependants who have the  misfortune to be obliged to speak with them, enter as if prepared for a fight with a tiger armed  with patience and with fear. To obtain their post these persons must have ingratiated  themselves with ever   one, but having once obtained it the   seek to indemnif   themselves b    disobliging all. It is a condition of their position that they should be accessible to all,   et, from  pride or spleen, they are so to none. ¡¯Tis a civil way to punish such men by letting them alone,  and depriving them of opportunities of improvement b  granting them no opportunity of  intercourse. 

lxxv Choose an Heroic Ideal; but rather to emulate than to imitate. There are exemplars of greatness, living texts of honour.  Let ever   one have before his mind the chief of his calling not so much to follow him as to spur  himself on. Alexander wept not on account of Achilles dead and buried, but over himself,  because his fame had not   et spread throughout the world. Nothing arouses ambition so much  in the heart as the trumpet-clang of another's fame. The samething that sharpens env  ,  nourishes a generous spirit. 

lxxvi Do not always be Jesting. Wisdom is shown in serious matters, and is more appreciated than mere wit. He that is always  ready for jests is never ready for serious things. They resemble liars in that men never believe  either, always expecting a lie in one, a joke in the other. One never knows when   ou speak  with judgment, which is the same as if   ou had none. A continual jest soon loses all zest.  Many get the repute of being witt , but thereby lose the credit of being sensible. Jest has its  little hour, seriousness should have all the rest. 

lxxvii Be all Things to all Men--a discreet Proteus, learned with the learned, saintl  with the sainted. It is the great art to  gain every one's suffrages; their goodwill gains general agreement. Notice men's moods and  adapt   ourself to each, genial or serious as the case may be. Follow their lead, glossing over  the changes as cunningly as possible. This is an indispensable art for dependent persons. But  this savoir faire calls for great cleverness. He only will find no difficult  who has auniversal  genius in his knowledge and universal ingenuit   in his wit. 

lxxviii The Art of undertaking Things. Fools rush in through the door; for foll  is always bold. The same simplicity which robs them of  all attention to precautions deprives them of all sense of shame at failure. But prudence enters  with more deliberation. Its forerunners are caution and care; the   advance and discover  whether   ou can also advance without danger. Ever   rush forward is freed from danger b   caution, while fortune some-times helps in such cases. Step cautiousl  where   ou suspect  depth. Sagacit   goes cautiousl  forward while precaution covers the ground. Nowadays there  are unsuspected depths in human. intercourse,   ou must therefore cast the lead at every step. 

lxxix A Genial Disposition. If with moderation ¡¯tis an accomplishment, not a defect. A grain of gaiet   seasons all. The  greatest men join in the fun at times, and it makes them liked by all. But they should always  on such occasions preserve their dignit , nor go be  ond the bounds of decorum. Others,again,  get themselves out of difficult  quickest by a joke. For there are things   ou must take in fun,  though others perhaps mean them in earnest. You show a sense of placabilit , which acts as a  magnet on all hearts. 
lxxx Take care to get Information. We live by information, not by sight. We exist by faith in others. The ear is the area-gate of  truth but the front-door of lies. The truth is generally seen, rarely heard; seldom she comes in  elemental purit , especiall  from afar; there is always some admixture of the moods of those  through whom she has passed. The passions tinge her with their colours wherever they touch  her, sometimes favourabl , sometimes the reverse. She always brings out the disposition,  therefore receive her with caution from him that praises, with more caution from him that  blames. Pa   attention to the intention of the speaker;   ou should know beforehand on what  footing he comes. Let reflection assa   falsit  and exaggeration. 

lxxxi Renew   our Brilliance. ¡¯Tis the privilege of the Ph?nix. Ability is wont to grow old, and with it fame. Thestaleness of  custom weakens admiration, and a mediocrit  that's new often eclipses the highest excellence  grown old. Try therefore to be born again in valour, in genius, in fortune, in all. Displa    startling novelties, rise afresh like the sun every da  . Change too the scene on which   ou  shine, so that   our loss may be felt in the old scenes of   our triumph, while the novelt   of   our powers wins   ou applause in the new. 

lxxxii Drain Nothing to the Dregs, neither Good nor Ill. A sage once reduced all virtue to the golden mean. Push right to the extreme and it becomes  wrong: press all the juice from an orange and it becomes bitter. Even in enjoyment never go  to extremes. Thought too subtle is dull. If   ou milk a cow too much   ou draw blood, not milk. 

lxxxiii Allow Yourself some venial Fault. Some such carelessness is often the greatest recommendation of talent. For envy exercises ostracism, most envenomed when most polite, It counts it to perfection as a failing that it has  no faults; for being perfect in all it condemnsit in all. It becomes an Argus, all e  es for  imperfection: ¡¯tis its onl   consolation. Blame is like the lightning; it hits the highest. Let Homer  
nod now and then and affect some negligence in valour or in intellect--not in prudence--so as  to disarm malevolence, or at least to prevent its bursting with its own venom. You thus leave   our cloak on the horns of Env   in order to save   our immortal parts. 

lxxxiv Make use of our Enemies. You should learn to seize things not by the blade, which cuts, but by the handle, which saves   ou from harm: especiall  is this the rule with the doings of   our enemies. A wise man gets  more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends. Their ill-will often levels mountains of  difficulties which one would otherwise not face. Many have had their greatness made for them  by their enemies. Flatter   is more dangerous than hatred, because it covers the stains which  the other causes to be wiped out. The wise will turn ill-will into a mirror more faithful than that  of kindness. and remove or improve the faults referred to. Caution thrives well when rivalr   and ill-will are next-door neighbours. 

lxxxv Do not pla   Manille. It is a fault of excellence that being so much in use it is liable to abuse. Because all covet it, all  are vexed by it. It is a great misfortune to be of use to nobody; scarcely less to be of use to  everybod  . People who reach this stage lose by gaining, and at last bore those who desired  them before. These Manilles wear awa   all kinds of excellence: losing the earlier esteem of the  few, they obtain discredit among the vulgar. The remedy against this extreme is to moderate   our brilliance. Be extraordinary in   our excellence, if   ou like, but be ordinar  in   our displa   of it. The more light a torch gives, the more it burns awa   and the nearer ¡¯tis to going out.  Show   ourself less and   ou will be rewarded by being esteemed more. 

lxxxvi Prevent Scandal. Many heads go to make the mob, and in each of them are e  es for malice to use and a tongue  for detraction to wag. If a single ill report spread, it casts a blemish on   our fair fame, and if it  clings to   ou with a nickname,   our reputation is in danger. Generally it is some salient defect  or ridiculous trait that gives rise to the rumours. At times these aremalicious additions of  private envy to general distrust. For there are wicked tongues that ruin a great reputation  more easil  by a witt  sneer than by a direct accusation. It is eas   to get into bad repute,  because it is easy to believe evil of an   one: it is not easy to clear   ourself. The wise  accordingly avoid these mischances, guarding against vulgar scandal with sedulous vigilance.  It is far easier to prevent than to rectif . 
lxxxvii Culture and Elegance. Man is born a barbarian, and only raises himself above the beast by culture. Culture therefore  makes the man; the more a man, the higher. Thanks to it, Greece could call the rest of the  world barbarians. Ignorance is very raw; nothing contributes so much to culture as knowledge.  But even knowledge is coarse If without elegance. Not alone must our intelligence be elegant,  but our desires, and above all our conversation. Some men are naturally elegant in internal  and external qualities, in their thoughts, in their address, in their dress, which is the rind of  the soul, and in their talents, which is its fruit. There are others, on the other hand, so gauche  that ever  thing about them, even their ver   excellences,is tarnished by an intolerable and  barbaric want of neatness. 

lxxxviii Let   our Behaviour be Fine and Noble. A great man ought not to be little in his behaviour. He ought never to pry too minutely into  things, least of all in unpleasant matters. For though it is important to know all, it is not  necessary to know all about all. One ought to act in such cases with the generosity of a  gentleman, conduct worth   of a gallant man. To overlook forms a large part of the work of  ruling. Most things must be left unnoticed among relatives and friends, and even among  enemies. All superfluity is annoying, especially in things that anno  . To keep hovering around  the object or   our anno ance is a kind of mania. Generally speaking, every man behaves  according to his heart and his understanding. 

lxxxix Know Yourself --in talents and capacit , in judgment and inclination. You cannot master   ourself unless   ou  know   ourself. There are mirrors for the face but none for the mind. Let careful thought about    ourself serve as a substitute. When the outer image is forgotten, keep the inner one to  improve and perfect. Learn the force of   our intellect and capacity for affairs, test the force of    our courage in order to apply it, and keep   our foundations secure and   our head clear for  everything. xc The Secret of Long Life Lead a good life. Two things bring life speedil  to an end: folly and immoralit  . Some lose their  life because they have not the intelligence to keep it, others because they have not the will.  Just as virtue is its own reward, so is vice its own punishment. He who lives a fast life runs  through life in a double sense. A virtuous life never dies. The firmness of the soul is  communicated to the bod  , and a good life is long not onl   in intention but also in extension. Aphorisms 

91-120 xci Never set to work at anything if   ou have an   doubts of its Prudence. A suspicion of failure in the mind of the doer is proof positive of it in that of the onlooker,  especiall  if he is a rival. If in the heat of action   our judgment feels scruples, it will afterwards  in cool reflection condemn it as a pieceof foll  . Action is dangerous where prudence is in  doubt: better leave such things alone. Wisdom does not trust to probabilities; it always  marches in the mid-day light of reason. How can an enterprise succeed which the judgment  condemns as soon as conceived? And if resolutions passed nem. con. by inner court often turn  out unfortunatel , what can we expect of those undertaken by a doubting reason and a  vacillating judgment? 

xcii Transcendant Wisdom. I mean in ever  thing. The first and highest rule of all deed and speech, the more necessary to  be followed the higher and more numerous our posts, is: an ounce of wisdom is worth more  than tons of cleverness. It is the onl  sure wa , though it may not gain so much applause. The  reputation of wisdom is the last triumph of fame. It is enough if   ou satisfy the wise, for their  judgment is the touchstone of true success. 
xciii Versatilit . A man of many excellences equals many men. By imparting his own enjoyment of life to his  circle he enriches their life. Variet   inexcellences is the delight of life. It is a great art to profit  by all that is good, and since Nature has made man in his highest development an abstract of  herself, so let Art create in him a true microcosm by training his taste and intellect. 

xciv Keep the extent of   our Abilities unknown. The wise man does not allow his knowledge and abilities to be sounded to the bottom, if he  desires to be honoured by all. He allows   ou to know them but not to comprehend them. No  one must know the extent of his abilities, lest he be disappointed. No one ever has an  opportunit   of fathoming him entirel . For guesses and doubts about the extent of his talents  arouse more veneration than accurate knowledge of them, be they ever so great. 
Keep stirring it up. Let much promise more, and great deeds herald greater. Do not rest   our  whole fortune on a single cast of the die. It requires great skill to moderate   our forces so as  to keep expectation from being dissipated. 

xcvi The highest Discretion. It is the throne of reason, the foundation ofprudence: b  its means success is gained at little cost. It is a gift from above, and should be pra  ed for as the first and best qualit  . ¡¯Tis the  main piece of the panopl , and so important that its absence makes a man imperfect, whereas  with other qualities it is merely a question of more or less. All the actions of life depend on its  application; all require its assistance, for ever  thing needs intelligence. Discretion consists in a  natural tendency to the most rational course, combined with a liking for the surest. 

xcvii Obtain and preserve a Reputation. It is the usufruct of fame. It is expensive to obtain a reputation, for it only attaches to  distinguished abilities, which are as rare as mediocrities are common. Once obtained, it is  easil  preserved. It confers man   an obligation, but it does more. When it is owing to elevated  powers or loft  spheres of action, it rises to a kind of veneration and   ields a sort of majest  .  But it is onl   a well-founded reputation that lasts permanentl . 

xcviii Write   our Intentions in Cypher. The passions are the gates of the soul. The most practical knowledge consists in  disguisingthem. He that plays with cards exposed runs a risk of losing the stakes. The reserve  of caution should combat the curiosit  of inquirers: adopt the polic   of the cuttlefish. Do not  even let   our tastes be known, lest others utilise them either by running counter to them or b   flattering them. 

xcix Reality and Appearance. Things pass for what they seem, not for what they are. Few see inside; man   take to the  outside. It is not enough to be right, if right seem false and ill. 

c A Man without Illusions, a wise Christian, a philosophic Courtier. Be all these, not merely seem to be them, still less affect to be them. Philosophy is nowadays  discredited, but   et it was always the chiefest concern of the wise. The art of thinking has lost  all its former repute. Seneca introduced it at Rome: it went to court for some time, but now it  is considered out of place there. And   et the discovery of deceit was always thought the true  nourishment of a thoughtful mind, the true delight of a virtuous soul. 

ci One half of the World laughs at the other, and Fools are they all. Everything is good or everything is bad according to the votes the   gain. What one pursues  another persecutes. He is an in-sufferable ass that would regulate everything according to his  ideas. Excellences do not depend on a single man's pleasure. So man   men, so man   tastes,  all different. There is no defect which is not affected by some, nor need we lose heart if things  please not some, for others will appreciate them. Nor need their applause turn our head, for  there will surely be others to condemn. The real test of praise is the approbation of famous  men and of experts in the matter. You should aim to be independent of any one vote, of an    one fashion, of any one centur  . 

cii Be able to stomach big slices of Luck. In the body of wisdom not the least important organ is a big stomach, for great capacit    implies great parts. Big bits of luck do not embarrass one who can digest still bigger ones. 
What is a surfeit for one may be hunger for another. Many are troubled as it were with weak  digestion, owing to their small capacitybeing neither born nor trained for great employment.  Their actions turn sour, and the humours that arise from their undeserved honours turn their  head and they incur great risks in high place: the   do not find their proper place, for luck finds  no proper place in them. A man of talent therefore should show that he has more room for  even greater enterprises, and above all avoid showing signs of a little heart. 

ciii Let each keep up his Dignit . Let each deed of a man in its degree, though he be not a king, be worth   of a prince, and let  his action be princel  within due limits. Sublime in action, lofty in thought, in all things like a  king, at least in merit if not in might. For true kingship lies in spotless rectitude, and he need  not env   greatness who can serve as a model of it. Especially should those near the throne  aim at true superiorit  , and prefer to share the true qualities of ro  alt   rather than take parts  in its mere ceremonies,   et without affecting its imperfections but sharing in its true dignit . 

civ Tr our hand at Office. It requires varied qualities, and to know which is needed taxes attention and calls for  masterlydiscernment. Some demand courage, others tact. Those that merely require rectitude  are the easiest, the most difficult those requiring cleverness. For the former all that is  necessary is character; for the latter all one's attention and zeal may not suffice. ¡¯Tis a  troublesome business to rule men, still more fools or blockheads: double sense is needed with  those who have none. It is intolerable when an office engrosses a man with fixed hours and a  settled routine. Those are better that leave a man free to follow his own devices, combining  variety with importance, for the change refreshes the mind. The most in repute are those that  have least or most distant dependence on others; the worst is that which worries us both here  and hereafter. 

cv Don't be a Bore. The man of one business or of one topic is apt to be heav  . Brevity flatters and does better  business; it gains by courtesy what it loses b  curtness. Good things, when short, are twice as  good. The quintessence of the matter is more effective than a whole farrago of details. It is a  well-known truth that talkative folk rarely have much sense whether in dealing with the matter  itself or its formaltreatment. There are that serve more for stumbling-stones than  centrepieces, useless lumber in every one's wa  . The wise avoid being bores, especially to the  great, who are fully occupied: it is worse to disturb one of them than all the rest. Well said is  soon said. 

cvi Do not parade   our Position. To outshine in dignity is more offensive than in personal attractions. To pose as a personage is  to be hated: env   is surely enough. The more   ou seek esteem the less   ou obtain it, for it  depends on the opinion of others. You cannot take it, but must earn and receive it from others.  Great positions require an amount of authority sufficient to make them efficient: without it  they cannot be adequately filled. Preserve therefore enough dignit  to carry on the duties of  the office. Do not enforce respect, but try and create it. Those who insist on the dignity of  their office, show they have not deserved it, and that it is too much for them. If   ou wish to be  valued, be valued for   our talents, not for anything adventitious. Even kings prefer to be  honoured for their personal qualifications rather than for their station. 

cvii Show no Self-satisfaction. You must neither be discontented with   ourself--and that were poor-spirited--nor self- satisfied--and that is foll  . Self-satisfaction arises mostly from ignorance: it would be a happ    ignorance not without its advantages if it did not injure our credit. Because a man cannot  achieve the superlative perfections of others, he contents himself with any mediocre talent of  his own. Distrust is wise, and even useful, either to evade mishaps or to afford consolation  when they come, for a misfortune cannot surprise a man who has already feared it. Even  Homer nods at times, and Alexander fell from his loft   state and out of his illusions. Things  depend on many circumstances: what constitutes triumph in one set ma   cause a defeat in  another. In the midst of all incorrigible folly remains the same with empty self-satisfaction,  blossoming, flowering, and running all to seed. 

cviii The Path to Greatness is along with Others. Intercourse works well: manners and taste are shared: good sense and even talent grow  insensibl  . Let the sanguine man then make a comrade of the lymphatic, and so with the  othertemperaments, so that without any forcing the golden mean is obtained. It is a great art  to agree with others. The alternation of contraries beautifies and sustains the world: if it can  cause harmony  in the physical world, still more can it do so in the moral. Adopt this policy in  the choice of friends and defendants; by joining extremes the more effective middle way is  found. cix Be not Censorious. There are men of gloomy character who regard ever  thing as fault , not from any evil motive  but because it is their nature to. They condemn all: these for what they have done, those for  what they will do. This indicates a nature worse than cruel, vile Indeed. They accuse with such  exaggeration that the   make out of motes beams wherewith to force out the e  es. They are  always taskmasters who could turn a paradise into a prison; if passion intervenes the   drive  matters to the extreme. A noble nature, on the contrar , always knows how to find an excuse  for failings, if not in the intention, at least from oversight. 

cx Do not wait till   ou are a Sinking Sun. ¡¯Tis a maxim of the wise to leave thingsbefore things leave them. One should be able to snatch  a triumph at the end, just as the sun even at its brightest often retires behind a cloud so as  not to be seen sinking, and to leave in doubt whether he has sunk or no. Wisel  withdraw from  the chance of mishaps, lest   ou have to do so from the reality Do not wait till they turn   ou  the cold shoulder and carr     ou to the grave, alive in feeling but dead in esteem. Wise trainers  put racers to grass before they arouse derision by falling on the course. A beauty should break  her mirror earl , lest she do so later with open e  es. 

cxi Have Friends. ¡¯Tis a second existence. Ever   friend is good and wise for his friend: among them all  everything turns to good. Every one is as others wish him; that they may wish him well, he  must win their hearts and so their tongues. There is no magic like a good turn, and the wa   to  gain friendly feelings is to do friendl   acts. The most and best of us depend on others; we  have to live either among friends or among enemies. Seek some one ever   day to be a well- wisher if not a friend; by and by after trial some of these will become intimate. 

cxii Gain Good-will. For thus the first and highest cause foresees and furthers the greatest objects. By gaining  their good-will   ou gain men's good opinion. Some trust so much to merit that they neglect  grace, but wise men know that Service Road without a lift from favour is a long way indeed. 
Good-will facilitates and supplies ever  thing: is supposes gifts or even supplies them, as  courage, zeal, knowledge, or even discretion; whereas defects it will not see because it does  not search for them. It arises from some common interest, either material, as disposition,  nationalit , relationship, fatherland, office; or formal, which is of a higher kind of communion,  in capacit , obligation, reputation, or merit. The whole difficulty is to gain good-will; to keep it  is eas  . It has, however, to be sought for, and, when found, to be utilised. 

cxiii In Prosperit prepare for Adversit  . It is both wiser and easier to collect winter stores in summer. In prosperity favours are cheap  and friends are man  . ¡¯Tis well therefore to keep them for more unluck   days, for adversit    costs dear and has no helpers. Retain a store of friendly and obliged persons; theda  ma   come when their price will go up. Low minds never have friends; in luck they will not recognise  them: in misfortune they will not be recognised by them. 

cxiv Never Compete. Every competition damages the credit: our rivals seize occasion to obscure us so as to out- shine us. Few wage honourable war. Rivalr  discloses faults which courtesy would hide. Man   have lived in good repute while they had no rivals. The heat of conflict gives life, or even new  life, to dead scandals, and digs up long-buried skeletons. Competition begins with belittling,  and seeks aid wherever it can, not only where it ought. And when the weapons of abuse do  not effect their purpose, as often or mostly happens, our opponents use them for revenge, and  use them at least for beating awa   the dust of oblivion from anything to our discredit. Men of  good-will are always at peace; men of good repute and dignity are men of good-will.

cxv Get used to the Failings of   our Familiars, as   ou do to ugly faces. It is indispensable if they depend on us, or we on them. Thereare  wretched characters with whom one cannot live, nor   et without them. Therefore clever folk  get used to them, as to ugl   faces, so that they are not obliged to do so suddenl  under the  pressure of necessit  . At first they arouse disgust, but graduall  the   lose this influence, and  reflection provides for disgust or puts up with it. 

cxvi Only act with Honourable Men. You can trust them and they   ou. Their honour is the best suret  of their behaviour even in  misunderstandings, for the   always act having regard to what they are. Hence ¡¯tis better to  have a dispute with honourable people than to have a victory over dishonourable ones. You  cannot treat with the ruined, for the   have no hostages for rectitude. With them there is no  true friendship, and their agreements are not binding, however stringent they may appear,  because they have no feeling of honour. Never have to do with such men, for if honour does  not restrain a man, virtue will not, since honour is the throne of rectitude. 

cxvii Never talk of Yourself. You must either praise   ourself, which is vain, or blame   ourself, which is little-minded:it ill  beseems him that speaks, and ill pleases him that hears. And if   ou should avoid this in  ordinary conversation, how much more in official matters, and above all, in public speaking,  where ever   appearance of unwisdom really is unwise. The same want of tact lies in speaking  of a man in his presence, owing to the danger of going to one of two extremes: flattery or  censure. 

cxviii Acquire the Reputation of Courtesy; for it is enough to make ou liked. Politeness is the main ingredient of culture,--a kind of  witcher   that wins the regard of all as surel   as discourtesy gains their disfavour and  opposition; if this latter springs from pride, it is abominable; if from bad breeding, it is  despicable. Better too much courtesy than too little, provided it be not the same for all, which  degenerates into injustice. Between opponents it is especiall  due as a proof of valour. It costs 
little and helps much: every one is honoured who gives honour. Politeness and honour have  this advantage, that the   remain with him who displays them to others. 

cxix Avoid becoming Disliked. There is no occasion to seek dislike: it comes without seeking quickly enough. There are man    who hate of their own accord without knowing the why or the how. Their ill-will outruns our  readiness to please. Their ill-nature is more prone to do others harm than their cupidit  is  eager to gain advantage for themselves. Some manage to be on bad terms with all, because  they always either produce or experience vexation of spirit. Once hate has taken root it is, like  bad repute, difficult to eradicate. Wise men are feared, the malevolent are abhorred, the  arrogant are regarded with disdain, buffoons with contempt, eccentrics with neglect. Therefore  pa  respect that   ou may be respected, and know that to be esteemed   ou must show  esteem. 

cxx Live Practicall . Even knowledge has to be in the fashion, and where it is not it is wise to affect ignorance.  Thought and taste change with the times. Do not be old-fashioned in   our ways of thinking,  and let   our taste be in the modern style. In ever  thing the taste of the man   carries the  votes; for the time beingone must follow it in the hope of leading it to higher things. In the  adornment of the bod   as of the mind adapt   ourself to the present, even though the past  appear better. But this rule does not apply to kindness, for goodness is for all time. It is  neglected nowadays and seems out of date. Truth-speaking, keeping   our word, and so too  good people, seem to come from the good old times:   et they are liked for all that, but in such  a way that even when the   all exist they are not in the fashion and are not imitated. What a  misfortune for our age that it regards virtue as a stranger and vice as a matter of course!  If   ou are wise, live as   ou can, if   ou cannot live as   ou would. Think more highl  of what  fate has given   ou than of what it has denied. Aphorisms 

121-150 cxxi Do not make a Business of what is no Business. As some make gossip out of everything, so others business. The   always talk big, take  everything in earnest, and turn it into a dispute or a secret. Troublesome things must not be  taken too seriousl   if they can be avoided. It is preposterous to take to heart that which   ou  should throw over   our shoulders. Much that would be something has become nothing bybeing  left alone, and what was nothing has become of consequence by being made much of. At the  outset things can be easil   settled, but not afterwards. Often the remed   causes the disease.  ¡¯Tis b  no means the least of life's rules: to let things alone. 

cxxii Distinction in Speech and Action. By this   ou gain a position in many places and carry esteem beforehand. It shows itself in  everything, in talk, in look, even in gait. It is a great victor  to conquer men's hearts: it does  not arise from any foolish presumption or pompous talk, but in a becoming tone of authorit    born of superior talent combined with true merit. 

cxxiii Avoid Affectation. The more merit, the less affectation, which gives a vulgar flavour to all. It is wearisome to  others and troublesome to the one affected, for he becomes a martyr to care and tortures  himself with attention. The most eminent merits lose most by it, for the   appear proud and  artificial instead of being the product of nature, and the natural is always more pleasing than  the artificial. One always feels sure thatthe man who affects a virtue has it not. The more  pains   ou take with a thing, the more should   ou conceal them, so that it may appear to arise  spontaneousl   from   our own natural character. Do not, however, in avoiding affectation fall  into it by affecting to be unaffected. The sage never seems to know his own merits, for onlb  
not noticing them can   ou call others' attention to them. He is twice great who has all the  perfections in the opinion of all except of himself; he attains applause by two opposite paths. 

cxxiv Get Yourself missed. Few reach such favour with the many; if with the wise ¡¯tis the height of happiness. When one  has finished one's work, coldness is the general rule. But there are ways of earning this reward  of goodwill. The sure way is to excel in   our office and talents: add to this agreeable manner  and   ou reach the point where   ou become necessar   to   our office, not   our office to   ou.  Some do honour to their post, with others ¡¯tis the other wa  . It is no great gain if a poor  successor makes the predecessor seem good, for this does not imply that the one is missed,  but that the other is wished awa  . 

cxxv Do not be a Black List. It is a sign of having a tarnished name to concern oneself with the ill-fame of others. Some  wish to hide their own stains with those of others, or at least wash them away: or they seek  consolation therein--¡¯tis the consolation of fools. They must have bad breath who form the  sewers of scandal for the whole town. The more one grubs about in such matters, the more  one befouls oneself. There are few without stain somewhere or other, but it is of little known  people that the failings are little known. Be careful then to avoid being a registrar of faults.  That is to be an abominable thing, a man that lives without a heart. 

cxxvi Folly consists not in committing Foll , but in not hiding it when committed. You should keep   our desires sealed up, still more   our defects. All go wrong sometimes, but  the wise try to hide the errors, but fools boast of them. Reputation depends more on what is  hidden than on what is done; if a man does not live chastel  , he must live cautiousl  . The  errors of great men are like the eclipses of the greater lights. Even in friendship it is rare to  expose one's failingsto one's friend. Na  , one should conceal them from oneself if one can. But  here one can help with that other great rule of life: learn to forget. 

cxxvii Grace in Ever  thing. ¡¯Tis the life of talents, the breath of speech, the soul of action, and the ornament of ornament.  Perfections are the adornment of our nature, but this is the adornment of perfection itself. It  shows itself even in the thoughts. ¡¯Tis most a gift of nature and owes least to education; it  even triumphs over training. It is more than ease, approaches the free and eas , gets over  embarrassment, and adds the finishing touch to perfection. Without it beauty is lifeless,  graciousness ungraceful: it surpasses valour, discretion, prudence, even majest   it-self. ¡¯Tis a  short way to dispatch and an eas   escape from embarrassment. 

cxxviii Highmindedness. One of the principal qualifications for a gentleman, for it spurs on to all kinds of nobilit . It  improves the taste, ennobles the heart, elevates the mind, refines the feelings, and intensifies  dignit  . It raises him in whomit is found, and at times remedies the bad turns of Fortune,  which onl   raises by striking. It can find full scope in the will when it cannot be exercised in  act. Magnanimit , generosit , and all heroic qualities recognise in it their source. 

cxxix Never complain. To complain always brings discredit. Better be a model of self-reliance opposed to the passion  of others than an object of their compassion. For it opens the way for the hearer to what we are complaining of, and to disclose one insult forms an excuse for another. By complaining of  past offences we give occasion for future ones, and in seeking aid or counsel we only obtain  indifference or contempt. It is much more politic to praise one man's favours, so that others  may feel obliged to follow suit. To recount the favours we owe the absent is to demand similar  ones from the present, and thus we sell our credit with the one to the other. The shrewd will  therefore never publish to the world his failures or his defects, but onl  those marks of  consideration which serve to keep friendship alive and enmit  silent. 

cxxx Do and be seen Doing. Things do not pass for what they are but for what they seem. To be of use and to know how to  show   ourself of use, is to be twice as useful. What is not seen is as if it was not. Even the  Right does not receive proper consideration if it does not seem right. The observant are far  fewer in number than those who are deceived by appearances. Deceit rules the roast, and  things are judged by their jackets, and many things are other than they seem. A good exterior  is the best recommendation of the inner perfection. 
cxxxi Nobilit  of Feeling. There is a certain distinction of the soul, a highmindedness prompting to gallant acts, that  gives an air of grace to the whole character. It is not found often, for it presupposes great  magnanimit  . Its chief characteristic is to speak well of an enem , and to act even better to- wards him. It shines brightest when a chance comes of revenge: not alone does it let the  occasion pass, but it improves it by using a complete victory in order to displa   unexpected  generosit  . ¡¯Tis a fine stroke of polic , na , the ver   acme of statecraft. It makes no pretenceto  victor  , for it pretends to nothing, and while obtaining its deserts it conceals its merits. 

cxxxii Revise our Judgments. To appeal to an inner Court of Revision makes things safe. Especiall  when the course of action  is not clear,   ou gain time either to confirm or improve   our decision. It affords new grounds  for strengthening or corroborating   our judgment. And if it is a matter of giving, the gift is the  more valued from its being evidentl  well considered than for being promptly bestowed: long  expected is highest prized. And if   ou have to den ,   ou gain time to decide how and when to  mature the No that it may be made palatable. Besides, after the first heat of desire is passed  the repulse of refusal is felt less keenly in cold blood. But especiall  when men press for a  repl  is it best to defer it, for as often as not that is onl   a feint to disarm attention. 

cxxxiii Better Mad with the rest of the World than Wise alone. So say politicians. If all are so, one is no worse off than the rest, whereas solitar   wisdom  passes for foll  . So important is it to sail withthe stream. The greatest wisdom often consists in  ignorance, or the pretence of it. One has to live with others, and others are mostly ignorant.  "To live entirel  alone one must be ver   like a god or quite like a wild beast," but I would turn  the aphorism by sa  ing: Better be wise with the many than a fool all alone. There be some too  who seek to be original by seeking chimeras. 

cxxxiv Double   our Resources. You thereb  double   our life. One must not depend on one thing or trust to only one resource,  however pre-eminent. Everything should be kept double, especiall  the causes of success, of  favour, or of esteem. The moon's mutabilit  transcends everything and gives a limit to all  existence, especially of things dependent on human will, the most brittle of all things. To guard  against this inconstanc  should be the sage's care, and for this the chief rule of life is to keep  a double store of good and useful qualities. Thus as Nature gives us in duplicate the most  important of our limbs and those most exposed to risk, so Art should deal with the qualities on  which we depend for success.  

cxxxv Do not nourish the Spirit of Contradiction. It only proves   ou foolish or peevish, and prudence should guard against this strenuousl  . To  find difficulties in everything may prove   ou clever, but such wrangling writes   ou down a fool.  Such folk make a mimic war out of the most pleasant conversation, and in this wa   act as  enemies towards their associates rather than towards those with whom the   do not consort.  Grit grates most in delicacies, and so does contradiction in amusement. The   are both foolish  and cruel who   oke together the wild beast and the tame. 

cxxxvi Post Yourself in the Centre of Things. So   ou feel the pulse of affairs. Man  lose their wa   either in the ramifications of useless  discussion or in the brushwood of wearisome verbosity without ever realising the real matter  at issue. The   go over a single point a hundred times, wear  ing themselves and others, and   et never touch the all-important centre of affairs. This comes from a confusion of mind from  which the   cannot extricate themselves. They waste time and patience on matters the   should  leave alone, and cannot spare them afterwards for what they have left alone. 

cxxxvii The Sage should be Self-sufficing. He that was all in all to himself carried all with him when he carried himself. If a universal  friend can represent to us Rome and the rest of the world, let a man be his own universal  friend, and then he is in a position to live alone. Whom could such a man want if there is no  clearer intellect or finer taste than his own? He would then depend on himself alone, which is  the highest happiness and like the Supreme Being. He that can live alone resembles the brute  beast in nothing, the sage in much and God in everything. 

cxxxviii The Art of letting Things alone. The more so the wilder the waves of public or of private life. There are hurricanes in human  affairs, tempests of passion, when it is wise to retire to a harbour and ride at anchor.  Remedies often make diseases worse: in such cases one has to leave them to their natural  course and the moral suasion of time. It takes a wise doctor to know when not to prescribe,  and at times the greater skill consists in not appl  ing remedies. The proper wa   to still the  storms of the vulgar is to hold   our hand and let them calm down of themselves. Togive wa    now is to conquer by and b  . A fountain gets muddy with but little stirring up, and does not  get clear by our meddling with it but by our leaving it alone. The best remed   for disturbances  is to let them run their course, for so they quiet down. 

cxxxix Recognise unluck  Days. They exist: nothing goes well on them; even though the game may be changed the ill-luck  remains. Two tries should be enough to tell if one is in luck to-da   or not. Everything is in  process of change, even the mind, and no one is always wise: chance has something to sa ,  even how to write a good letter. All perfection turns on the time; even beaut   has its hours.  Even wisdom fails at times by doing too much or too little. To turn out well a thing must be  done on its own da  . This is why with some everything turns out ill, with others all goes well,  even with less trouble. They find everything read , their wit prompt, their presiding genius  favourable, their lucky star in the ascendant. At such times one must seize the occasion and  not throw away the slightest chance. But a shrewd person will not decide on the day'sluck by a  single piece of good or bad fortune, for the one may be only a luck  chance and the other onl    a slight anno  ance. 

cxl Find the Good in a Thing at once. ¡¯Tis the advantage of good taste. The bee goes to the hone   for her comb, the serpent to the  gall for its venom. So with taste: some seek the good, others the ill. There is nothing that has  no good in it, especiall  in books, as giving food for thought. But man   have such a scent that amid a thousand excellences they fix upon a single defect, and single it out for blame as if  they were scavengers of men's minds and hearts. So they draw up a balance sheet of defects  which does more credit to their bad taste than to their intelligence. They lead a sad life,  nourishing themselves on bitters and battening on garbage. They have the luckier taste who  midst a thousand defects seize upon a single beaut   the   may have hit upon by chance. 

cxli Do not listen to Yourself. It is no use pleasing   ourself if   ou do not please others, and as a rule general contempt is the  punishment for self-satisfaction. Theattention   ou pa  to   ourself   ou probably owe to others.  To speak and at the same time listen to   ourself cannot turn out well. If to talk to oneself  when alone is foll , it must be doubl   unwise to listen to oneself in the presence of others. It is  a weakness of the great to talk with a recurrent "as I was sa  ing" and "eh?" which bewilders  their hearers. At ever   sentence they look for applause or flatter  , taxing the patience of the  wise. So too the pompous speak with an echo, and as their talk can onl   totter on with the aid  of stilts, at ever   word they need the support of a stupid "bravo!" 

cxlii Never from Obstinacy take the Wrong Side because our Opponent has anticipated   ou in  taking the Right One. You begin the fight alread   beaten and must soon take to flight in disgrace. With bad weapons  one can never win. It was astute in the opponent to seize the better side first: it would be foll    to come lagging after with the worst. Such obstinacy is more dangerous in actions than in  words, for action encounters more risk than talk. ¡¯Tis the common failing of the obstinate that  they lose the true by contradicting it, and the useful byquarrelling with it. The sage never  places himself on the side of passion, but espouses the cause of right, either discovering it first  or improving it later. If the enemy is a fool, he will in such a case turn round to follow the  opposite and worse wa  . Thus the only way to drive him from the better course is to take it   ourself, for his foll   will cause him to desert it, and his obstinac   be punished for so doing. 

cxliii Never become Paradoxical in order to avoid the Trite. Both extremes damage our reputation. Every undertaking which differs from the reasonable  approaches foolishness. The paradox is a cheat: it wins applause at first by its novelty and  piquanc , but afterwards it becomes discredited when the deceit is fore-seen and its emptiness  becomes apparent. It is a species of juggler  , and in matters political would be the ruin of  states. Those who cannot or dare not reach great deeds on the direct road of excellence go  round by wa   of Paradox, admired by fools but making wise men true prophets. It argues an  unbalanced judgment, and if it is notaltogether based on the false, it is certainl  founded on  the uncertain, and risks the weightier matters of life. 

cxliv Begin with Another's to end with   our Own. ¡¯Tis a politic means to   our end. Even in heavenl   matters Christian teachers la  stress on this  holy cunning. It is a weight   piece of dissimulation, for the foreseen advantages serve as a  lure to influence the other's will. His affair seems to be in train when it is really only leading  the wa   for another's. One should never advance unless under cover, especiall  where the  ground is dangerous. Likewise with persons who always say No at first, it is useful to ward off  this blow, because the difficulty of conceding much more does not occur to them when   our  version is presented to them. This advice belongs to the rule about second thoughts [xiii],  which covers the most subtle man?uvres of life. 

cxlv Do not show   our wounded Finger, for everything will knock up against it; nor complain about it, for malice always aims where  weakness can be injured. It is no use to be vexed: being the butt of the talk will only vex  ou  the more. Ill-will searches for wounds to irritate, aims darts to try the temper, and tries a  thousand ways to sting to the quick. The wise never own to being hit, or disclose any evil,  whether personal or hereditar  . For even Fate sometimes likes to wound us where we are most tender. It always mortifies wounded flesh. Never therefore disclose the source of mortification  or of jo  , if   you wish the one to cease, the other to endure. 

cxlvi Look into the Interior of Things. Things are generall  other than they seem, and ignorance that never looks beneath the rind  becomes disabused when   ou show the kernel. Lies always come first, dragging fools along b    their irreparable vulgarit  . Truth always lags last, limping along on the arm of Time. The wise  therefore reserve for it the other half of that power which the common mother has wisel   given in duplicate. Deceit is very superficial, and the superficial therefore easil  fall into it.  Prudence lives retired within its recesses, visited only by sages and wise men. 

cxlvii Do not be Inaccessible. None is so perfect that he does not needat times the advice of others. He is an in-corrigible  ass who will never listen to an   one. Even the most surpassing intellect should find a place for  friendl   counsel. Sovereignt   itself must learn to lean. There are some that are incorrigible  simpl   because they are inaccessible: they fall to ruin because none dares to extricate them.  The highest should have the door open for friendship; it ma   prove the gate of help. A friend  must be free to advise, and even to upbraid, without feeling embarrassed. Our satisfaction in  him and our trust in his steadfast faith give him that power. One need not pay respect or give  credit to ever   one, but in the innermost of his precaution man has a true mirror of a confidant  to whom he owes the correction of his errors, and has to thank for it. 

cxlviii Have the Art of Conversation. That is where the real personalit  shows itself. No act in life requires more attention, though it  be the commonest thing in life. You must either lose or gain by it. If it needs care to write a  letter which is but a deliberate and written conversation, how much more the ordinar  kind in  which thereis occasion for a prompt displa   of intelligence? Experts feel the pulse of the soul in  the tongue, wherefore the sage said, "Speak, that I may know thee." Some hold that the art  of conversation is to be without art--that it should be neat, not gaud , like the garments. This  holds good for talk between friends. But when held with persons to whom one would show  respect, it should be more dignified to answer to the dignit  of the person addressed. To be  appropriate it should adapt itself to the mind and tone of the interlocutor. And do not be a  critic of words, or   ou will be taken for a pedant; nor a taxgatherer of ideas, or men will avoid   ou, or at least sell their thoughts dear. in conversation discretion is more important than  eloquence. 

cxlix Know how to put off Ills on Others. To have a shield against ill-will is a great piece of skill in a ruler. It is not the resort of  incapacit  , as ill-wishers imagine, but is due to the higher policy of having some one to receive  the censure of the disaffected and the punishment of universal detestation. Everything cannot  turn out well, nor can every one be satisfied: it is well therefore, even at thecost of our pride,  to have such a scapegoat, such a target for unluck  undertakings. 

cl Know to get   our Price for Things. Their intrinsic value is not sufficient; for all do not bite at the kernel or look into the interior.  Most go with the crowd, and go because they see others go. It is a great stroke of art to bring        
things into repute; at times by praising them, for praise arouses desire at times by giving  them a striking name, which is ver   useful for putting things at a premium, provided it is done  without affectation. Again, it is generall  an inducement to profess to supply onl   connoisseurs, for all think themselves such, and if not, the sense of want arouses the desire.  Never call things easy or common: that makes them depreciated rather than made accessible.  All rush after the unusual, which is more appetising both for the taste and for the intelligence. Aphorisms 
151-180 cli Think beforehand. To-day for to-morrow, and even for many days hence. The greatest foresight consists in  determining beforehand the time of trouble. For the provident there are no mischances andfor  the careful no narrow escapes. We must not put off thought till we are up to the chin in mire.  Mature reflection can get over the most formidable difficult  . The pillow is a silent Sib  l, and it  is better to sleep on things beforehand than lie awake about them afterwards. Many act first  and then think afterwards--that is, they think less of consequences than of excuses: others  think neither before nor after. The whole of life should be one course of thought how not to  miss the right path. Rumination and foresight enable one to determine the line of life. 

clii Never have a Companion who casts   ou in the Shade. The more he does so, the less desirable a companion he is. The more he excels in qualit  the  more in repute: he will always pla   first fiddle and   ou second. If   ou get any consideration, it  is only his leavings. The moon shines bright alone among the stars: when the sun rises she  becomes either invisible or imperceptible. Never join one that eclipses   ou, but rather one who  sets   ou in a brighter light. By this means the cunning Fabula in Martial was able to appear  beautiful andbrilliant, owing to the ugliness and disorder of her companions. But one should as  little imperil oneself by an evil companion as pa   honour to another at the cost of one's own  credit. When   ou are on the way to fortune associate with the eminent; when arrived, with the  mediocre. 

cliii Beware of entering where there is a great Gap to be filled. But if   ou do it be sure to surpass   our predecessor; merely to equal him requires twice his  worth. As it is a fine stroke to arrange that our successor shall cause us to be wished back, so  it is polic  to see that our predecessor does not eclipse us. To fill a great gap is difficult, for the  past always seems best, and to equal the predecessor is not enough, since he has the right of  first possession. You must therefore possess additional claims to oust the other from his hold  on public opinion. 

cliv Do not Believe, or Like, lightl . Maturity of mind is best shown in slow belief. L  ing is the usual thing; then let belief be  unusual. He that is lightl  led awa , soon falls into contempt. At the sametime there is no  necessit   to betra     our doubts in the good faith of others, for this adds insult to discourtes  ,  since   ou make out   our informant to be either deceiver or deceived. Nor is this the onl   evil:  want of belief is the mark of the liar, who suffers from two failings: he neither believes nor is  believed. Suspension of judgment is prudent in a hearer: the speaker can appeal to his  original source of in-formation. There is a similar kind of imprudence in liking too easil , for  lies may be told by deeds as well as in words, and this deceit is more dangerous for practical  life. 

clv The Art of getting into a Passion. If possible, oppose vulgar importunit  with prudent reflection; it will not be difficult for a reall    prudent man. The first step towards getting into a passion is to announce that   ou are in a  passion. By this means   ou begin the conflict with command over   our temper, for one has to  regulate one's passion to the exact point that is necessar   and no further. This is the art of   arts in falling into and getting out of a rage. You should know how and when best to come to a  stop: it is most difficult to halt while running at the double. It is a greatproof of wisdom to  remain clear-sighted during paroxysms of rage. Every excess of passion is a digression from  rational conduct. But by this masterl  policy reason will never be transgressed, nor pass the  bounds of its own synteresis. To keep control of passion one must hold firm the reins of  attention: he who can do so will be the first man "wise on horseback," and probabl  the last. 

clvi Select   our Friends. Only after passing the matriculation of experience and the examination of fortune will they be  graduates not alone in affection but in discernment. Though this is the most important thing in  life, it is the one least cared for. Intelligence brings friends to some, chance to most. Yet a man  is judged by his friends, for there was never agreement between wise men and fools. At the  same time, to find pleasure in a man's societ   is no proof of near friendship: it may come from  the pleasantness of his compan  more than from trust in his capacit  . There are some  friendships legitimate, others illicit; the latter for pleasure, the former for their fecundit   of  ideas and motives. Few are the friends of a man's self, most those ofhis circumstances. The  insight of a true friend is more useful than the goodwill of others: therefore gain them b   choice, not by chance. A wise friend wards off worries, a foolish one brings them about. But do  not wish them too much luck, or   ou may lose them. civil Do not make Mistakes about Character. That is the worst and   et easiest error. Better be cheated in the price than in the quality of  goods. In dealing with men, more than with other things, it is necessar   to look within. To  know men is different from knowing things. It is profound philosophy to sound the depths of  feeling and distinguish traits of character. Men must be studied as deepl   as books. 

clviii Make use of   our Friends. This requires all the art of discretion. Some are good afar off, some when near. Many are no  good at conversation but excellent as correspondents, for distance removes some failings  which are unbearable in close proximity to them. Friends are for use even more than for  pleasure, for they have the three qualities of the Good, or, as some sa , of Beingin general:  unit , goodness, and truth. For a friend is all in all. Few are worth   to be good friends, and  even these become fewer because men do not know how to pick them out. To keep is more  important than to make friends. Select those that will wear well; if they are new at first, it is  some consolation they will become old. Absolutel   the best are those well salted, though the    may require soaking in the testing. There is no desert like living without friends. Friendship  multiplies the good of life and divides the evil. ¡¯Tis the sole remed   against misfortune, the  ver   ventilation of the soul. 

clix Put up with Fools. The wise are always impatient, for he that increases knowledge increase impatience of foll  .  Much knowledge is difficult to satisf  . The first great rule of life, according to Epictetus, is to  put up with things: he makes that the moiet   of wisdom. To put up with all the varieties of  folly would need much patience. We often have to put up with most from those on whom we  most depend: a useful lesson in self-control. Out of patience comes forth peace, the priceless  boon which is the happinessof the world. But let him that bath no power of patience retire  within himself, though even there he will have to put up with himself. 

clx Be careful in Speaking.   
With   our rivals from prudence; with others for the sake of appearance. There is always time  to add a word, never to withdraw one. Talk as if   ou were making   our will: the fewer words  the less litigation. In trivial matters exercise   ourself for the more weight   matters of speech.  Profound secrecy has some of the lustre of the divine. He who speaks lightl   soon falls or fails. 

clxi Know   our pet Faults. The most perfect of men has them, and is either wedded to them or has illicit relations with  them. They are often faults of intellect, and the greater this is, the greater they are, or at least  the more conspicuous. It is not so much that their possessor does not know them: he loves  them, which is a double evil: irrational affection for avoidable faults. They are spots on  perfection; they displease the onlooker as much as the   please the possessor. ¡¯Tis a gallant  thing to get clear of them, and so give pla  to one's other qualities. For allmen hit upon such a  failing, and on going over   our qualifications the   make a long stay at this blot, and blacken it  as deepl   as possible in order to cast   our other talents into the shade. 

clxii How to triumph over Rivals and Detractors. It is not enough to despise them, though this is often wise: a gallant bearing is the thing. One  cannot praise a man too much who speaks well of them who speak ill of him. There is no more  heroic vengeance than that of talents and services which at once conquer and torment the  envious. Ever   success is a further twist of the cord round the neck of the ill-affected, and an  enemy's glory is the rival's hell. The envious die not once, but as oft as the envied wins  applause. The immortalit  of his fame is the measure of the other's torture: the one lives in  endless honour, the other in endless pain. The clarion of Fame announces immortality to the  one and death to the other, the slow death of envy long drawn out. 

clxiii Never, from Sympath   with the Unfortunate, involve Yourself in his Fate. One man's misfortune is another man's luck,for one cannot be luck  without man   being  unluck  . It is a peculiarit  of the unfortunate to arouse people's goodwill who desire to  compensate them for the blows of fortune with their useless favour, and it happens that one  who was abhorred by all in prosperit  is adored by all in adversit  . Vengeance on the wing is  exchanged for compassion afoot. Yet ¡¯tis to be noticed how fate shuffles the cards. There are  men who always consort with the unluck , and he that   esterday flew high and happy stands  to-day miserable at their side. That argues nobility of soul, but not worldly wisdom. 

clxiv Throw Straws in the Air, to find how things will be received, especially those whose reception or success is doubtful.  One can thus be assured of its turning out well, and an opportunit  is afforded for going on in  earnest or withdrawing entirel  . By tr  ing men's intentions in this wa , the wise man knows on  what ground he stands. This is the great rule of foresight in asking, in desiring, and in ruling. 

clxv Wage War Honourable. You may be obliged to wage war, but not touse poisoned arrows. Ever   one must needs act as  he is, not as others would make him to be. Gallantry in the battle of life wins all men's praise:  one should fight so as to conquer, not alone by force but by the way it is used. A mean victor   brings no glor , but rather disgrace. Honour always has the upper hand. An honourable man  never uses forbidden weapons, such as using a friendship that's ended for the purposes of a  hatred just begun: a confidence must never be used for a vengeance. The slightest taint of  treason tarnishes the good name. In men of honour the smallest trace of meanness repels:  the noble and the ignoble should be miles apart. Be able to boast that if gallantr , generosit ,  and fidelit  were lost in the world men would be able to find them again in   our own breast. 

clxvi Distinguish the Man of Words from the Man of Deeds. Discrimination here is as important as in the case of friends, persons, and employments, which  have all man   varieties. Bad words even without bad deeds are bad enough: good words with  bad deeds are worse. One cannot dine off words, which are wind, nor off politeness, whichis  but polite deceit. To catch birds with a mirror is the ideal snare. It is the vain alone who take their wages in windy words. Words should be the pledges of work, and, like pawn-tickets, have  their market price. Trees that bear leaves but not fruit have usually no pith. Know them for  what they are, of no use except for shade. 

clxvii Know how to take   our own Part. In great crises there is no better companion than a bold heart, and if it becomes weak it must  be strengthened from the neighbouring parts. Worries die awa   before a man who asserts  himself. One must not surrender to misfortune, or else it would become intolerable. Many men  do not help themselves in their troubles, and double their weight by not knowing how to bear  them. He that knows himself knows how to strengthen his weakness, and the wise man  conquers everything, even the stars in their courses. 
clxviii Do not indulge in the Eccentricities of Foll  . Like vain, presumptuous, egotistical, untrustworth , capricious, obstinate, fanciful,  theatrical,whimsical, inquisitive, paradoxical, sectarian people and all kinds of one-sided  persons: they are all monstrosities of impertinence. All deformity of mind is more obnoxious  than that of the bod  , because it contravenes a higher beaut  . Yet who can assist such a  complete confusion of mind? Where self-control is wanting, there is no room for others'  guidance. Instead of pa  ing attention to other people's real derision, men of this kind blind  themselves with the unfounded assumption of their imaginary applause. 

clxix Be more careful not to Miss once than to Hit a hundred times. No one looks at the blazing sun; all gaze when he is eclipsed. The common talk does not  reckon what goes right but what goes wrong. Evil report carries farther than any applause.  Many men are not known to the world till they have left it. All the exploits of a man taken  together are not enough to wipe out a single small blemish. Avoid therefore falling into error,  seeing that ill-will notices ever   error and no success. 

clxx In all Things keep Something in Reserve. ¡¯Tis a sure means of keeping up   our importance. A man should not employ all his capacit    and power at once and on ever   occasion. Even in knowledge there should be a rearguard, so  that   our resources are doubled. One must always have something to resort to when there is  fear of a defeat. The reserve is of more importance than the attacking force: for it is  distinguished for valour and reputation. Prudence always sets to work with assurance of  safety: in this matter the piquant paradox holds good that the half is more than the whole. 
clxxi Waste not Influence. The great as friends are for great occasions. One should not make use of great confidence for  little things: for that is to waste a favour. The sheet anchor should be reserved for the last  extremit  . If   ou use up the great for little ends what remains afterwards? Nothing is more  valuable than a protector, and nothing costs more nowadays than a favour. It can make or  unmake a whole world. It can even give sense and take it awa  . As Nature and Fame are  favourable to the wise, so Luck is generall  envious of them. It is therefore more important to  keep the favour of the might  than goods and chattels. 

clxxii Never contend with a Man who has nothing to Lose; for thereby you enter into an unequal conflict. The other enters without anxiety; having lost  everything, including shame, he has no further loss to fear. He therefore re-sorts to all kinds of  insolence. One should never expose a valuable reputation to so terrible a risk, lest what has                   THE ART OF WORLDLY WISDOM By Balthasar Gracian
cost   ears to gain may be lost in a moment, since a single slight may wipe out much sweat. A  man of honour and responsibilit  has a reputation, because he has much to lose. He balances  his own and the other's reputation: he only enters into the contest with the greatest caution,  and then goes to work with such circumspection that he gives time to prudence to retire in  time and bring his reputation under cover. For even by victory he cannot gain what he has lost  by exposing himself to the chances of loss. 

clxxiii Do not be Glass in Intercourse, still less in Friendship. Some break very easil , and thereby show their want of consistenc  . They attribute to  themselves imaginar  offences and to others oppressive intentions. Their feelings are  evenmore sensitive than the e  e itself, and must not be touched in jest or in earnest. Motes  offend them: they need not wait for beams. Those who consort with them must treat them  with the greatest delicac  , have regard to their sensitiveness, and watch their demeanour,  since the slightest slight arouses their anno  ance. They are mostl  ver   egoistic, slaves of  their moods, for the sake of which they cast everything aside: the   are the worshippers of  punctilio. On the other hand, the disposition of the true lover is firm and enduring, so that it  may be said that the Arrant is half adamant. 

clxxiv Do not live in a Hurry. To know how to separate things is to know how to enjo   them. Many finish their fortune  sooner than their life: they run through pleasures without enjo  ing them, and would like to go  back when they find the   have over-leaped the mark. Postilions of life, the   increase the  ordinary pace of life by the hurry of their own calling. They devour more in one da   than the    can digest in a whole life-time; they live in advance of pleasures, eat up the   ears beforehand,  and by their hurr  get through ever  thing too soon. Even in thesearch for knowledge there  should be moderation, lest we learn things better left unknown. We have more days to live  through than pleasures. Be slow in enjoyment, quick at work, for men see work ended with  pleasure, pleasure ended with regret. 

clxxv A Solid Man. One who is finds no satisfaction in those that are not. ¡¯Tis a pitiable eminence that is not well  founded. Not all are men that seem to be so. Some are sources of deceit; impregnated b    chimeras they give birth to impositions. Others are like them so far that the   take more  pleasure in a lie, because it promises much, than in the truth, because it performs little. But in  the end these caprices come to a bad end, for they have no solid foundation. Only Truth can  give true reputation: only realit  can be of real profit. One deceit needs many others, and so  the whole house is built in the air and must soon come to the ground. Unfounded things never  reach old age. The   promise too much to be much trusted, just as that cannot be true which  proves too much. 

clxxvi Have Knowledge, or know those that have Knowledge. Without intelligence, either one's own or another's, true life is impossible. But many do not  know that they do not know, and many think the   know when they know nothing. Failings of  the intelligence are incorrigible, since those who do not know, do not know themselves, and  cannot therefore seek what they lack. Many would be wise if the   did not think themselves  wise. Thus it happens that though the oracles of wisdom are rare, they are rarely used. To  seek advice does not lessen greatness or argue incapacit  . On the contrar , to ask advice  proves   ou well advised. Take counsel with reason it   ou do not wish to court defeat. 

clxxvii Avoid Familiarities in Intercourse.                 
THE ART OF WORLDLY WISDOM By Balthasar Gracian  
Neither use them nor permit them. He that is familiar, loses any superiority his Influence gives  him, and so loses respect. The stars keep their brilliance by not making themselves common.  The Divine demands decorum. Every familiarity breeds contempt. In human affairs, the more  a man shows, the less he has, for in open communication   oucommunicate the failings that  reserve might keep under cover. Familiarit  is never desirable; with superiors because it is  dangerous, with inferiors because it is unbecoming, least of all with the common herd, who  become insolent from sheer folly: they mistake favour shown them for need felt of them.  Familiarit  trenches on vulgarit  . 

clxxviii Trust   our Heart, especiall  when it has been proved. Never den   it a hearing. It is a kind of house oracle that  often foretells the most important. Many have perished because they feared their own heart,  but of what use is it to fear it without finding a better remedy? Many are endowed b  Nature  with a heart so true that it always warns them of misfortune and wards off its effects. It is  unwise to seek evils, unless   ou seek to conquer them. 

clxxix Reticence is the Seal of Capacity. A breast without a secret is an open letter. Where there is a solid foundation secrets can be  kept profound: there are spacious cellars where things of moment may be hid. Reticence  springs from self-control, and to controloneself in this is a true triumph. You must pay ransom  to each   ou tell. The security of wisdom consists in temperance in the inner man. The risk that  reticence runs lies in the cross-questioning of others, in the use of contradiction to worm out  secrets, in the darts of irony: to avoid these the prudent become more reticent than before.  What must be done need not be said, and what must be said need not be done. 

clxxx Never guide the Enem  to what he has to do. The fool never does what the wise judge wise, because he does not follow up the suitable  means. He that is discreet follows still less a plan laid out, or even carried out, by another. One  has to discuss matters from both points of view--turn it over on both sides. Judgments vary;  let him that has not decided attend rather to what is possible than what is probable. Aphorisms 

181-210 clxxxi The Truth, but not the whole Truth. Nothing demands more caution than the truth: ¡¯tis the lancet of the heart. It requires as much  to tell the truth as to conceal it. A single lie destroys a whole reputation for integrit  . The  deceit is regarded as treason and the deceiver as a traitor, which is worse. Yet not all truths  can be spoken: some for our own sake, others for the sake of others. 

clxxxii A Grain of Boldness in Ever  thing. ¡¯Tis an important piece of prudence. You must moderate   our opinion of others so that   ou  may not think so high of them as to fear them. The imagination should never   ield to the  heart. Many appear great till   ou know them personall , and then dealing with them does  more to disillusionise than to raise esteem. No one o¡¯ersteps the narrow bounds of humanity:  all have their weaknesses either in heart or head. Dignit  gives apparent authorit , which is  rarel  accompanied by personal power: for Fortune often redresses the height of office by the  inferiority of the holder. The imagination always jumps too soon, and paints things in brighter  colours than the real: it thinks things not as they are but as it wishes them to be. Attentive  experience disillusionised in the past soon corrects all that. Yet if wisdom should not be  timorous, neither should foll   be rash. And if self-reliance helps the ignorant, how much more  the brave and wise?        

clxxxiii Do not hold   our Views too firml  . Every fool is fully convinced, and every one full  persuaded is a fool: the more erroneous his  judgment the more firmly he holds it. Even in cases of obvious certaint , it is fine to   ield: our  reasons for holding the view cannot escape notice, our courtes   in   ielding must be the more  recognised. Our obstinac  loses more than our victory yields: that is not to champion truth but  rather rudeness. There be some heads of iron most difficult to turn: add caprice to obstinac    and the sum is a wearisome fool. Steadfastness should be for the will, not for the mind. Yet  there are exceptions where one would fail twice, owning oneself wrong both in judgment and  in the execution of it. 

clxxxiv Do not be Ceremonious. Even in a king affectation in this was renowned for its eccentricit  . To be punctilious is to be a  bore,   et whole nations have this peculiarit . The garb of foll   is woven out of such things.  Such folk are worshippersof their own dignit ,   et show how little it is justified since the   fear  that the least thing can destroy it. It is right to demand respect, but not to be considered a  master of ceremonies. Yet it is true that a man to do without ceremonies must possess  supreme qualities. Neither affect nor despise etiquette: he cannot be great who is great at  such little things. 

clxxxv Never stake   our Credit on a single Cast; for if it miscarries the damage is irreparable. It may eas   happen that a man should fail once,  especiall  at first: circumstances are not always favourable: hence they sa , "Every dog has  his da ." Always connect   our second attempt with   our first: whether it succeed or fail, the  first will redeem the second. Always have resort to better means and appeal to more  resources. Things depend on all sorts of chances. That is why the satisfaction of success is so  rare. 

clxxxvi Recognise Faults, however high placed. Integrity cannot mistake vice even when clothed in brocade or perchance crowned with gold,  but will not be able to hide its characterfor all that. Slavery does not lose its vileness, however  it vaunt the nobility of its lord and master. Vices may stand in high place, but are low for all  that. Men can see that many a great man has great faults,   et they do not see that he is not  great because of them. The example of the great is so specious that it even glosses over  viciousness, till it may so affect those who flatter it that the   do not notice that what the    gloss over in the great they abominate in the lower classes. 

clxxxvii Do pleasant Things Yourself, unpleasant Things through Others. By the one course   ou gain goodwill, by the other   ou avoid hatred. A great man takes more  pleasure in doing a favour than in receiving one: it is the privilege of his generous nature. One  cannot easily cause pain to another without suffering pain either from sympath  or from  remorse. In high place one can only work by means of rewards and punishment, so grant the  first   ourself, inflict the other through others. Have some one against whom the weapons of  discontent, hatred, and slander may be directed. For the rage of the mob is likethat of a dog:  missing the cause of its pain it turns to bite the whip itself, and though this is not the real  culprit, it has to pay the penalties. 

clxxxviii Be the Bearer of Praise. This increases our credit for good taste, since it shows that we have learnt elsewhere to know  what is excellent, and hence how to prize it in the present compan  . It gives material for  conversation and for imitation, and encourages praiseworth   exertions. We do homage besides  in a very delicate way to the excellences before us. Others do the opposite; the   accompan   their talk with a sneer, and fancy they flatter those present by belittling the absent. This ma   serve them with superficial people, who do not notice how cunning it is to speak ill of ever    one to ever   one else. Many pursue the plan of valuing more highl   the mediocrities of the da    than the most distinguished exploits of the past. Let the cautious penetrate through these subtleties, and let him not be disma  ed b  the exaggerations of the one or made over- confident by the flatteries of the other; knowing that both act in the same way by different  methods, adapting their talk to the company they are in. 

clxxxix Utilise Another's Wants. The greater his wants the greater the turn of the screw. Philosophers sa   privation is non- existent, statesmen sa   it is all-embracing, and they are right. Many make ladders to attain  their ends out of wants of others. The   make use of the opportunity and tantalise the appetite  by pointing out the difficulty of satisfaction. The energ   of desire promises more than the  inertia of possession. The passion of desire increases with ever   increase of opposition. It is a  subtle point to satisf   the desire and   et preserve the dependence. 

cxc Find Consolation in all Things. Even the useless may find it in being immortal. No trouble without compensation. Fools are  held to be luck , and the good-luck of the ugly is proverbial. Be worth little and   ou will live  long: it is the cracked glass that never gets broken, but worries one with its durabilit  . It  seems that Fortune envies the great, so it equalises things by giving long life to the use-less, a  short one to the important. Those who bear the burden come soon to grief, while those who  are of no importance live on and on: in one case it appears so, in the other itis so. The unluck    thinks he has been for-gotten by both Death and Fortune. 

cxci Do not take Payment in Politeness; for it is a kind of fraud. Some do not need the herbs of Thessal   for their magic, for the   can  enchant fools by the grace of their salute. Theirs is the Bank of Elegance, and they pa   with  the wind of fine words. To promise ever  thing is to promise nothing: promises are the pitfalls  of fools. The true courtesy is performance of duty: the spurious and especiall  the useless is  deceit. It is not respect but rather a means to power. Obeisance is paid not to the man but to  his means, and compliments are offered not to the qualities that are recognised but to the  advantages that are desired. 

cxcii Peaceful Life, a long Life. To live, let live. Peacemakers not only live: they rule life. Hear, see, and be silent. A da    without dispute brings sleep without dreams. Long life and a pleasant one is life enough for  two: that is the fruit of peace. He has all that makes nothing of what is nothing to him. There  is no greater perversit  than to take everything to heart. There is equal foll   in troubling our  heart about what does not concern us and in not taking to heart what does. 

cxciii Watch him that begins with Another's to end with his own. Watchfulness is the only guard against cunning. Be intent on his intentions. Many succeed in  making others do their own affairs, and unless   ou possess the key to their motives   ou ma    at any moment be forced to take their chestnuts out of the fire to the damage of   our own  fingers. 

cxciv Have reasonable Views of Yourself and of   our Affairs, especiall  in the beginning of life. Every one has a high opinion of himself, especiall  those  who have least ground for it. Every one dreams of his good-luck and thinks himself a wonder.  Hope gives rise to extravagant promises which experience does not fulfil. Such idle  imaginations merel   serve as a well-spring of anno  ance when disillusion comes with the true realit  . The wise man anticipates such errors: he ma  always hope for thebest. but he always  expects the worst, so as to receive what comes with equanimit  . True, It is wise to aim high so  as to hit   our mark, but not so high that   ou miss  our mission at the very beginning of life.  This correction of the ideas is necessar , because before experience comes expectation is sure  to soar too high. The best panacea against foll  is prudence. If a man knows the true sphere of his activity and position, the can reconcile his ideals with reality. 

cxcv Know how to Appreciate. There is none who cannot teach somebody something, and there is none so excellent but he is  excelled. To know how to make use of ever   one is useful knowledge. Wise men appreciate all  men, for they see the good in each and know how hard it is to make anything good. Fools  depreciate all men, not recognising the good and selecting the bad. 

cxcvi Know   our ruling Star. None so helpless as not to have one; if he is unluck , that is because he does not know it.  Some stand high in the favour of princes and potentates without knowing wh  or  wherefore,except that good luck itself has granted them favour on easy terms, merel    requiring them to aid it with a little exertion. Others find favour with the wise. One man is  better received by one nation than by another, or is more welcome in one cit   than in another.  He finds more luck in one office or position than another, and all this though his qualifications  are equal or even identical. Luck shuffles the cards how and when she will. Let each man know  his luck as well as his talents, for on this depends whether he loses or wins. Follow   our  guiding star and help it without mistaking any other for it, for that would be to miss the North,  though its neighbour (the polestar) calls us to it with a voice of thunder. 

cxcvii Do not carry Fools on our Back. He that does not know a fool when he sees him is one himself: still more he that knows him  but will not keep clear of him. They are dangerous compan  and ruinous confidants. Even  though their own caution and others' care keeps them in bounds for a time, still at length the    are sure to do or to say some foolishness which is all the greater for being kept so long in  stock. The   cannot helpanother's credit who have none of their own. The   are most unluck ,  which is the Nemesis of fools, and they have to pay for one thing or the other. There is onl   one thing which is not so bad about them, and this is that though the   can be of no use to the  wise, they can be of much use to them as signposts or as warnings. 

cxcviii Know how to transplant Yourself. There are nations with whom one must cross their borders to make one's value felt, especiall   in great posts. Their native land is always a stepmother to great talents: envy flourishes there  on its native soil, and the   remember one's small beginnings rather than the greatness one  has reached. A needle is appreciated that comes from one end of the world to the other, and a  piece of painted glass might outvie the diamond in value if it comes from afar. Everything  foreign is respected, partly because it comes from afar, partly because It is ready made and  perfect. We have seen persons once the laughing-stock of their village and now the wonder of  the whole world, honoured by their fellow-countrymen and by the foreigners [among whom  they dwell]; by the latter because the  come from afar, by the former because they are seen  from afar. The statue on the altar is never reverenced by him who knew it as a trunk in the  garden. 

cxcix To find a proper Place by Merit, not by Presumption. The true road to respect is through merit, and if industry accompany merit the path becomes  shorter. Integrity alone is not sufficient, push and insistence is degrading, for things arrive b    that means so besprinkled with dust that the discredit destroys reputation. The true way is the  middle one, half-wa   between de-serving a place and pushing oneself into it.

cc Leave Something to wish for, so as not to be miserable from very happiness. The body must respire and the soul aspire. If  one possessed all, all would be disillusion and discontent. Even in knowledge there should be  always something left to know in order to arouse curiosit  and excite hope. Surfeits of  happiness are fatal. In giving assistance it is a piece of policy not to satisfy entirel . If there is  nothing left to desire, there is everything to fear, an unhappystate of happiness. When desire  dies, fear is born. 

cci They are all Fools who seem so besides half the rest. Folly arose with the world, and if there be any wisdom it is folly compared with the divine. But  the greatest fool is he who thinks he is not one and all others are. To be wise It is not enough  to seem wise, least of all to oneself. He knows who does not think that he knows, and he does  not see who does not see that others see. Though all the world is full of fools, there is none  that thinks himself one, or even suspects the fact. 

ccii Words and Deeds make the Perfect Man. One should speak well and act honourably: the one is an excellence of the head, the other of  the heart, and both arise from nobilit  of soul. Words are the shadows of deeds; the former  are feminine, the latter masculine. It is more important to be renowned than to conve    renown. Speech is eas , action hard. Actions are the stuff of life, words its fripper  . Eminent  deeds endure, striking words pass awa  . Actions are the fruit of thought; if this is wise, the   are effective. 

cciii Know the great Men of   our Age. They are not man . There is one Ph?nix in the whole world, one great general, one perfect  orator, one true philosopher in a centur  , a reall  illustrious king in several. Mediocrities are as  numerous as they are worth-less: eminent greatness is rare in every respect, since it needs  complete perfection, and the higher the species the more difficult is the highest rank in it.  Many have claimed the title "Great," like Caesar and Alexander, but in vain, for without great  deeds the title is a mere breath of air. There have been few Senecas, and fame records but  one Apelles. 

cciv Attempt easy Tasks as if they were difficult, and difficult as if they were eas  . In the one case that confidence may not fall asleep, in the other that it may not be disma  ed.  For a thing to remain undone nothing more is needed than to think it done. On the other hand,  patient industry overcomes impossibilities. Great undertakings are not to be brooded over, lest  their difficult  when seen causes despair. 

ccv Know how to pla   the Card of Contempt. It is a shrewd way of getting things   ou want, by affecting to depreciate them: generall  the    are not to be had when sought for, but fall into one's hands when one is not looking for them.  As all mundane things are but shadows of the things eternal, they share with shadows this  qualit  , that they flee from him who follows them and follow him that flees from them.  Contempt is besides the most subtle form of revenge. It is a fixed rule with the wise never to  defend themselves with the pen. For such defence always leaves a stain, and does more to  glorif   one's opponent than to punish his offence. It is a trick of the worthless to stand forth as  opponents of great men, so as to win notoriety by a roundabout wa , which the   would never  do by the straight road of merit. There are man   we would not have heard of if their eminent  
opponents had not taken notice of them. There is no revenge like oblivion, through which the    are buried in the dust of their unworthiness. Audacious persons hope to make themselves  eternally famous by setting fire to one of the wonders of the world and of the ages. The art of  reproving scandal is totake no notice of it, to combat it damages our own case; even if  credited it causes discredit, and is a source of satisfaction to our opponent, for this shadow of  a stain dulls the lustre of our fame even if it cannot altogether deaden it. 

ccvi Know that there are vulgar Natures everywhere, even in Corinth itself, even in the highest families. Ever   one ma  try the experiment within  his own gates. But there is also such a thing as vulgar opposition to vulgarit , which is worse.  This special kind shares all the qualities of the common kind, just as bits of a broken glass: but  this kind is still more pernicious; it speaks foll , blames impertinentl , is a disciple of  ignorance, a patron of foll , and past master of scandal;   ou need not notice what it says, still  less what it thinks. It is important to know vulgarit  in order to avoid it, whether it is  subjective or objective. For all folly is vulgarit  , and the vulgar consist of fools. 

ccvii Be Moderate. One has to consider the chance of a mischance. The impulses of the passions causeprudence  to slip, and there is the risk of ruin. A moment of wrath or of pleasure carries   ou on farther  than man   hours of calm, and often a short diversion ma  put a whole life to shame. The  cunning of others uses such moments of temptation to search the recesses of the mind: the    use such thumbscrews as are wont to test the best caution. Moderation serves as a  counterplot, especiall  in sudden emergencies. Much thought is needed to prevent a passion  taking the bit in the teeth, and he is doubly wise who is wise on horseback. He who knows the  danger may with care pursue his journe  . Light as a word ma  appear to him who throws it  out, it may import much to him that hears it and ponders on it. 

ccviii Do not die of the Fools' Disease. The wise generally die after they have lost their reason: fools before the   have found it. To die  of the fools' disease is to die of too much thought. Some die because the   think and feel too  much: others live because they do not think and feel: these are fools because they do not die  of sorrow, the others because they do. A fool is he that dies of too much knowledge: thus  some die because they are tooknowing, others because they are not knowing enough. Yet  though many die like fools, few die fools. 

ccix Keep Yourself free from common Follies. This is a special stroke of polic  . They are of special power because the   are general, so that  man   who would not be led awa   by any individual folly cannot escape the universal failing.  Among these are to be counted the common prejudice that any one is satisfied with his  fortune, however great, or unsatisfied with his intellect, however poor it is. Or again, that  each, being discontented with his own lot, envies that of others; or further, that persons of to- da   praise the things of   esterda , and those here the things there. Ever  thing past seems  best and ever  thing distant is more valued. He is as great a fool that laughs at all as he that  weeps at all. 

ccx Know how to play the Card of Truth. ¡¯Tis dangerous,   et a good man cannot avoid speaking it. But great skill is needed here: the  most expert doctors of the soul pa   great attention to the means of sweetening the pill of  truth. For when it deals with the destro  ingof illusion it is the quintessence of bitterness. A  pleasant manner has here an opportunit  for a display of skill: with the same truth it can  flatter one and fell another to the ground. Matters of to-da   should be treated as if they were 
long past. For those who can understand a word is sufficient, and if it does not suffice, it is a  case for silence. Princes must not be cured with bitter draughts; it is therefore desirable in  their case to gild the pill of disillusion. Aphorisms 
211-240 ccxi In Heaven all is bliss: in Hell all miser  . On earth, between the two, both one thing and the other. We stand between  the two extremes, and therefore share both. Fate varies: all is not good luck nor all  mischance. This world is merely zero: by itself it is of no value, but with Heaven in Front of it,  it means much. Indifference at its ups and downs is prudent, nor is there any novelt   for the  wise. Our life gets as complicated as a comed   as it goes on, but the complications get  gradually resolved: see that the curtain comes down on a good d¨¦noument. 

ccxii Keep to Yourself the final Touches of   our Art. This is a maxim of the great masters who pride themselves on this subtlet   in teaching their  pupils: one must always remain superior, remain master. One must teach an art artfull  . The  source of knowledge need not be pointed out no more than that of giving. By this means a  man preserves the respect and the dependence of others. In amusing and teaching   ou must  keep to the rule: keep up expectation and advance in perfection. To keep a reserve is a great  rule for life and for success, especially for those in high place. 

ccxiii Know how to Contradict. A chief means of finding things out--to embarrass others without being embarrassed. The true  thumbscrew, it brings the passions into pla  . Tepid incredulit  acts as an emetic on secrets. It  is the key to a locked-up breast, and with great subtlet   makes a double trial of both mind and  will. A sl   depreciation of another's mysterious word scents out the profoundest secrets; some  sweet bait brings them into the mouth till the   fall from the tongue and are caught in the net  of astute deceit. By reserving   our attention the other becomes less attentive, and lets his  thoughts appear while otherwise his heart were inscrutable. An affected doubt is the subtlest  picklock that curiosit  can use to find out what it wants to know. Also in learning it is a subtle  plan of the pupil to contradict the master, who thereupon takes pains to explain the truth more  thoroughl   and with more force, so that a moderate contradiction produces complete  instruction. 

ccxiv Do not turn one Blunder into two. It is quite usual to commit four others in order to remedy one, or to excuse one piece of  impertinence by still another. Folly is either related to, or identical with the family of Lies, for in  both cases it needs many to support one. The worst of a bad case is having to fight it, and  worse than the ill itself is not being able to conceal it. The annuit   of one failing serves to  support many others. A wise man ma   make one slip but never two, and that onl   in running,  not while standing still. 

ccxv Watch him that acts on Second Thoughts. It is a device of business men to put theopponent off his guard before attacking him, and thus  to conquer by being defeated: they dissemble their desire so as to attain it. The   put  themselves second so as to come out first in the final spurt. This method rarel  fails if it is not  noticed. Let therefore the attention never sleep when the intention is so wide awake. And if  the other puts himself second so to hide his plan, put   ourself first to discover it. Prudence can  discern the artifices which such a man uses, and notices the pretexts he puts forward to gain          
his ends. He aims at one thing to get another: then he turns round smartly and fires straight  at his target. It is well to know what   ou grant him, and at times it is desirable to give him to  understand that   ou understand. 

ccxvi Be Expressive. This depends not only on the clearness but also on the vivacity of   our thoughts. Some have  an easy conception but a hard labour, for without clearness the children of the mind, thoughts  and judgments, cannot be brought into the world. Many have a capacit   like that of vessels  with a large mouth and a small vent. Others again sa   more than the   think.Resolution for the  will, expression for the thought: two great gifts. Plausible minds are applauded:   et confused  ones are often venerated just because they are not understood, and at times obscurity is  convenient if   ou wish to avoid vulgarity;   et how shall the audience understand one that  connects no definite idea with what he says? 

ccxvii Neither Love nor Hate, for ever Trust the friends of to-day as if the   will be enemies to-morrow, and that of the worst kind. As  this happens in realit  , let it happen in   our precaution. Do not put weapons in the hand for  deserters from friendship to wage war with. On the other hand, leave the door of reconciliation  open for enemies, and if it is also the gate of generosit   so much the more safe. The  vengeance of long ago is at times the torment of to-da  , and the jo   over the ill we have done  is turned to grief, 

ccxviii Never act from Obstinac  but from Knowledge. All obstinac   is an excrescence of the mind, a grandchild of passion which never did anything  right. There are persons who makea war out of everything, real banditti of intercourse. All that  they undertake must end in victory; they do not know how to get on in peace. Such men are  fatal when they rule and govern, for they make government rebellion, and enemies out of  those whom the   ought to regard as children. They try to effect everything with strategy and  treat it as the fruit of their skill. But when others have recognised their perverse humour all  revolt against them and learn to overturn their chimerical plans, and the   succeed in nothing  but only heap up a mass of troubles, since ever  thing serves to increase their disappointment.  They have a head turned and a heart spoilt. Nothing can be done with such monsters except  to flee from them, even to the Antipodes, where the savager   is easier to bear than their  loathsome nature. 

ccxix Do not pass for a Hypocrite, though such men are indispensable nowadays. Be considered rather prudent than astute.  Sincerit  in behaviour pleases all, though not all can show it in their own affairs. Sincerit   should not degenerate into simplicit  nor sagacity into cunning. Berather respected as wise  than feared as sl  . The open-hearted are loved but deceived. The great art consists in  disclosing what is thought to be deceit. In the golden age simplicit  flourished, in these days  of iron cunning. 'The reputation of being a man who knows what he has to do is honourable  and inspires confidence, but to be considered a hypocrite is deceptive and arouses mistrust. 

ccxx If you cannot clothe Yourself in Lionskin use Foxpelt. To follow the times is to lead them. He that gets what he wants never loses his reputation.  Cleverness when force will not do. One way or another, the king's highwa   of valour or the  bypath of cunning. Skill has effected more than force, and astuteness has conquered courage  more often than the other wa  . When   ou cannot get a thing then is the time to despise it. 
 
ccxxi Do not seize Occasions to embarrass Yourself or Others. There are some men stumbling-blocks of good manners either for themselves or for others:  they are always on the point of some stupidit  . Youmeet with them easil  and part from them  uneasil . A hundred anno  ances a day is nothing to them. Their humour always strokes the  wrong wa   since they contradict all and ever  . The   put on the judgment cap wrong side  foremost and thus condemn all. Yet the greatest test of others' patience and prudence are just  those who do no good and speak ill of all. There are many monsters in the wide realm of  Indecorum. 

ccxxii Reserve is proof of Prudence. The tongue is a wild beast; once let loose it is difficult to chain. It is the pulse of the soul b   which wise men judge of its health: by this pulse a careful observer feels every movement of  the heart. The worst is that he who should be most reserved is the least. The sage saves  himself from worries and embarrassments, and shows his master  over himself. He goes his  way carefull , a Janus for impartialit , an Argus for watchfulness. Truly Momus had better  placed the e  es in the hand than the window in the breast. 

ccxxiii Be not Eccentric, neither from affectation nor carelessness. Many have some remarkable and individual qualit   leading to eccentric actions. These are more defects than excellent differences. And just as  some are known for some special ugliness, so these for something repellant in their outward  behaviour. Such eccentricities simply serve as trademarks through their atrocious singularity:  they cause either derision or ill-will. 

ccxxiv Never take Things against the Grain, no matter how they come. Ever  thing has a smooth and a seamy side, and the best weapon  wounds if taken by the blade, while the enemy's spear may be our best protection if taken b    the staff. Man  things cause pain which would cause pleasure if   ou regarded their  advantages. There is a favourable and an unfavourable side to ever  thing, the cleverness  consists in finding out the favourable. The same thing looks quite different in another light;  look at it therefore on its best side and do not exchange good for evil. Thus it haps that man   find jo , many grief, in ever  thing. This remark is a great protection against the frowns of  fortune, and a weighty rule of life for all times and all conditions. 

ccxxv Know   our chief Fault. There lives none that has not in himself' a counterbalance to his most conspicuous merit: if  this be nourished by desire it may grow to be a tyrant. Commence war against it, summoning  prudence as   our all , and the first thing to do is the public manifesto, for an evil once known  is soon conquered, especially when the one afflicted regards it in the same light as the  onlookers. To be master of oneself one should know oneself. If the chief imperfection  surrender, the rest will come to an end. 

ccxxvi Take care to be Obliging. Most talk and act, not as the   are, but as they are obliged. To persuade people of ill is easy for  an , since the ill is easily credited even when at times it is incredible. The best we have  depends on the opinion of others. Some are satisfied if they have right on their side, but that  is not enough, for it must be assisted by energ  . To oblige persons often costs little and helps much. With words   ou may purchase deeds. In this great house of the world there is no  chamber so hid that it may not be wanted one da   in the   ear, and then   ou would miss it  however little is itsworth. Every one speaks of a subject according to his feelings. 

ccxxvii Do not be the Slave of First Impressions. Some marry the very first account the   hear: all others must live with them as concubines.  But as a lie has swift legs, the truth with them can find no lodging. We should neither satisf   our will with the first object nor our mind with the first proposition: for that were superficial.  Many are like new casks who keep the scent of the first liquor they hold, be it good or bad. If  this superficialit  becomes known, it becomes fatal, for it then gives opportunit   for cunning  mischief; the ill-minded hasten to colour the mind of the credulous. Always therefore leave  room for a second hearing. Alexander always kept one ear for the other side. Wait for the  second or even third edition of news. To be the slave of   our impressions argues want of  capacit , and is not far from being the slave of   our passions. 

ccxxviii Do not be a Scandal-monger. Still less pass for one, for that means to be considered a slanderer. Do not be witty atthe cost  of others: it is easy but hateful. All men have their revenge on such an one by speaking ill of  him, and as they are many and he but one, he is more likely to be overcome than the    convinced. Evil should never be our pleasure, and therefore never our theme. The backbiter is  always hated, and if now and then one of the great consorts with him, it is less from pleasure  in his sneers than from esteem for his insight. He that speaks ill will always hear worse. 

ccxxix Plan out   our Life wisel  , not as chance will have it, but with prudence and foresight. Without amusements it is  wearisome, like a long journey where there are no inns: manifold knowledge gives manifold  pleasure. The first day's journey of a noble life should be passed in conversing with the dead:  we live to know and to know our-selves: hence true books make us trul  men. The second da    should be spent with the living, seeing and noticing all the good in the world. Ever  thing is not  to be found in a single countr  . The Universal Father has divided His gifts, and at times has  given the richest dower to the ugliest. The third da  isentirely for oneself. The last felicity is to  be a philosopher. 

ccxxx Open   our E  es betimes. Not all that see have their e  es open, nor do all those see that look. To come up to things too  late is more worry than help. Some just begin to see when there is nothing more to see: the    pull their houses about their ears before they come to themselves. It is difficult to give sense  to those who have no power of will, still more difficult to give energy to those who have no  sense. Those who surround them play with them a game of blind man's buff, making them the  butts of others, and be-cause they are hard of hearing, they do not open their e  es to see.  There are often those who encourage such insensibility on which their very existence depends.  Unhapp  steed whose rider is blind: it will never grow sleek. 

ccxxxi Never let Things be seen half-finished. They can onl   be enjo  ed when complete. All beginnings are misshapen, and this deformit    sticks in the imagination. The recollection of having seen a thing imperfect disturbs our  enjoyment of it when completed. To swallow something great at one gulp may disturb the  judgment of the separate parts, but satisfies the taste. Till a thing is everything, it is nothing,  and while it is in process of being it is still nothing. To see the tastiest dishes prepared arouses  rather disgust than appetite. Let each great master take care not to let his work be seen in its  embr  onic stages: they might take this lesson from Dame Nature, who never brings the child  to the light till it is fit to be seen. 

ccxxxii Have a Touch of the Trader.   
Life should not be all thought: there should be action as well. Ver   wise folk are generall   easil  deceived, for while they know out-of-the-way things they do not know the ordinar   things of life, which are much more needful. The observation of higher things leaves them no  time for things close at hand. Since they know not the ver   first thing they should know, and  what ever  body knows so well, they are either considered or thought ignorant by the  superficial multitude. Let therefore the prudent take care to have something of the trader  about him--enough to prevent him being deceived and so laughed at, Be a man adapted to the  daily round, which if not the highest is the most necessary thing in life. Of what use is  knowledge if it is not practical, and to know how to live is nowadays the true knowledge. 
ccxxxiii Let not the proffered Morsel be distasteful; otherwise it gives more discomfort than pleasure. Some displease when attempting to oblige,  because they take no account of varieties of taste. What is flattery to one is an offence to  another, and in attempting to be useful one ma  become insulting. It often costs more to  displease a man than it would have cost to please him:   ou thereby lose both gift and thanks  because   ou have lost the compass which steers for pleasure. He who knows not another's  taste, knows not how to please him. Thus it haps that many insult where the   mean to praise,  and get soundl   punished, and rightl  so. Others desire to charm by their conversation, and  only succeed in boring by their loquacit  . 

ccxxxiv Never trust   our Honour to another, unless   ou have his in Pledge. Arrange that silence is a mutual advantage;disclosure a danger to both. Where honour is at  stake   ou must act with a partner, so that each must be careful of the other's honour for the  sake of his own. Never entrust   our honour to another; but if   ou have, let caution surpass  prudence. Let the danger be in common and the risk mutual, so that   our partner cannot turn  king's evidence. 

ccxxxv Know how to Ask. With some nothing easier: with others nothing so difficult. For there are men who cannot  refuse: with them no skill is required. But with others their first word at all times is No; with  them great art is required, and with all the propitious moment. Surprise them when in a  pleasant mood, when a repast of body or soul has just left them refreshed, if onl   their  shrewdness has not anticipated the cunning of the applicant. The days of jo   are the days of  favour, for joy overflows from the inner man into the outward creation. It is no use appl  ing  when another has been refused, since the objection to a No has just been overcome. Nor is it  a good time after sorrow. To oblige a person beforehand is a sure wa , unless he is mean. 

ccxxxvi Make an Obligation beforehand of what would have to be a Reward afterwards. This is a stroke of subtle policy; to grant favours before the   are deserved is a proof of being  obliging. Favours thus granted beforehand have two great advantages: the promptness of the  gift obliges the recipient the more strongly; and the same gift which would afterwards be  merel   a reward is beforehand an obligation. This is a subtle means of transforming  obligations, since that which would have forced the superior to reward is changed into one that  obliges the one obliged to satisfy the obligation. But this is onl  suitable for men who have the  feeling of obligation, since with men of lower stamp the honorarium paid beforehand acts  rather as a bit than as a spur. 

ccxxxvii Never share the Secrets of   our Superiors.
You may think   ou will share pears, but   ou will only share parings. Many have been ruined b    being confidants: the   are like sops of bread used as forks, they run the same risk of being  eaten up afterwards. It is no favour in a prince to share a secret: it is only a relief. Many break  the mirror that reminds them of their ugliness. We donot like seeing those who have seen us  as we are: nor is he seen In a favourable light who has seen us in an unfavourable one. None  ought to be too much beholden to us, least of all one of the great, unless it be for benefits  done him rather than for such favours received from him. Especiall  dangerous are secrets  entrusted to friends. He that communicates his secret to another makes himself that other's  slave. With a prince this is an intolerable position which cannot last. He will desire to recover  his lost libert , and to gain it will overturn ever  thing, including right and reason. Accordingl   neither tell secrets nor listen to them. 

ccxxxviii Know what is wanting in Yourself. Many would have been great personages if they had not had something wanting without which  they could not rise to the height of perfection. It is remarkable with some that they could be  much better if they could he better in something. The   do not perhaps take themselves  seriousl  enough to do justice to their great abilities; some are wanting in geniality of  disposition, a qualit  which their entourage soon find the want of, especiall  ifthey are in high  office. Some are without organising abilit , others lack moderation. In all such cases a careful  man may make of habit a second nature. 

ccxxxix Do not be Captious. It is much more important to be sensible. To know more than is necessar   blunts   our  weapons, for fine points generall  bend or break. Common-sense truth is the surest. It is well  to know but not to niggle. Length  comment leads to disputes. It is much better to have sound  sense, which does not wander from the matter in hand. 

ccxl Make use of Foll  . The wisest pla   this card at times, and there are times when the greatest wisdom lies in  seeming not to be wise. You need not be unwise, but merel   affect unwisdom. To be wise with  fools and foolish with the wise were of little use. Speak to each in his own language. He is no  fool who affects foll , but he is who suffers from it. Ingenuous foll   rather than the pretended  is the true foolishness, since cleverness has arrived at such a pitch. To be well liked one must  dress in the skin of the simplest of animals. Aphorisms 

241-270 ccxli Put up with Railler , but do not practise it. The first is a form of courtes  , the second ma  lead to embarrassment. To snarl at pla   has  something of the beast and seems to have more. Audacious raillery is delightful: to stand it  proves power. To show oneself anno  ed causes the other to be anno  ed. Best leave it alone;  the surest wa   not to put on the cap that might fit. The most serious matters have arisen out  of jests. Nothing requires more tact and attention. Before   ou begin to joke know how far the  subject of   our joke is able to bear it.      

ccxlii Push Advantages. Some put all their strength in the commencement and never carr   a thing to a conclusion.  They invent but never execute. These be paltering spirits. The   obtain no fame, for the    sustain no game to the end. Everything stops at a single stop. This arises in some from  impatience, which is the failing of the Spaniard, as patience is the virtue of the Belgian. The  latter bring things to an end, the former come to an end with things. They sweat away till the  obstacle is surmounted, but content themselves with surmounting it: theydo not know how to  push the victory home. They prove that they can but will not: but this proves always that the    cannot, or have no stabilit  . If the undertaking is good, why not finish it? If it is bad, wh   undertake it? Strike down   our quarr , if   ou are wise; be not content to flush it. 

ccxliii Do not be too much of a Dove. Alternate the cunning of the serpent with the candour of the dove. Nothing is easier than to  deceive an honest man. He believes in much who lies in naught; who does no deceit, has  much confidence. To be deceived is not always due to stupidit  , it may arise from sheer  goodness. There are two sets of men who can guard themselves from injury: those who have  experienced it at their own cost, and those who have observed it at the cost of others.  Prudence should use as much suspicion as subtlety uses snares, and none need be so good as  to enable others to do him ill. Combine in   ourself the dove and the serpent, not as a monster  but as a prodig  .

ccxliv Create a feeling of Obligation. Some transform favours received into favoursbestowed, and seem, or let it be thought, that  they are doing a favour when receiving one. There are some so astute that they get honour b    asking, and buy their own advantage with applause from others. The   manage matters so  cleverly that they seem to be doing others a service when receiving one from them. The   transpose the order of obligation with extraordinary skill, or at least render it doubtful who has  obliged whom. They buy the best by praising it, and make a flattering honour out of the  pleasure they express. They oblige by their courtes  , and thus make men beholden for what  they themselves should be beholden. In this way they conjugate "to oblige" in the active  instead of in the passive voice, thereby proving themselves better politicians than  grammarians. This is a subtle piece of finesse; a still greater is to perceive it, and to retaliate  on such fools' bargains by pa  ing in their own coin, and so coming by   our own again. 

ccxlv Original and out-of-the-way Views are signs of superior abilit  . We do not think much of a man who never contradicts us that is  no sign he loves us, but rather that he loves himself. Do not be deceived by flatter  ,and  thereby have to pay for it: rather condemn it. Besides   ou may take credit for being censured  by some, especiall  if the   are those of whom the good speak ill. On the contrar , it should  disturb us if our affairs please ever   one, for that is a sign that they are of little worth.  Perfection is for the few. 

ccxlvi Never offer Satisfaction unless it is demanded. And if they do demand it, it is a kind of crime to give more than necessar  . To excuse oneself  before there is occasion is to accuse oneself. To draw blood in full health gives the hint to ill- will. An excuse unexpected arouses suspicion from its slumbers. Nor need a shrewd person  show himself aware of another's suspicion, which is equivalent to seeking out offence. He had  best disarm distrust by the integrit  of his conduct. 

ccxlvii Know a little more, live a little less. Some say the opposite. To be at ease is better than to be at business. Nothing reall  belongs  to us but time, which even he has who has nothing else. It is equally unfortunate to waste   our precious life in mechanical tasksor in a profusion of important work. Do not heap up  occupation and thereby envy: otherwise   ou complicate life and exhaust   our mind. Some  wish to apply the same principle to knowledge, but unless one knows one does not trul  live. 

ccxlviii Do not go with the last Speaker. There are persons who go b  the latest edition, and thereby go to irrational extremes. Their  feelings and desires are of wax: the last comer stamps them with his seal and obliterates all  previous impressions. These never gain an  thing, for the   lose everything so soon. Ever   one  d  es them with his own colour. They are of no use as confidants; they remain children their  whole life. Owing to this instabilit  of feeling and volition, they halt along cripples in will and  thought, and totter from one side of the road to the other. 

ccxlix Never begin Life with what should end it. Many take their amusement at the beginning, putting off anxiety to the end; but the essential  should come first and accessories afterwards if there is room. Others wish to triumph  beforethey have fought. Others again begin with learning things of little consequence and  leave studies that would bring them fame and gain to the end of life. Another is just about to  make his fortune when he disappears from the scene. Method is essential for knowledge and  for life. ccl When to change the Conversation. When they talk scandal. With some all goes contrariwise: their No is Yes, and their Yes No. If  they speak ill of a thing it is the highest praise. For what the   want for them-selves the    depreciate to others. To praise a thing is not always to speak well of it, for some, to avoid  praising what's good, praise what's bad, and nothing is good for him for whom nothing is bad. ccli Use human Means as if there were no divine ones, and divine as if there were no human  ones. A masterl  rule: it needs no comment. cclii Neither belong entirel  to Yourself nor entirel  to Others. Both are mean forms of t  rann  . To desire to be all for oneself is the same as desiring tohave  all for oneself. Such persons will not yield a jot or lose a tittle of their comfort. They are rarel   beholden, lean on their own luck, and their crutch generally breaks. It is convenient at times  to belong to others, that others ma  belong to us. And he that holds public office is no more  nor less than a public slave, or let a man give up both berth and burthen, as the old woman  said to Hadrian. On the other hand, others are all for others, which is foll  , that always flies to  extremes, in this case in a most unfortunate manner. No da , no hour, is their own, but the   have so much too much of others that the   may be called the slaves of all. This applies even  to knowledge, where a man may know everything for others and nothing for himself. A shrewd  man knows that others when they seek him do not seek him, but their advantage in him and  by him. ccliii Do not Explain overmuch. Most men do not esteem what they understand, and venerate what they do not see. To be  valued things should cost dear: what is not understood becomes overrated. You have to  appear wiser and more prudent than herequires with whom   ou deal, if   ou desire to give him  a high opinion of   ou:  et in this there should be moderation and no excess. And though with  sensible people common sense holds its own, with most men a little elaboration is necessar  .  Give them no time for blame: occupy them with understanding   our drift. Many praise a thing                    THE ART OF WORLDLY WISDOM By Balthasar Gracian 
without being able to tell wh , if asked. The reason is that they venerate the unknown as a  myster  , and praise it because the   hear it praised. ccliv Never despise an Evil, however small, for they never come alone: they are linked together like pieces of good fortune. Fortune and  misfortune generall  go to find their fellows. Hence all avoid the unlucky and associate with  the fortunate. Even the doves with all their innocence resort to the whitest walls. Everything  fails with the unfortunate--himself, his words, and his luck. Do not wake Misfortune when she  sleeps. One slip is a little thing:   et some fatal loss may follow it till   ou do not know where it  will end. For just as no happiness is perfect, so no ill-luck is complete. Patience serves with  what comes from above; prudence with that from below. cclv Do Good a little at a time, but often. One should never give be  ond the possibilit  of return. Who gives much does not give but  sells. Nor drain gratitude to the dregs, for when the recipient sees all return is impossible he  breaks off correspondence. With many persons it is not necessar   to do more than overburden  them with favours to lose them altogether: they cannot repay   ou, and so they retire,  preferring rather to be enemies than perpetual debtors. The idol never wishes to see before  him the sculptor who shaped him, nor does the benefited wish to see his benefactor always  before his e  es. There is a great subtlety in giving what costs little   et is much desired, so that  it is esteemed the more. cclvi Go armed against Discourtes  , and against perfid , presumption, and all other kinds of foll  . There is much of it in the world,  and prudence lies in avoiding a meeting with it. Arm   ourself each day before the mirror of  attention with the weapons of defence. Thus   ou will beat down the attacks of foll . Be  prepared for the occasion, and do not expose   our reputationto vulgar contingencies. Armed  with prudence, a man cannot be disarmed by impertinence. The road of human intercourse is  difficult, for it is full of ruts which ma  jolt our credit. Best to take a b  wa , taking Ulysses as a  model of shrewdness. Feigned misunderstanding is of great value in such matters. Aided b   politeness it helps us over all, and is often the only way out of difficulties. cclvii Never let Matters come to a Rupture, for our reputation always comes injured out of the encounter. Every one may be of importance  as an enemy if not as a friend. Few can do us good, almost any can do us harm. In Jove's  bosom itself even his eagle never nestles securely from the da   he has quarrelled with a  beetle. Hidden foes use the paw of the declared enemy to stir up the fire, and meanwhile the    lie in ambush for such an occasion. Friends provoked become the bitterest of enemies. The   cover their own failings with the faults of others. Ever   one speaks as things seem to him, and  things seem as he wishes them to appear. All blame us at the beginning for want of foresight,  at the end for lack of patience, at all times forimprudence. If, however, a breach is inevitable,  let it be rather excused as a slackening of friendship than by an outburst of wrath: here is a  good application of the sa  ing about a good retreat. cclviii Find out some one to share   our Troubles. You will never be all alone, even in dangers, nor bear all the burden of hate. Some think b   their high position to carr   off the whole glor  of success, and have to bear the whole  humiliation of defeat. In this way they have none to excuse them, none to share the blame.  Neither fate nor the mob are so bold against two. Hence the wise physician, if he has failed to  cure, looks out for some one who, under the name of a consultation, may help him carry out,    
the corpse. Share weight and woe, for misfortune falls with double force on him that stands  alone. cclix Anticipate Injuries and turn them into Favours. It is wiser to avoid than to revenge them. It is an uncommon piece of shrewdness to change a  rival into a confidant, or transform into guards of honour those who were aimingattacks at us.  It helps much to know how to oblige, for he leaves no time for injuries that fills it up with  gratitude. That is true savoir faire to turn anxieties into pleasures. Try and make a confidential  relation out of ill-will itself. 

cclx We belong to none and none to us, entirel  . Neither relationship nor friendship nor the most intimate connection is sufficient to effect this.  To give one's whole confidence is quite different from giving one's regard. The closest intimac   has its exceptions, without which the laws of friendship would be broken. The friend always  keeps one secret to himself, and even the son always hides something from his father. Some  things are kept from one that are revealed to another and vice versa. In this wa   one reveals  all and conceals all, by making a distinction among the persons with whom we are connected. 

cclxi Do not follow up a Foll . Many make an obligation out of a blunder, and because they have entered the wrong path  think it proves their strength of character to go on in it. Within they regret their error,  whileoutwardly they excuse it. At the beginning of their mistake they were regarded as  inattentive, in the end as fools. Neither an unconsidered promise nor a mistaken resolution are  really binding. Yet some continue in their folly and prefer to be constant fools. 

cclxii Be able to Forget. It is more a matter of luck than of skill. The things we remember best are those better for- gotten. Memor  is not only unrul , leaving us in the lurch when most needed, but stupid as  well, putting its nose into places where it is not wanted. In painful things it is active, but  neglectful in recalling the pleasurable. Very often the onl   remed   for the ill is to forget it, and  all we forget is the remed  . Nevertheless one should cultivate good habits of memor , for it is  capable of making existence a Paradise or an Inferno. The happ  are an exception who enjo    innocentl  their simple happiness. 

cclxiii Many things of Taste one should not possess oneself. One enjoys them better if another's than if one's own. The owner has the good of them the  first da  , for all the rest of the time the  are for others. You take a double enjoyment in other  men's propert , being without fear of spoiling it and with the pleasure of novelt  . Ever  thing  tastes better for having been without it: even water from another's well tastes like nectar.  Possession not alone hinders enjoyment: it increases anno  ance whether   ou lend or keep.  You gain nothing except keeping things for or from others, and by this means gain more  enemies than friends. 

cclxiv Have no careless Days. Fate loves to play tricks, and will heap up chances to catch us unawares. Our intelligence,  prudence, and courage, even our beaut , must always be read  for trial. For their da   of  careless trust will be that of their discredit. Care always fails just when it was most wanted. It  is thoughtlessness that trips us up into destruction. Accordingl  it is a piece of military
strateg   to put perfection to its trial when unprepared. The days of parade are known and are  allowed to pass b , but the da   is chosen when least expected so as to put valour to the  severest test. 

cclxv Set those under you difficult Task, Many have proved themselves able at oncewhen they had to deal with a difficult  , just as fear  of drowning makes a swimmer of a man, In this way many have discovered their own courage,  knowledge, or tact, which but for the opportunity would have been for ever buried beneath  their want of enterprise. Dangers are the occasions to create a name for oneself; and if a  noble mind sees honour at stake, he will do the work of thousands. Queen Isabella the  Catholic knew well this rule of life, as well as all the others, and to a shrewd favour of this kind  from her the Great Captain won his fame, and many others earned an und  ing name. By this  great art she made great men. 

cclxvi Do not become Bad from sheer Goodness. That is, by never getting into a temper. Such men without feeling are scarcely to be considered  men. It does not always arise from laziness, but from sheer inabilit  . To feel strongly on  occasion is something personal: birds soon mock at the mawkin. It is a sign of good taste to  combine bitter and sweet. All sweets is diet for children and fools. It is ver   bad to sink into  such insensibilit  out of ver   goodness. 

cclxvii Silken Words, sugared Manners. Arrows pierce the bod , insults the soul. Sweet pastry perfumes the breath. It is a great art in  life to know how to sell wind. Most things are paid for in words, and by them   ou can remove  impossibilities. Thus we deal in air, and a ro  al breath can produce courage and power. Always  have   our mouth full of sugar to sweeten   our words, so that even   our ill-wishers enjo    them. To please one must be peaceful. 

cclxviii The Wise do at once what the Fool does at last. Both do the same thing; the only difference lies in the time they do it: the one at the right  time, the other at the wrong. Who starts out with his mind topsyturvy will so continue till the  end. He catches by the foot what he ought to knock on the head, he turns right into left, and  in all his acts is but a child. There is onl   one wa   to get him in the right wa , and that is to  force him to do what he might have done of his own accord. The wise man, on the other hand,  sees at once what must be done sooner or later, so he does it willingl  and gains honour  thereb  , 

cclxix Make use of the Novelty of   our Position; for men are valued while they are new. Novelty pleases all because it is uncommon, taste is  refreshed, and a brand new mediocrit  is thought more of than accustomed excellence. Abilit   wears away by use and becomes old. However, know that the glor   of novelty is short-lived:  after four days respect is gone. Accordingl , learn to utilise the first fruits of appreciation, and  seize during the rapid passage of applause all that can be put to use. For once the heat of  novelt   over, the passion cools and the appreciation of novelty is exchanged for satiet   at the  customary: believe that all has its season, which soon passes.   

cclxx Do not condemn alone that which pleases all. There must be something good in a thing that pleases so many; even if it cannot be explained  it is certainl  enjo  ed. Singularity is always hated, and, when in the wrong, laughed at. You  simpl   destroy respect for   our taste rather than do harm to the object of   our blame, and are                    THE ART OF WORLDLY WISDOM By Balthasar Gracian  
left alone,   ou and   our bad taste. If   ou cannot find the good in a thing, hide   our incapacit    and do not damn it straightwa . As a general rule badtaste springs from want of knowledge.  What all sa , is so, or will be so. Aphorisms 

271-300 cclxxi In ever   Occupation if   ou know little stick to the safest. If   ou are not respected as subtle,   ou will be regarded as sure. On the other hand, a man  well trained can plunge in and act as he pleases. To know little and   et seek danger is nothing  else than to seek ruin. In such a case take stand on the right hand, for what is done cannot be  undone. Let little knowledge keep to the king's highwa , and in every case, knowing or  unknowing, securit  is shrewder than singularit  . 

cclxxii Sell Things by the Tariff of Courtes  . You oblige people most that wa  . The bid of an interested bu  er will never equal the return gift  of an honourable recipient of a favour. Courtesy does not really make presents, but really lays  men under obligation, and generosit   is the great obligation. To a right-minded man nothing  costs more dear that what is given him:   ou sell it him twice and for two prices: one for the  value, one for the politeness. At the same time it is true that with vulgar souls generosit  is  gibberish,for they do not understand the language of good breeding. 

cclxxiii Comprehend their Dispositions with whom   ou deal, so as to know their intentions. Cause known, effect known, beforehand in the disposition and  after in the motive. The melanchol   man always foresees misfortunes, the backbiter scandals;  having no conception of the good, evil offers itself to them. A man moved by passion always  speaks of things differentl  from what they are; it is his passion speaks, not his reason. Thus  each speaks as his feeling or his humour prompts him, and all far from the truth. Learn how to  decipher faces and spell out the soul in the features. If a man laughs always, set him down as  foolish; if never, as false. Beware of the gossip: he is either a babbler or a sp  . Expect little  good from the misshapen: the   generall  take revenge on Nature, and do little honour to her,  as she has done little to them. Beauty and folly generally go hand in hand. 

cclxxiv Be Attractive.magnet of   our pleasant qualities more to obtain goodwill than good  deeds, but appl   it to all. Merit is not enough unless supported by grace, which is the sole  thing that gives general acceptance, and the most practical means of rule over others. To be in  vogue is a matter of luck,   et it can be encouraged b  skill, for art can best take root on a soil  favoured by nature. There goodwill grows and develops into universal favour. 

cclxxv Join in the Game as far as Decency permits. Do not always pose and be a bore: this is a maxim for gallant bearing. You ma    ield a touch  of dignity to gain the general good-will:   ou may now and then go where most go,   et not  be  ond the bounds of decorum. He who makes a fool of himself in public will not be regarded  as discreet in private life. One may lose more on a da   of pleasure than has been gained  during a whole life of labour. Still   ou must not always keep away: to be singular is to  condemn all others. Still less act the prude--leave that to its appropriate sex: even religious  pruder  is ridiculous. Nothing so becomes a man as to be a man: a woman ma affect a manl    bearing as an excellence, but not vice versa. 

cclxxvi Know how to renew   our Character, with the help both of Nature and of Art, Ever   seven   ears the disposition changes, the   sa  .  Let it be a change for the better and for the nobler in   our taste. After the first seven comes   
reason, with each succeeding lustre let a new excellence be added. Observe this change so as  to aid it, and hope also for betterment in others. Hence it arises that many change their  behaviour when they change their position or their occupation. At times the change is not  noticed till it reaches the height of maturit  . At twenty Man is a Peacock, at thirty a Lion, at  fort   a Camel, at fift   a Serpent, at sixty a Dog, at seventy an Ape, at eighty nothing at all. 

cclxxvii Displa    ourself. ¡¯Tis the illumination of talents: for each there comes an appropriate moment; use it, for not  every da   comes a triumph. There are some dashing men who make much show with a little,  a whole exhibition with much. If ability to displa   them is joined to versatile gifts, the   are  regarded as miraculous. Thereare whole nations given to display: the Spanish people take the  highest rank in this. Light was the first thing to cause Creation to shine forth. Displa   fills up  much, supplies much, and gives a second existence to things, especiall  when combined with  real excellence. Heaven that grants perfection, provides also the means of display; for one  without the other were abortive. Skill is however needed for displa . Even excellence depends  on circumstances and is not always opportune. Ostentation is out of place when it is out of  time. More than any other qualit  it should be free of any affectation. This is its rock of  offence, for it then borders on vanity and so on contempt: it must be moderate to avoid being  vulgar, and any excess is despised by the wise. At times it consists in a sort of mute  eloquence, a careless display of excellence, for a wise concealment is often the most effective  boast, since the very withdrawal from view piques curiosity to the highest. ¡¯Tis a fine subtlet    too not to display one's excellence all at one time, but to grant stolen glances at it, more and  more as time goes on. Each exploit should be the pledge of a greater, and applause at the first  should onl   die away in expectation of its sequel. 

cclxxviii Avoid Notoriety in all Things. Even excellences become defects if the   become notorious. Notoriety arises from singularit ,  which is always blamed: he that is singular is left severely alone. Even beauty is discredited b    coxcombr  , which offends by the very notice it attracts. Still more does this apply to  discreditable singularities. Yet among the wicked there are some that seek to be known for  seeking novelties in vice so as to attain to the fame of infam  . Even in matters of the intellect  want of moderation ma   degenerate into loquacit  . 

cclxxix Do not contradict the Contradicter. You have to distinguish whether the contra-diction comes from cunning or from vulgarit . It is  not always obstinac  , but may be artfulness. Notice this: for in the first case one may get into  difficulties, in the other into danger. Caution is never more needed than against spies. There is  no such countercheck to the picklock of the mind as to leave the ke   of caution in the lock. 

cclxxx Be Trustworth  . Honourable dealing is at an end: trusts aredenied: few keep their word: the greater the  service, the poorer the reward: that is the wa   with all the world nowadays. There are whole  nations inclined to false dealing: with some treacher   has always to be feared, with others  breach of promise, with others deceit. Yet this bad behaviour of others should rather be a  warning to us than an example. The fear is that the sight of such unworth   behaviour should  override our integrit  . But a man of honour should never forget what he is because he sees  what others are. 

cclxxxi Find Favour with Men of Sense.  
The tepid Yes of a remarkable man is worth more than all the applause of the vulgar:   ou  cannot make a meal off the smoke of chaff. The wise speak with understanding and their  praise gives permanent satisfaction. The sage Antigonus reduced the theatre of his fame to  Zeus alone, and Plato called Aristotle his whole school. Some strive to fill their stomach albeit  only with the breath of the mob. Even monarchs have need of authors, and fear their pens  more than ugly women the painter's pencil. 

cclxxxii Make use of Absence to make   ourself more esteemed or valued. If the accustomed presence diminishes fame, absence augments it. One that is regarded as a  lion in his absence may be laughed at when present as the ridiculous result of the parturition  of the mountains. Talents get soiled by use, for it is easier to see the exterior rind than the  kernel of greatness it encloses. Imagination reaches farther than sight, and disillusion, which  ordinarily comes through the ears, also goes out through the ears. He keeps his fame that  keeps himself in the centre of public opinion. Even the Phoenix uses its retirement for new  adornment and turns absence into desire. 

cclxxxiii Have the Gift of Discover  . It is a proof of the highest genius,   et when was genius without a touch of madness? If  discover   be a gift of genius, choice of means is a mark of sound sense. Discover   comes b    special grace and ver   seldom. For many can follow up a thing when found, but to find it first  is the gift of the few, and those the first in excellence and in age. Novelty flatters, and if  successful gives the possessor doublecredit. In matters of judgment novelties are dangerous  because leading to paradox, in matters of genius the   deserve all praise. Yet both equall   deserve applause if successful. 

cclxxxiv Do not be Importunate, and so   ou will not be slighted. Respect   ourself if   ou would have others respect   ou. Be  sooner sparing than lavish with   our presence. You will thus become desired and so well  received. Never come unasked and only go when sent for. If   ou undertake a thing of   our  own accord   ou get all the blame if it fails, none of the thanks If it succeeds. The importunate  is always the butt of blame; and because he thrusts himself in without shame he is thrust out  with it. 

cclxxxv Never die of another's Ill-luck. Notice those who stick in the mud, and observe how the   call others to their aid so as to  console themselves with a companion in misfortune. They seek some one to help them to bear  misfortune, and often those who turned the cold shoulder on them in prosperity give them  now a helping hand. There is greatcaution needed in helping the drowning without danger to  oneself. 

cclxxxvi Do not become responsible for all or for every one, otherwise   ou become a slave and the slave of all. Some are born more fortunate than others:  they are born to do good as others to receive it. Freedom is more precious than an   gifts for  which   ou may be tempted to give it up. La  less stress on making many dependent on   ou  than on keeping   ourself independent of an  . The sole advantage of power is that   ou can do  more good. Above all do not regard responsibilit  as a favour, for generally it is another's plan  to make one dependent on him. 

cclxxxvii Never act in a Passion. If you do, all is lost. You cannot act for   ourself if   ou are not   ourself, and passion always  drives out reason. In such cases inter-pose a prudent go-between who can only be prudent if  he keeps cool. That is why lookers-on see most of the game, because they keep cool. As soon  as   ou notice that   ou are losing   our temper beat a wise retreat. For no sooner isthe blood up  than it is spilt, and in a few moments occasion ma  be given for many days' repentance for  oneself and complaints of the other part  . 

cclxxxviii Live for the Moment. Our acts and thoughts and all must be determined b  circumstances. Will when   ou ma , for  time and tide wait for no man. Do not live by certain fixed rules, except those that relate to  the cardinal virtues. Nor let   our will subscribe fixed conditions, for   ou may have to drink the  water to-morrow which   ou cast away to-da  . There be some so absurdly paradoxical that  they expect all the circumstances of an action should bend to their eccentric whims and not  vice versa. The wise man knows that the very polestar of prudence lies in steering by the  wind. 

cclxxxix Nothing depreciates a Man more than to show he is a Man like other Men. The day he is seen to be ver   human he ceases to be thought divine. Frivolity is the exact  opposite of reputation. And as the re-served are held to be more than men, so the frivolous  are held to be less. No failing causessuch failure of respect. For frivolit  is the exact opposite  of solid seriousness. A man of levity cannot be a man of weight even when he is old, and age  should oblige him to be prudent. Although this blemish is so common it is none the less  despised. 

ccxc ¡¯Tis a piece of good Fortune to combine Men's Love and Respect. Generall  one dare not be liked if one would be respected. Love is more sensitive than hate.  Love and honour do not go well together. So that one should aim neither to be much feared  nor much loved. Love introduces confidence, and the further this advances, the more respect  recedes. Prefer to be loved with respect rather than with passion, for that is a love suitable for  man  . 

ccxci Know how to Test. The care of the wise must guard against the snare of the wicked. Great judgment is needed to  test that of another. It is more important to know the characteristics and properties of persons  than those of vegetables and minerals. It is indeed one of the shrewdest things in life. You can  tell metals bytheir ring and men by their voice. Words are proof of integrit  , deeds still more.  Here one requires extraordinary care, deep observation, subtle discernment, and judicious  decision. 

ccxcii Let our personal Qualities surpass those of   our Office, Let it not be the other way about. How-ever high the post, the person should be higher. An  extensive capacit   expands and dilates more and more as his office becomes higher. On the  other hand, the narrow-minded will easily lose heart and come to grief with diminished  responsibilities and reputation. The great Augustus thought more of being a great man than a  great prince. Here a lofty mind finds fit place, and well-grounded confidence finds its  opportunit  . 

ccxciii Maturity. It is shown in the costume, still more in the customs. Material weight is the sign of a precious  metal; moral, of a precious man. Maturity gives finish to his capacit   and arouses respect. A  composed bearing in a man forms a facade to his soul. It does notconsist in the insensibility of  fools, as frivolity would have it, but in a calm tone of authorit  . With men of this kind  sentences are orations and acts are deeds. Maturit  finishes a man off, for each is so far a   
complete man according as he possesses maturit  . On ceasing to be a child a man begins to  gain seriousness and authorit  . 

ccxciv Be moderate in our Views. Every one holds views according to his interest, and imagines he has abundant grounds for  them. For with most men judgment has to give wa   to inclination. It ma   occur that two ma    meet with exactly opposite views and   et each thinks to have reason on his side,   et reason is  always true to itself and never has two faces. In such a difficult  a prudent man will go to  work with care, for his decision of his opponent's view may cast doubt on his own. Place   ourself in such a case in the other man's place and then investigate the reasons for his  opinion. You will not then condemn him or justify   ourself in such a confusing wa  . 

ccxcv Do not affect what   ou have not effected. Many claim exploits without the slightest claim. 'With the greatest coolness they makea  mystery of all. Chameleons of applause they afford others a surfeit of laughter. Vanit   is  always objectionable, here it is despicable. These ants of honour go crawling about filching  scraps of exploits. The greater   our exploits the less   ou need affect them: content   ourself  with doing, leave the talking to others. Give awa     our deeds but do not sell them. And do not  hire venal pens to write down praises in the mud, to the derision of the knowing ones. Aspire  rather to be a hero than merel   to appear one. 

ccxcvi Noble Qualities. Noble qualities make noblemen: a single one of them is worth more than a multitude of  mediocre ones. There was once a man who made all his belongings, even his household  utensils, as great as possible. How much more ought a great man see that the qualities of his  soul are as great as possible. In God all is eternal and infinite, so in a hero ever  thing should  be great and majestic, so that all his deeds, na , all his words, should he pervaded by a  transcendent majest  . 

ccxcvii Always act as if   our Acts were seen. He must see all round who sees that men see him or will see him. He knows that walls have  ears and that ill deeds rebound back. Even when alone he acts as if the e  es of the whole  world were upon him. For as he knows that sooner or later all will be known, so he considers  those to be present as witnesses who must afterwards hear of the deed. He that wished the  whole world might always see him did not mind that his neighbours could see him over their  walls. 

ccxcviii Three Things go to a Prodig  . They are the choicest gifts of Heaven's prodigalit  --a fertile genius, a profound intellect, a  pleasant and refined taste. To think well is good, to think right is better: ¡¯tis the understanding  of the good. It will not do for the judgment to reside in the backbone: it would be of more  trouble than use. To think aright is the fruit of a reasonable nature. At twent   the will rules; at  thirt  the intellect; at forty the judgment. There are minds that shine in the dark like the e  es  of the lynx, and are most clear where there is most darkness. Others are more adapted for the  occasion: they always hit on that which suits the emergency:such a quality produces much  and good; a sort of fecund felicit . In the meantime good taste seasons the whole of life. 

ccxcix Leave off Hungr  . One ought to remove even the bowl of nectar from the lips. Demand is the measure of value.  Even with regard to bodil  thirst it is a mark of good taste to slake but not to quench it. Little  and good is twice good. The second time comes a great falling off. Surfeit of pleasure was ever  dangerous and brings down the ill-will of the Highest Powers. The onl  way to please is to  revive the appetite by the hunger that is left. If   ou must excite desire, better do it by the  impatience of want than by the repletion of enjoyment. Happiness earned gives double jo  .          

ccc In one word, be a Saint. So is all said at once. Virtue is the link of all perfections, the centre of all the felicities. She it is  that makes a man prudent, discreet, sagacious, cautious, wise, courageous, thoughtful,  trustworth  , happ , honoured, truthful, and a universal Hero. Three HHH's make a man  happ  --Health, Holiness, and a Headpiece. Virtue is the sun of the microcosm, and has for hemisphere a good conscience. She is so  beautiful that she finds favour with both God and man. Nothing is lovable but virtue, nothing  detestable but vice. Virtue alone is serious, all else is but jest. A man's capacity and greatness  are to be measured by his virtue and not by his fortune. She alone is all-sufficient. She makes  men lovable in life, memorable after death. 