Quotes by Colton, Charles Caleb

"It is the briefest yet wisest maxim which tells us to meddle not."

Colton, Charles Caleb on argument   

"Men's arguments often prove nothing but their wishes."

Colton, Charles Caleb on argument   

"If you cannot inspire a woman with love of you, fill her above the brim with love of herself; all that runs over will be yours."

Colton, Charles Caleb on love
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"Friendship often ends in love; but love in friendship, never."

Colton, Charles Caleb on love
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"Love is an alliance of friendship and animalism; if the former predominates it is passion exalted and refined; if the latter, gross and sensual."

Colton, Charles Caleb on love   

"Never join with your friend when he abuses his horse or his wife, unless the one is to be sold and the other to be buried."

Colton, Charles Caleb on marriage   

"Contemporaries appreciate the person rather than their merit, posterity will regard the merit rather than the person."

Colton, Charles Caleb on memory   

"Moderation is the inseparable companion of wisdom, but with it genius has not even a nodding acquaintance."

Colton, Charles Caleb on moderation   

"Our income are like our shoes; if too small, they gall and pinch us; but if too large, they cause us to stumble and trip."

Colton, Charles Caleb on money   

"Corruption is like a ball of snow, once it's set a rolling it must increase."

Colton, Charles Caleb on morality   

"Mystery is not profoundness."

Colton, Charles Caleb on mystery   

"Mystery magnifies danger, as a fog the sun, the hand that warned Belshazzar derived its horrifying effect from the want of a body."

Colton, Charles Caleb on mystery   

"Grant graciously what you cannot refuse safely and conciliate those you cannot conquer."

Colton, Charles Caleb on negotiation   

"Opinions, like showers, are generated in high places, but they invariably descend into lower ones, and ultimately flow down to the people as rain unto the sea."

Colton, Charles Caleb on opinions   

"Subtract from the great man all that he owes to opportunity, all that he owes to chance, and all that he gained by the wisdom of his friends and the folly of his enemies, and the giant will often be seen to be a pygmy."

Colton, Charles Caleb on opportunity   

"Great minds must be ready not only to take opportunities, but to make them."

Colton, Charles Caleb on opportunity   

"To look back to antiquity is one thing, to go back to it is another."

Colton, Charles Caleb on past   

"Patience is the support of weakness; impatience the ruin of strength"

Colton, Charles Caleb on patience
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"Philosophy is a bully that talks loud when the danger is at a distant; but, the moment she is pressed hard by an enemy, she is nowhere to be found and leaves the brunt of the battle to be fought by her steady, humble comrade, religion."

Colton, Charles Caleb on philosophers and philosophy   

"Pity is a thing often vowed, seldom felt; hatred is a thing often felt, seldom avowed."

Colton, Charles Caleb on pity   

"In all societies, it is advisable to associate if possible with the highest; not that the highest are always the best, but because, if disgusted there, we can descend at any time; but if we begin with the lowest, to ascend is impossible."

Colton, Charles Caleb on association   

"To know the pains of power, we must go to those who have it; to know its pleasures, we must go to those who are seeking it. The pains of power are real; its pleasures imaginary."

Colton, Charles Caleb on power   

"Power will intoxicate the best hearts, as wine the strongest heads. No man is wise enough, nor good enough to be trusted with unlimited power."

Colton, Charles Caleb on power   

"No man is wise enough, or good enough to be trusted with unlimited power."

Colton, Charles Caleb on power   

"Of all the marvelous works of God, perhaps the one angels view with the most supreme astonishment, is a proud man."

Colton, Charles Caleb on pride   

"There is this paradox in pride -- it makes some men ridiculous, but prevents others from becoming so."

Colton, Charles Caleb on pride
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"He that is good, will infallibly become better, and he that is bad, will as certainly become worse; for vice, virtue and time are three things that never stand still."

Colton, Charles Caleb on progress   

"Men are born with two eyes, but with one tongue, in order that they should see twice as much as they say."

Colton, Charles Caleb on prudence   

"There is nothing more imprudent than excessive prudence."

Colton, Charles Caleb on prudence   

"There are two way of establishing a reputation, one to be praised by honest people and the other to be accused by rogues. It is best, however, to secure the first one, because it will always be accompanied by the latter."

Colton, Charles Caleb on reputation
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"The two most precious things this side of the grave are our reputation and our life. But it is to be lamented that the most contemptible whisper may deprive us of the one, and the weakest weapon of the other."

Colton, Charles Caleb on reputation   

"The consequences of things are not always proportionate to the apparent magnitude of those events that have produced them. Thus the American Revolution, from which little was expected, produced much; but the French Revolution, from which much was expected, produced little."

Colton, Charles Caleb on results   

"Many speak the truth when they say that they despise riches, but they mean the riches possessed by other men."

Colton, Charles Caleb on riches   

"It is always safe to learn, even from our enemies; seldom safe to venture to instruct, even our friends."

Colton, Charles Caleb on school   

"He that knows himself, knows others; and he that is ignorant of himself, could not write a very profound lecture on other men's heads."

Colton, Charles Caleb on knowledge   

"Silence is foolish if we are wise, but wise if we are foolish."

Colton, Charles Caleb on silence
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"Secrecy is the soul of all great designs."

Colton, Charles Caleb on soul   

"They that are loudest in their threats are the weakest in the execution of them. It is probable that he who is killed by lightning hears no noise; but the thunder-clap which follows, and which most alarms the ignorant, is the surest proof of their safety."

Colton, Charles Caleb on speech   

"When we fail our pride supports us and when we succeed, it betrays us."

Colton, Charles Caleb on success   

"To know a man, observe how he wins his object, rather than how he loses it; for when we fail, our pride supports; when we succeed; it betrays us."

Colton, Charles Caleb on success