68 Wise Baltasar Gracián Quotes (PHILOSOPHY)

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Top 10 Most Famous Baltasar Gracián Quotes (BEST)

“True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. Strive to have friends, for life without friends is like life on a desert island… to find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep him is a blessing.”
Baltasar Gracián

One must pass through the circumference of time before arriving at the center of opportunity. — One must pass through the circumference of **time** before arriving at the center of **opportunity**.

A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends. — A **wise** man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.

Dreams will get you nowhere, a good kick in the pants will take you a long way. — **Dreams** will get you nowhere, a good kick in the pants will take you a long way.

Respect yourself if you would have others respect you. — **Respect** yourself if you would have others respect you.

Don't lie, but don't tell the whole truth. — Don’t lie, but don’t tell the whole **truth**.

Never open the door to a lesser evil, for other and greater ones invariably slink in after it.

Don't express your ideas too clearly. Most people think little of what they understand, and venerate what they do not. — Don’t express your ideas too clearly. Most people think little of what they understand, and venerate what they do not.

Self knowledge is the beginning of self-improvement. — Self **knowledge** is the beginning of **self-improvement**.

The greatest service you can render someone else is helping him help himself. — The greatest **service** you can render someone else is helping him help himself.

8 Baltasar Gracián Quotes (WISDOM)

“Folly consists not in committing Folly, but in being incapable of concealing it. All men make mistakes, but the wise conceal the blunders they have made, while fools make them public. Reputation depends more on what is hidden than on what is seen. If you can’t be good, be careful.”
Baltasar Gracián

Without courage, wisdom bears no fruit. — Without **courage**, wisdom bears no fruit.

Self-reflection is the school of **wisdom**.

True knowledge lies in knowing how to live. — True **knowledge** lies in knowing how to live.

“Keep the extent of your abilities unknown. The wise man does not allow his knowledge and abilities to be sounded to the bottom, if he desires to be honored at all. He allows you 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 opportunity of fathoming him entirely. For guesses and doubts about the extent of his talents arouse more veneration than accurate knowledge of them, be they ever so great.”
Baltasar Gracián

The wise does at once what the fool does at last.

The great art of giving consists in this the gift should cost very little and yet be greatly coveted, so that it may be the more highly appreciated. — The great art of **giving** consists in this the **gift** should cost very little and yet be greatly coveted, so that it may be the more highly **appreciated**.

Great ability develops and reveals itself increasingly with every new assignment. — Great **ability** develops and reveals itself increasingly with every new assignment.

10 Wise Baltasar Gracián Quotes to Live By

“Don’t show off every day, or you’ll stop surprising people. There must always be some novelty left over. The person who displays a little more of it each day keeps up expectations, and no one ever discovers the limits of his talent.”
Baltasar Gracián

Two kinds of people are good at foreseeing danger those who have learned at their own expense, and the clever people who learn a great deal at the expense of others. — Two kinds of people are good at foreseeing danger: those who have learned at their own expense, and the clever people who learn a great deal at the expense of others.

When you counsel someone, you should appear to be reminding him of something he had forgotten, not of the light he was unable to see.

Never compete with someone who has nothing to lose.

Never do anything when you are in a temper, for you will do everything wrong.

Be content to act, and leave the talking to others.

Always leave something to wish for; otherwise you will be miserable from your very happiness. — Always leave something to wish for; otherwise you will be miserable from your very **happiness**.

Attempt easy tasks as if they were difficult, and difficult as if they were easy; in the one case that confidence may not fall asleep, in the other that it may not be dismayed.

4 Baltasar Gracián Quotes on Thinking Before Answering a Question

'No' and 'Yes' are words quickly said, but they need a great amount of thought before you utter them. — ‘No’ and ‘Yes’ are words quickly said, but they need a great amount of thought before you utter them.

A gilded 'No' is more satisfactory than a dry 'Yes.' — A gilded ‘No’ is more satisfactory than a dry ‘Yes.’

Little said is soon amended. There is always time to add a word, never to withdraw one.

He that communicates his secret to another makes himself that other's slave. — He that **communicates** his secret to another makes himself that other’s slave.

2 Baltasar Gracián Quotes on Friendship

Friendship multiplies the good of life and divides the evil. — **Friendship** multiplies the good of life and divides the evil.

Never have a companion that casts you in the shade.

10 Inspirational Baltasar Gracián Quotes About Life

“Fortunate people often have very favorable beginnings and very tragic endings. What matters isn’t being applauded when you arrive – for that is common – but being missed when you leave.”
Baltasar Gracián

He that can live alone resembles the brute beast in nothing, the sage in much, and God in everything.

It is better to sleep on things beforehand than lie awake about them afterwards.

One should cultivate good habits of memory, for it is capable of making existence a Paradise or an Inferno. — One should cultivate good **habits** of **memory**, for it is capable of making existence a Paradise or an Inferno.

Put a grain of boldness into everything you do.

Politeness is the chief sign of culture. — **Politeness** is the chief sign of **culture**.

A single lie destroys a whole reputation of integrity. — A single lie destroys a whole reputation of **integrity**.

Aspire rather to be a hero than merely appear one.

Oh life, you should never had begun, but since you did, you should never end.

3 Baltasar Gracián Quotes About Luck

It is a great piece of skill to know how to guide your luck even while waiting for it.

There are rules to luck, not everything is chance for the wise; luck can be helped by skill. — There are rules to **luck**, not everything is **chance** for the wise; luck can be helped by skill.

Luck can be assisted. It is not all chance with the wise. — **Luck** can be assisted. It is not all **chance** with the wise.

2 Baltasar Gracián Quotes on Gambling

Quit while you're ahead. All the best gamblers do. — Quit while you’re ahead. All the best gamblers do.

The best skill at cards is knowing when to discard.

2 Baltasar Gracián Quotes on Having Good Manner and Courtesy

A bad manner spoils everything, even reason and justice; a good one supplies everything, gilds a No, sweetens a truth, and adds a touch of beauty to old age itself.

It is better to have too much courtesy than too little, provided you are not equally courteous to all, for that would be injustice. — It is better to have too much courtesy than too little, provided you are not equally **courteous** to all, for that would be injustice.

4 Funny Baltasar Gracián Quotes

A beautiful woman should break her mirror early.

A synonym is a word you use when you can't spell the other one. — A synonym is a word you use when you can’t spell the other one.

There's no greater absurdity than taking everything seriously. — There’s no greater absurdity than taking everything seriously.

For the advice in a joke is sometimes more useful than the most serious teaching. — For the advice in a joke is sometimes more useful than the most serious **teaching**.

2 Baltasar Gracián Quotes on Envy

It is good to vary in order that you may frustrate the curious, especially those who envy you.

The envious die not once, but as oft as the envied win applause.

11 Baltasar Gracián Quotes that Will Make You Think

“Do not commit yourself to anybody or anything, for that is to be a slave, a slave to every man above all, keep yourself free of commitments and obligations – they are the device of another to get you into his power.”
Baltasar Gracián