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Charles Caleb Colton Quotes - Page 2

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The poorest man would not part with health for money, but the richest would gladly part with all their money for health.

The poorest man would not part with health for money, but the richest would gladly part with all their money for health.

Charles Caleb Colton
Health, Men, Poverty
Lacon Vol. I, Ch. 225

We are sure to be losers when we quarrel with ourselves; it is civil war.

Charles Caleb Colton
Self Esteem, War, Loser
Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.189

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

Charles Caleb Colton
Conquer, Negotiation, Grants
Charles Caleb Colton (1832). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.187

Hurry is the mark of a weak mind, dispatch of a strong one.

Charles Caleb Colton
Strong, Mind, Haste
Charles Caleb Colton (1821). “Lacon: or, Many things in few words”, p.174

An Irish man fights before he reasons, a Scotchman reasons before he fights, an Englishman is not particular as to the order of precedence, but will do either to accommodate his customers.

Charles Caleb Colton
Business, Fighting, Men
Philip Dormer Stanhope (4th earl of Chesterfield.), Charles Caleb Colton (1861). “Lord Chesterfield's advice to his son on men and manners. To which are added, selections from Colton's 'Lacon'.”, p.188

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

Charles Caleb Colton
Pain, Real, Power
Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.187

It is best, if possible, to deceive no one; for he that ... begins by deceiving others, will end ... by deceiving himself.

Charles Caleb Colton
Deceiving Others, Deception, Ends

Examinations are formidable even to the best prepared, for the greatest fool may ask more than the wisest man can answer.

Charles Caleb Colton
Education, Teaching, Knowledge
'Lacon' (1820) vol. 1, no. 322

When you have nothing to say, say nothing.

Charles Caleb Colton
Teaching, Silence, Statistics
'Lacon' (1820) vol. 1, no. 183

Time is the most undefinable yet paradoxical of things; the past is gone, the future is not come, and the present becomes the past, even while we attempt to define it.

Charles Caleb Colton
Time, Past, Gone
Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.264

Bed is a bundle of paradoxes: we go to it with reluctance, yet we quit it with regret.

Charles Caleb Colton
Regret, Sleep, Insomnia
Charles Caleb Colton (1823). “Remarks on the Talents of Lord Byron and the Tendencies of Don Juan”

That writer does the most who gives his reader the most knowledge and takes from him the least time.

Charles Caleb Colton
Giving, Doe, Literature
Charles Caleb Colton (1832). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.11

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

Charles Caleb Colton
Wisdom, Progress, Three Things
Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.214

The true measure of your character is what you do when nobody's watching.

Charles Caleb Colton
Wisdom, Character

Let us not be too prodigal when we are young, nor too parsimonious when we are old. Otherwise we shall fall into the common error of those, who, when they had the power to enjoy, had not the prudence to acquire; and when they had the prudence to acquire, had no longer the power to enjoy.

Charles Caleb Colton
Fall, Errors, Common
Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.52

A youth without fire is followed by an old age without experience.

Charles Caleb Colton
Fire, Age, Youth
Charles Caleb Colton (1823). “Remarks on the Talents of Lord Byron and the Tendencies of Don Juan”, p.57

It is not every man that can afford to wear a shabby coat.

Charles Caleb Colton
Men, Coats, Every Man
Charles Caleb Colton (1824). “Lacon, Or, Many Things in a Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think”, p.112

Fortune, like other females, prefers a lover to a master, and submits with impatience to control; but he that wooes her with opportunity and importunity will seldom court her in vain.

Charles Caleb Colton
Opportunity, Female, Lovers
Charles Caleb Colton (1823). “Remarks on the Talents of Lord Byron and the Tendencies of Don Juan”

What would you do if you knew for sure that no one would ever find out?

Charles Caleb Colton
Wisdom, Ifs

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

Charles Caleb Colton
Home, House, May
Philip Dormer Stanhope (4th earl of Chesterfield.), Charles Caleb Colton (1861). “Lord Chesterfield's advice to his son on men and manners. To which are added, selections from Colton's 'Lacon'.”, p.184

Knowledge is two-fold, and consists not only in an affirmation of what is true, but in the negation of that which is false.

Charles Caleb Colton
Knowledge, Science, Two
Charles Caleb Colton (1823). “Remarks on the Talents of Lord Byron and the Tendencies of Don Juan”, p.102

The reason why great men meet with so little pity or attachment in adversity, would seem to be this: the friends of a great man were made by his fortune, his enemies by himself, and revenge is a much more punctual paymaster than gratitude.

Charles Caleb Colton
Gratitude, Revenge, Adversity
Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.297

It is better to meet danger than to wait for it.

Charles Caleb Colton
Waiting, Encounters, Danger
Charles Caleb COLTON (1849). “L.P.”, p.142

Ladies of Fashion starve their happiness to feed their vanity, and their love to feed their pride.

Charles Caleb Colton
Fashion, Pride, Clothes
Charles Caleb Colton (1836). “Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Addressed to Those who Think”, p.454

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

Charles Caleb Colton
Money, Evil, Gains
Charles Caleb Colton (1828). “Lacon: Or Many Things in Few Words Addressed to Those who Think”, p.191

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