Johann Kaspar Lavater Quotes - Page 8

Let the degree of egotism be the measure of confidence.

There are many kinds of smiles, each having a distinct character. Some announce goodness and sweetness, others betray sarcasm, bitterness and pride; some soften the countenance by their languishing tenderness, others brighten by their spiritual vivacity.

The more honesty a man has, the less he affects the air of a saint.

The worst of all knaves are those who can mimic their former honesty.

All affectation is the vain and ridiculous attempt of poverty to appear rich

Injustice arises either from precipitation, or indolence, or from a mixture of both. - The rapid and slow are seldom just; the unjust wait either not at all, or wait too long.

As your enemies and your friends, so are you

The mingled incentives which lead to action are often too subtle and lie too deep for us to analyze.

As a man's salutations, so is the total of his character; in nothing do we lay ourselves so open as in our manner of meeting and salutation.

He who is passionate and hasty is generally honest. It is your cool, dissembling hypocrite of whom you should beware.

He has oratory who ravishes his hearers while he forgets himself.

The man who loves with his whole heart truth will love still more he who suffers for truth.

When you doubt between words, use the plainest, the commonest, the most idiomatic. Eschew fine words as you would rouge; love simple ones as you would the native roses on your cheek.

You may tell a man thou art a fiend, but not your nose wants blowing; to him alone who can bear a thing of that kind, you may tell all.

Thinkers are as scarce as gold.

Conscience is the sentinel of virtue.

He who freely praises what he means to purchase, and he who enumerates the faults of what he means to sell, may set up a partnership with honesty.

The greatest of characters, no doubt, would be he, who, free of all trifling accidental helps, could see objects through one grand immutable medium, always at hand, and proof against illusion and time, reflecting every object in its true shape and colour through all the fluctuation of things.

The craftiest trickery are too short and ragged a cloak to cover a bad heart.

The generous person is always just, and the just who is always generous may, unannounced, approach the throne of heaven.

He whom common, gross, or stale objects allure, and when obtained, content, is a vulgar being, incapable of greatness in thought or action.

He can feel no little wants who is in pursuit of grandeur.

He who purposely cheats his friend would cheat his God.

Obstinacy is the strength of the weak. Firmness founded upon principle, upon the truth and right, order and law, duty and generosity, is the obstinacy of sages.

The obstinacy of the indolent and weak is less conquerable than that of the fiery and bold.