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John Locke Quotes - Page 12

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All rising to great place is by a winding stair; and if there be factions, it is good to side a man's self whilst he is in the rising, and to balance himself when he is placed.

All rising to great place is by a winding stair; and if there be factions, it is good to side a man's self whilst he is in the rising, and to balance himself when he is placed.

John Locke
Men, Self, Balance
John Locke (1840*). “The Conduct of the Understanding; By John Locke ... Essays, Moral, Economical, and Political; by Francis Bacon”, p.133

He that makes use of another's fancy or necessity to sell ribbons or cloth dearer to him than to another man at the same time, cheats him.

John Locke
Men, Marketing, Use
John Locke, David Wootton (1993). “Locke: Political Writings”, p.443, Hackett Publishing

There is not so contemptible a plant or animal that does not confound the most enlarged understanding.

John Locke
Nature, Animal, Understanding
John Locke (1825). “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding: An analysis of Mr. Locke's Doctrine of ideas .... A defense of Mr. Locke's Opinion concerning personal identity .... A treatise on the conduct of the understanding. Some thoughts concerning reading and study for a gentleman. Elements of natural philosophy. A new method of a common place book. Extracted from the author's works. With a life of the author”, p.310

The senses at first let in particular Ideas, and furnish the yet empty Cabinet: And the Mind by degrees growing familiar with some of them, they are lodged in the Memory, and Names got to them.

John Locke
Memories, Science, Names
John Locke, John W. Yolton (1977). “The Locke Reader: Selections from the Works of John Locke with a General Introduction and Commentary”, p.126, CUP Archive

Certainly great persons had need to borrow other men's opinions to think themselves happy; for if they judge by their own feeling, they cannot find it: but if they think with themselves what other men think of them, and that other men would fain be as they are, then they are happy as it were by report, when, perhaps, they find the contrary within.

John Locke
Thinking, Men, Judging
John Locke (1840*). “The Conduct of the Understanding; By John Locke ... Essays, Moral, Economical, and Political; by Francis Bacon”, p.130

For those who either perceive but dully, or retain the ideas that come into their minds but ill, who cannot readily excite or compound them, will have little matter to think on.

John Locke
Thinking, Ideas, Mind
John Locke (1854). “Locke's essays. An essay concerning human understanding. And A treatise on the conduct of the understanding. With the author's last additions”, p.108

Neither the inveterateness of the mischief, nor the prevalency of the fashion, shall be any excuse for those who will not take care about the meaning of their own words, and will not suffer the insignificancy of their expressions to be inquired into.

John Locke
Fashion, Expression, Suffering
John Locke (1836). “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding”, p.10

It is reported of that prodigy of parts, Monsieur Pascal, that till the decay of his health had impaired his memory, he forgot nothing of what he had done, read, or thought, in any part of his rational age. This is a privilege so little known to most men, that it seems almost incredible to those who, after the ordinary way, measure all others by themselves; but yet, when considered, may help us to enlarge our thoughts towards greater perfections of it, in superior ranks of spirits.

John Locke
Memories, Men, Perfection
John Locke (1854). “The Philosophical Works of John Locke”, p.268

You shall find, that there cannot be a greater spur to the attaining what you would have the eldest learn, and know himself, than to set him upon teaching it his younger brothers and sisters.

John Locke
Brother, Teaching, Spurs
John Locke (1727). “The works of John Locke ...”, p.55

Beware how in making the portraiture thou breakest the pattern: for divinity maketh the love of ourselves the pattern; the love of our neighbours but the portraiture.

John Locke
Portraiture, Divinity, Patterns
John Locke (1813). “The Conduct of the Understanding: With Sketches of the Lives of Locke and Bacon”, p.134

He that in the ordinary affairs of life would admit of nothing but direct plain demonstration would be sure of nothing in this world but of perishing quickly.

John Locke
Wisdom, Intelligence, Ordinary
John Locke (1828). “An essay concerning human understanding ... The twentieth edition, etc”, p.461

Merit and good works is the end of man's motion; and conscience of the same is the accomplishment of man's rest; for if a man can be partaker of God's theatre, he shall likewise be partaker of God's rest.

John Locke
Men, Theatre, Merit
John Locke (1825). “The Conduct of the Understanding. By J. Locke ... Essays ... By Lord Bacon. With Sketches of the Lives of Locke and Bacon”, p.140

Defects and weakness in men's understandings, as well as other faculties, come from want of a right use of their own minds; I am apt to think, the fault is generally mislaid upon nature, and there is often a complaint of want of parts, when the fault lies in want of a due improvement of them.

John Locke
Lying, Men, Thinking
John Locke (2007). “Some Thoughts Concerning Education: (Including Of the Conduct of the Understanding)”, p.192, Courier Corporation

The inclination to goodness is imprinted deeply in the nature of man; insomuch, that if it issue not towards men, it will take unto other living creatures; as it is seen in the Turks, cruel people, who, nevertheless, are kind to beasts, and give alms to dogs and birds.

John Locke
Dog, Men, Issues
John Locke (1813). “The Conduct of the Understanding: With Sketches of the Lives of Locke and Bacon”, p.133

How much education may reconcile young people to pain and sufference, the examples of Sparta do sufficiently shew; and they who have once brought themselves not to think bodily pain the greatest of evils, or that which they ought to stand most in fear of, have made no small advance toward virtue.

John Locke
Pain, Thinking, Evil
John Locke (1727). “The works of John Locke ...”, p.52

The first step to get this noble and manly steadiness, is... carefully keep children from frights of all kinds, when they are young. ...Instances of such who in a weak timorous mind, have borne, all their whole lives through, the effects of a fright when they were young, are every where to be seen, and therefore as much as may be to be prevented.

John Locke
Children, Mind, Noble
John Locke (1727). “The works of John Locke ...”, p.51

The next thing is by gentle degrees to accustom children to those things they are too much afraid of. But here great caution is to be used, that you do not make too much haste, nor attempt this cure too early, for fear lest you increase the mischief instead of remedying it.

John Locke
Children, Haste, Degrees
John Locke (1727). “The works of John Locke ...”, p.51

That which parents should take care of... is to distinguish between the wants of fancy, and those of nature.

John Locke
Parent, Fancy, Care
John Locke (1824). “The Works of John Locke: Some thoughts concerning education. An examination of P. Malebranche's opinion of seeing all things in God. A discourse of miracles. Memoirs relating to the life of Anthony, first earl of Shaftesbury. Some familiar letters between Mr. Locke and several of his friends”, p.95

He would be laughed at, that should go about to make a fine dancer out of a country hedger, at past fifty. And he will not have much better success, who shall endeavour, at that age, to make a man reason well, or speak handsomely, who has never been used to it, though you should lay before him a collection of all the best precepts of logic or oratory.

John Locke
Country, Men, Past
John Locke (1828). “An essay concerning human understanding ... The twentieth edition, etc”, p.537

For it will be very difficult to persuade men of sense that he who with dry eyes and satisfaction of mind can deliver his brother to the executioner to be burnt alive, does sincerely and heartily concern himself to save that brother from the flames of hell in the world to come.

John Locke
Brother, Eye, Men
John Locke (1796). “A Letter Concerning Toleration”, p.27

A king is a mortal god on earth, unto whom the living God hath lent his own name as a great honour; but withal told him, he should die like a man, lest he should be proud, and flatter himself that God hath with his name imparted unto him his nature also.

John Locke
Kings, Men, Names
John Locke, Francis Bacon (1825). “The Conduct of the Understanding: Essays, Moral, Economical, and Political”, p.135

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