Top 25 Quotes by Lord Chesterfield of 433 - Page 6

You must labour to acquire that great and uncommon talent of hating with good breeding, and loving with prudence; to make no quarrel irreconcilable by silly and unnecessary indications of anger; and no friendship

You must labour to acquire that great and uncommon talent of hating with good breeding, and loving with prudence; to make no quarrel irreconcilable by silly and unnecessary indications of anger; and no friendship dangerous, in care it breaks, by a wanton, indiscreet, and unreserved confidence.

Lord Chesterfield

Love, Hate, Silly

Knowledge is a comfortable and necessary retreat and shelter for us in an advanced age; and if we do not plant it while young, it will give us no shade when we grow old.

Lord Chesterfield

Education, Giving, Age

"Manners and speech or maxims extracted from Lord Chesterfield's letters to his son". Book by Lord Chesterfield, 1884.

A proper secrecy is the only mystery of able men; mystery is the only secrecy of weak and cunning ones.

Lord Chesterfield

Men, Able, Mystery

Lord Chesterfield (2008). “The Modern Chesterfield”, p.245, Wildside Press LLC

For my own part, I would rather be in company with a dead man than with an absent one; for if the dead man gives me no pleasure, at least he shows me no contempt; whereas the absent one, silently indeed, but very plainly, tells me that he does not think me worth his attention.

Lord Chesterfield

Real, Men, Thinking

Lord Chesterfield, David Roberts (2008). “Lord Chesterfield's Letters”, p.155, Oxford University Press

There will never be a better time to start quitting smoking than today

Lord Chesterfield

Encouragement, Smoking, Today

All I desire for my own burial, is not to be buried alive; but how or where, I think, must be entirely indifferent to every rational creature.

Lord Chesterfield

Death, Thinking, Desire

Lord Chesterfield, David Roberts (2008). “Lord Chesterfield's Letters”, p.365, Oxford University Press

No man can possibly improve in any company for which he has not respect enough to be under some degree of restraint.

Lord Chesterfield

Men, Degrees, Enough

Lord Philip Dormer Stanhope Chesterfield, Philip Dormer Stanhope Earl of Chesterfield (1855). “The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author”, p.509

The company of women of fashion will improve your manners, though not your understanding; and that complaisance and politeness, which are so useful in men's company, can only be acquired in women's.

Lord Chesterfield

Fashion, Men, Understanding

Lord Philip Dormer Stanhope Chesterfield, Philip Dormer Stanhope Earl of Chesterfield (1855). “The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author”, p.169

Mankind is made up of inconsistencies, and no man acts invariably up to his predominant character. The wisest man sometimes acts weakly, and the weakest sometimes wisely.

Lord Chesterfield

Character, Men, Wisest Man

Lord Chesterfield, David Roberts (2008). “Lord Chesterfield's Letters”, p.77, Oxford University Press

You will find that reason, which always ought to direct mankind, seldom does; but that passions and weaknesses commonly usurp itsseat, and rule in its stead.

Lord Chesterfield

Passion, Weakness, Doe

Lord Philip Dormer Stanhope Chesterfield, Eugenia Stanhope (1827). “Letters Written by the Earl of Chesterfield to His Son”, p.135

A man of fashion never has recourse to proverbs, and vulgar aphorisms; uses neither favourite words nor hard words, but takes great care to speak very correctly and grammatically, and to pronounce properly; that is, according to the usage of the best companies.

Lord Chesterfield

Fashion, Men, Use

Lord Chesterfield, David Roberts (2008). “Lord Chesterfield's Letters”, p.163, Oxford University Press

I am not of the opinion generally entertained in this country [England], that man lives by Greek and Latin alone; that is, by knowing a great many words of two dead languages, which nobody living knows perfectly, and which are of no use in the common intercourse of life. Useful knowledge, in my opinion, consists of modern languages, history, and geography; some Latin may be thrown into the bargain, in compliance with custom, and for closet amusement.

Lord Chesterfield

Education, Country, Latin

Experience only can teach men not to prefer what strikes them for the present moment, to what will have much greater weight with the them hereafter.

Lord Chesterfield

Men, Experience, Weight

Lord Philip Dormer Stanhope Chesterfield, Philip Dormer Stanhope Earl of Chesterfield (1855). “The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author”, p.630

Of those who really love their sons, few know how to do it. Some spoil them when they are young, and then quarrel with them when they are grown up, for having been spoiled; some love them like mothers, and attend only to the bodily health and strength of the hopes of their family, solemnize his birthday, and rejoice, like the subjects of the Great Mogul, at the increase of his bulk: while others, minding, as they think, only essentials, take pains and pleasure to see in their heir, all their favourite weaknesses and imperfections.

Lord Chesterfield

Love, Family, Mother

Lord Philip Dormer Stanhope Chesterfield, Philip Dormer Stanhope Earl of Chesterfield (1855). “The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author”, p.459

Style is the dress of thoughts; and let them be ever so just, if your style is homely, coarse, and vulgar, they will appear to as much disadvantage, and be as ill received, as your person, though ever so well-proportioned, would if dressed in rags, dirt, and tatters.

Lord Chesterfield

Style, Rags, Dresses

Lord Chesterfield, David Roberts (2008). “Lord Chesterfield's Letters”, p.176, Oxford University Press

Love has been not unaptly compared to the small-pox, which most people have sooner or later.

Lord Chesterfield

Love, People, Pox

Lord Philip Dormer Stanhope Chesterfield, Philip Dormer Stanhope Earl of Chesterfield (1855). “The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author”, p.466

Endeavor, as much as you can, to keep company with people above you.... Do not mistake, when I say company above you, and think that I mean with regard to their birth; that is the least consideration; but I mean with regard to their merit, and the light in which the world considers them.

Lord Chesterfield

Mistake, Mean, Thinking

Lord Chesterfield, David Roberts (2008). “Lord Chesterfield's Letters”, p.56, Oxford University Press

I am provoked at the contempt which most historians show for humanity in general; one would think by them, that the whole human species consisted but of about a hundred and fifty people, called and dignified (commonly very undeservedly too) by the titles of Emperors, Kings, Popes, Generals, and Ministers.

Lord Chesterfield

Kings, Thinking, People

Knowledge of the world in only to be acquired in the world, and not in a closet.

Lord Chesterfield

Education, Knowledge, World

'Letters to his Son' (1774) 4 October 1746

Half the business is done, when one has gained the heart and the affections of those with whom one is to transact it.

Lord Chesterfield

Heart, Done, Half

Lord Chesterfield, David Roberts (2008). “Lord Chesterfield's Letters”, p.269, Oxford University Press

Lady ---- is safely delivered of a son, to the great joy of that noble family. The expression, of a woman's having brought her husband a son, seems to be a proper and cautious one; for it is never said, from whence.

Lord Chesterfield

Husband, Son, Expression

Lord Chesterfield, David Roberts (2008). “Lord Chesterfield's Letters”, p.325, Oxford University Press

I can hardly bring myself to caution you against drinking, because I am persuaded that I am writing to a rational creature, a gentleman, and not to a swine. However, that you may not be insensibly drawn into that beastly custom of even sober drinking and sipping, as the sots call it, I advise you to be of no club whatsoever.

Lord Chesterfield

Drinking, Writing, Gentleman

Lord Chesterfield (1998). “Lord Chesterfield's Letters”, p.416, OUP Oxford

Remember that the wit, humour, and jokes of most mixed companies are local. They thrive in that particular soil, but will not often bear transplanting.

Lord Chesterfield

Funny, Humor, Soil

Lord Chesterfield, David Roberts (2008). “Lord Chesterfield's Letters”, p.109, Oxford University Press

In the mass of mankind, I fear, there is too great a majority of fools and knaves; who, singly from their number, must to a certain degree be respected, though they are by no means respectable.

Lord Chesterfield

Respect, Mean, Numbers

Lord Chesterfield, David Roberts (2008). “Lord Chesterfield's Letters”, p.125, Oxford University Press