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Lord Chesterfield Quotes - Page 7

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Being pretty on the inside means you don't hit your brother and you eat all your peas - that's what my grandma taught me.

Being pretty on the inside means you don't hit your brother and you eat all your peas - that's what my grandma taught me.

Lord Chesterfield
Funny, Brother, Sibling

Manners must adorn knowledge and smooth its way in the world, without them it is like a great rough diamond, very well in a closet by way of curiosity, and also for its intrinsic value; but most prized when polished.

Lord Chesterfield
Knowledge, Jewels, Curiosity

Style is the dress of thoughts, and let them be ever so just.

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

Artichoke: That vegetable of which one has more at the finish than at the start of dinner.

Lord Chesterfield
Food, Vegetables, Cooking

The only sure way of avoiding these evils [vanity and boasting] is never to speak of yourself at all. But when, historically, youare obliged to mention yourself, take care not to drop one single word that can directly or indirectly be construed as fishing for applause.

Lord Chesterfield
Vanity, Fishing, Evil

Words are the dress of thoughts; which should no more be presented in rags, tatters, and dirt than your person should.

Lord Chesterfield
Rags, Dresses, Dirt
Lord Chesterfield, David Roberts (2008). “Lord Chesterfield's Letters”, p.200, Oxford University Press

A man who owes a little can clear it off in a very little time, and, if he is a prudent man, will; whereas a man, who by long negligence, owes a great deal, despairs of ever being able to pay, and therefore never looks into his accounts at all.

Lord Chesterfield
Men, Long, Despair
Lord Philip Dormer Stanhope Chesterfield, Eugenia Stanhope (1827). “Letters Written by the Earl of Chesterfield to His Son”, p.203

At any age we must cherish illusions, consolatory or merely pleasant; in youth, they are omnipresent; in old age we must search for them, or even invent them. But with all that, boredom is their natural and inevitable accompaniment.

Lord Chesterfield
Boredom, Age, Youth

Remember, that when I speak of pleasures I always mean the elegant pleasures of a rational being, and not the brutal ones of a swine. I mean la bonne chère, short of gluttony; wine, infinitely short of drunkenness; play, without the least gaming; and gallantry, without debauchery.

Lord Chesterfield
Wine, Mean, Play

Never hold anyone by the button or the hand in order to be heard out; for if people are unwilling to hear you, you had better hold your tongue than them.

Lord Chesterfield
Hands, Order, People

Whenever I go to an opera, I leave my sense and reason at the door with my half-guinea, and deliver myself up to my eyes and my ears.

Lord Chesterfield
Eye, Doors, Ears
Lord Chesterfield (1998). “Lord Chesterfield's Letters”, p.250, Oxford Paperbacks

Keep carefully not of all scrapes and quarrels. They lower a character extremely; and are particularly dangerous in France, wherea man is dishonoured by not resenting an affront, and utterly ruined by resenting it.

Lord Chesterfield
Character, Men, France

Women of fashion and character--I do not mean absolutely unblemished--are a necessary ingredient in the composition of good company; the attention which they require, and which is always paid them by well-bred men, keeps up politeness, and gives a habit of good-breeding; whereas men, when they live together without the lenitive of women in company, are apt to grow careless, negligent, and rough among one another.

Lord Chesterfield
Fashion, Character, Mean

Most arts require long study and application, but the most useful art of all, that of pleasing, requires only the desire.

Lord Chesterfield
Art, Long, Desire

I have been too long acquainted with human nature to have great regard for human testimony; and a very great degree of probability, supported by various concurrent circumstances, conspiring in one point, will have much greater weight with me, than human testimony upon oath, or even upon honour; both of which I have frequently seen considerably warped by private views.

Lord Chesterfield
Truth, Views, Long
Lord Chesterfield (1998). “Lord Chesterfield's Letters”, p.319, Oxford Paperbacks

One of the greatest difficulties in civil war is, that more art is required to know what should be concealed from our friends, than what ought to be done against our enemies.

Lord Chesterfield
Friends, Art, War
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.628

Though we cannot totally change our nature, we may in great measure correct it by reflection and philosophy; and some philosophy is a very necessary companion in this world, where, even to the most fortunate, the chances are greatly against happiness.

Lord Chesterfield
Philosophy, Reflection, Thoughtful
Lord Chesterfield, David Roberts (2008). “Lord Chesterfield's Letters”, p.333, Oxford University Press

Never write down your speeches beforehand; if you do, you may perhaps be a good declaimer, but will never be a debater.

Lord Chesterfield
Writing, May, Speech
Lord Chesterfield (1998). “Lord Chesterfield's Letters”, p.415, OUP Oxford

Violent measures are always dangerous, but, when necessary, may then be looked on as wise. They have, however, the advantage of never being matter of indifference; and, when well concerted, must be decisive.

Lord Chesterfield
Wise, Violence, May

The great, the rich, the powerful, too often bestow their favours upon their inferiors in the manner they bestow their scraps upontheir dogs, so as neither to oblige man nor dogs. It is no wonder if favours, benefits, and even charities thus bestowed ungraciously, should be as coldly and faintly acknowledged.

Lord Chesterfield
Gratitude, Dog, Powerful

People hate who makes you feel one's inferiority.

Lord Chesterfield
Hate, People, Inferiority

The best way to compel weak-minded people to adopt our opinion, is to frighten them from all others, by magnifying their danger.

Lord Chesterfield
Fear, People, Way
Lord Philip Dormer Stanhope Chesterfield, Eugenia Stanhope (1827). “Letters Written by the Earl of Chesterfield to His Son”, p.352

We are hardly ever grateful for a fine clock or watch when it goes right, and we pay attention to it only when it falters, for then we are caught by surprise. It ought to be the other way about.

Lord Chesterfield
Gratitude, Grateful, Watches

I love every-day senses, every-day wit and entertainment; a man who is only good on holidays, is good for very little.

Lord Chesterfield
Holiday, Men, Littles
Lord Chesterfield, David Roberts (2008). “Lord Chesterfield's Letters”, p.285, Oxford University Press

Most people have ears, but few have judgment; tickle those ears, and depend upon it, you will catch their judgments, such as they are.

Lord Chesterfield
People, Justice, Ears
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.304

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