Charles Caleb Colton quotes - page 5

Charles Caleb Colton was an English cleric, writer, and collector, best remembered for his witty aphorisms and epigrams. His works, such as "Lacon, or Many Things in Few Words," gained popularity for their sharp insight and clever commentary. He continues to be quoted for his observations on life, human nature, and society. Here are 171 of his quotes:

We own almost all our knowledge not to those who have agreed but to those who have differed.

Charles Caleb Colton

Many speak the truth when they say that they despise riches, but they mean the riches possessed by others.

Charles Caleb Colton

To write what is worth publishing, to find honest people to publish it, and get sensible people to read it, are the three great difficulties in being an author.

Charles Caleb Colton

No man can purchase his virtue too dear, for it is the only thing whose value must ever increase with the price it has cost us.

Charles Caleb Colton

AMBITION is to the mind, what the cap is to the falcon; it blinds us first, and then compels us to tower, by reason of our blindness. But alas, when we are at the summit of a vain ambition, we are also at the depth of real misery. We are placed where time cannot improve, but must impair us; where chance and change cannot befriend, but may betray us; in short, by attaining all we wish, and gaining all we want, we have only reached a pinnacle, where we have nothing to hope, but every thing to fear.

Charles Caleb Colton

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.

Charles Caleb Colton

Those illustrious men, who, like torches, have consumed themselves, in order to enlighten others, have often lived unrewarded, and died unlamented. But the tongues of aftertimes have done them justice in one sense, but injustice in another. They have honoured them with their praise, but they have disgraced them with their pity. They pity them forsooth, because they missed of present praise, and temporal emolument; things great indeed to the little, but little to the great.

Charles Caleb Colton

It is almost as difficult to make a man unlearn his errors as his knowledge. Mal-information is more hopeless than non-information; for error is always more busy than ignorance. Ignorance is a blank sheet, on which we may write; but error is a scribbled one, on which we must first erase. Ignorance is contented to stand still with her back to the truth; but error is more presumptuous, and proceeds in the same direction. Ignorance has no light, but error follows a false one. The consequence is, that error, when she retraces her footsteps, has further to go, before she can arrive at the truth, than ignorance.

Charles Caleb Colton

Great minds had rather deserve contemporaneous applause, without obtaining it, than obtain, without deserving it; if it follow them, it is well, but they will not deviate to follow it. With inferior minds the reverse is observable.

Charles Caleb Colton

An elegant writer has observed, that wit may do very well for a mistress, but that he should prefer reason for a wife.

Charles Caleb Colton

A feast is more fatal to love than a fast, and a surfeit than a starvation.

Charles Caleb Colton

He that knows himself, knows others; and he that is ignorant of himself, could not write a very profound lecture on other men's heads.

Charles Caleb Colton

I'm aiming by the time I'm fifty to stop being an adolescent.

Charles Caleb Colton

Those who visit foreign nations, but associate only with their own country-men, change their climate, but not their customs. They see new meridians, but the same men; and with heads as empty as their pockets, return home with traveled bodies, but untravelled minds.

Charles Caleb Colton

Nothing so completely baffles one who is full of trick and duplicity himself, than straightforward and simple integrity in another.

Charles Caleb Colton

Corruption is like a ball of snow, once it's set a rolling it must increase.

Charles Caleb Colton

The present time has one advantage over every other - it is our own.

Charles Caleb Colton

Physical courage, which engages all danger, will make a person brave in one way and moral courage, which defies all opinion, will make a person brave in another.

Charles Caleb Colton

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

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

Most men know what they hate, few know what they love.

Charles Caleb Colton

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

Charles Caleb Colton