Charles Caleb Colton quotes - page 7

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:

There is a paradox in pride it makes some men ridiculous, but prevents others from becoming so.

Charles Caleb Colton

Logic and metaphysics make use of more tools than all the rest of the sciences put together, and they do the least work.

Charles Caleb Colton

We may lay in a stock of pleasures, as we would lay in a stock of wine; but if we defer tasting them too long, we shall find that both are soured by age.

Charles Caleb Colton

Riches may enable us to confer favours, but to confer them with propriety and grace requires a something that riches cannot give.

Charles Caleb Colton

The first requisite for success is the ability to apply your physical and mental energies to one problem incessantly without growing weary.

Charles Caleb Colton

There are three modes of bearing the ills of life, by indifference, by philosophy, and by religion.

Charles Caleb Colton

In religion as in politics it so happens that we have less charity for those who believe half our creed, than for those who deny the whole of it.

Charles Caleb Colton

Our income are like our shoes; if too small, they gall and pinch us; but if too large, they cause us to stumble and trip.

Charles Caleb Colton

The interests of society often render it expedient not to utter the whole truth, the interests of science never for in this field we have much more to fear from the deficiency of truth than from its abundance.

Charles Caleb Colton

Hope is a prodigal young heir, and experience is his Banker, but his drafts are seldom honored since there is often a heavy balance against him, because he draws largely on a small capital and is not yet in possession.

Charles Caleb Colton

Power, like the diamond, dazzles the beholder, and also the wearer it dignifies meanness it magnifies littleness to what is contemptible, it gives authority to what is law, exaltation.

Charles Caleb Colton

The seeds of repentance are sown in youth by pleasure, But the harvest is reaped in age by pain.

Charles Caleb Colton

Envy ought to have no place allowed it in the heart of man for the goods of this present world are so vile and low that they are beneath it and those of the future world are so vast and exalted that they are above it.

Charles Caleb Colton

It is with disease of the mind, as with those of the body we are half dead before we understand our disorder, And half cured when we do.

Charles Caleb Colton

Peace is the evening star of the soul, as virtue is its sun and the two are never far apart.

Charles Caleb Colton

Genius, in one respect, is like gold numbers of persons are constantly writing about both, who have neither.

Charles Caleb Colton

From its very inaction, idleness ultimately becomes the most active cause of evil as a palsy is more to be dreaded than a fever. The Turks have a proverb which says that the devil tempts all other men, but that idle men tempt the devil.

Charles Caleb Colton

Where we cannot invent, we may at least improve we may give somewhat of novelty to that which was old, condensation to that which was diffuse, perspicuity to that which was obscure, and currency to that which was recondite.

Charles Caleb Colton