Francis Bacon Quotes
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The human understanding of its own nature is prone to suppose the existence of more order and regularity in the world than it finds.
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Suspicions that the mind, of itself, gathers, are but buzzes; but suspicions that are artificially nourished and put into men's heads by the tales and whisperings of others, have stings.
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Art is man added to Nature.
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The human understanding, when any preposition has been once laid down... forces everything else to add fresh support and confirmation; and although more cogent and abundant instances may exist to the contrary, yet it either does not observe them or it despises them, or it gets rid of and rejects them by some distinction, with violent and injurious prejudice, rather than sacrifice the authority of its first conclusions.
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But the greatest error of all the rest is the mistaking or misplacing of the last or farthest end of knowledge: for men have entered into a desire of learning and knowledge, sometimes upon a natural curiosity and inquisitive appetite; sometimes to entertain their minds with variety and delight; sometimes for ornament and reputation; and sometimes to enable them to victory of wit and contradiction; and most times for lucre and profession; and seldom sincerely to give a true account of their gift of reason, to the benefit and use of men.
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There are and can be only two ways of searching into and discovering truth. The one flies from the senses and particulars to the most general axioms, and from these principles, the truth of which it takes for settled and immovable, proceeds to judgment and to the discovery of middle axioms. And this way is now in fashion. The other derives axioms from the senses and particulars, rising by a gradual and unbroken ascent, so that it arrives at the most general axioms last of all. This is the true way, but as yet untried.
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To seek to extinguish anger utterly is but a bravery of the Stoics. We have better oracles: 'Be angry, but sin not.' 'Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.'
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Princes are like heavenly bodies, which cause good or evil times, and which have much veneration but no rest.
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A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.
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Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed.
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A young man not yet, an elder man not at all.
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When a doubt is once received, men labour rather how to keep it a doubt still, than how to solve it; and accordingly bend their wits.
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Virtue is like a rich stone, best plain set.
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Books will speak plain when counselors blanch.
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Generally, youth is like the first cogitations, not so wise as the second. For there is a youth in thoughts, as well as in ages. And yet the invention of young men, is more lively than that of old; and imaginations stream into their minds better, and, as it were, more divinely.
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For cleanness of body was ever esteemed to proceed from a due reverence to God, to society, and to ourselves.
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It is a miserable state of mind to have few things to desire and many things to fear.
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The best armor is to keep out of gunshot.
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In all superstition wise men follow fools.
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Fashion is only the attempt to realize art in living forms and social intercourse.
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He that hath a wife and children hath given hostages to fortune.
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A little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion.
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People usually think according to their inclinations, speak according to their learning and ingrained opinions, but generally act according to custom.
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Truth is a naked and open daylight.