Francis Bacon Quotes
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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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It is in life as it is in ways, the shortest way is commonly the foulest, and surely the fairer way is not much about.
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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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Nothing opens the heart like a true friend, to whom you may impart griefs, joys, fears, hopes...and whatever lies upon the heart.
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The serpent if it wants to become the dragon must eat itself.
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There is in human nature generally more of the fool than of the wise.
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To conclude, therefore, let no man upon a weak conceit of sobriety or an ill-applied moderation think or maintain that a man can search too far, or be too well studied in the book of God's word, or the book of God's works, divinity or philosophy; but rather let men endeavor an endless progress or proficience in both; only let men beware that they apply both to charity, and not to swelling; to use, and not to ostentation; and again, that they do not unwisely mingle or confound these learnings together.
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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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The Syllogism consists of propositions, propositions consist of words, words are symbols of notions. Therefore if the notions themselves (which is the root of the matter) are confused and over-hastily abstracted from the facts, there can be no firmness in the superstructure. Our only hope therefore lies in a true induction.
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Mysteries are due to secrecy.
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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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God's first creature, which was light.
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Hope is the most beneficial of all the affections, and doth much to the prolongation of life.
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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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A bad man is worse when he pretends to be a saint.
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For man seeketh in society comfort, use, and protection: and they be three wisdoms of divers natures, which do often sever: wisdom of the behaviour, wisdom of business, and wisdom of state.
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The desire of excessive power caused the angels to fall; the desire of knowledge caused men to fall.
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Envy is ever joined with the comparing of a man's self; and where there is no comparison, no envy.
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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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A young man not yet, an elder man not at all.
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Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god.
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The great atheists, indeed are hypocrites; which are ever handling holy things, but without feeling; so as they must needs be cauterized in the end.
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The best armor is to keep out of gunshot.
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God has placed no limits to the exercise of the intellect he has given us, on this side of the grave.