Johann Kaspar Lavater Quotes
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There are three classes of men; the retrograde, the stationary and the progressive.
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You may tell a man thou art a fiend, but not your nose wants blowing; to him alone who can bear a thing of that kind, you may tell all.
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Depend on no man, on no friend but him who can depend on himself. He only who acts conscientiously toward himself, will act so toward others.
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Don't speak evil of someone if you don't know for certain, and if you do know ask yourself, why am I telling it?
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Neatness begets order; but from order to taste there is the same difference as from taste to genius, or from love to friendship.
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He submits to be seen through a microscope, who suffers himself to be caught in a fit of passion.
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Action, looks, words, steps, form the alphabet by which you may spell character.
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He, who cannot forgive a trespass of malice to his enemy, has never yet tasted the most sublime enjoyment of love.
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If you wish to appear agreeable in society, you must consent to be taught many things which you know already.
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Happy the heart to whom God has given enough strength and courage to suffer for Him, to find happiness in simplicity and the happiness of others.
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Mistrust the person who finds everything good, and the person who finds everything evil, and mistrust even more the person who is indifferent to everything.
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The jealous are possessed by a mad devil and a dull spirit at the same time.
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The great rule of moral conduct is next to God, respect time.
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I am prejudiced in favor of him who, without impudence, can ask boldly. He has faith in humanity, and faith in himself. No one who is not accustomed to giving grandly can ask nobly and with boldness.
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Intuition is the clear conception of the whole at once.
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If you mean to know yourself, interline such of these aphorisms as affect you agreeably in reading, and set a mark to such as left a sense of uneasiness with you; and then show your copy to whom you please.
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Who in the same given time can produce more than others has vigor; who can produce more and better, has talents; who can produce what none else can, has genius.
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He who, when called upon to speak a disagreeable truth, tells it boldly and has done is both bolder and milder than he who nibbles in a low voice and never ceases nibbling.
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You are not very good if you are not better than your best friends imagine you to be.
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The prudent see only the difficulties, the bold only the advantages, of a great enterprise; the hero sees both; diminishes the former and makes the latter preponderate, and so conquers.
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The public seldom forgive twice.
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Let none turn over books, or roam the stars in quest of God, who sees him not in man.
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Say not you know another entirely till you have divided an inheritance with him.
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Act well at the moment, and you have performed a good action to all eternity.