Quotes by Lord Chesterfield

Advice is seldom welcome and those who want it the most always like it the least.

Polished brass will pass upon more people than rough gold.

Patience is a most necessary quality for business many a man would rather you heard his story than grant his request.

Without some dissimulation no business can be carried on at all.

You must look into people as well as at them.

Firmness of purpose is one of the most necessary sinews of character and one of the best instruments of success. Without it genius wastes its efforts in a maze of inconsistencies.

When one is learning one should not think of play and when one is at play one should not think of learning.

There is time enough for everything in the course of the day if you do but one thing at once but there is not time enough in the year if you will do two things at a time.

Never hold any one by the button or the hand in order to be heard out for if people are unwilling to hear you you had better hold your tongue than them.

Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well.

The manner of your speaking is full as important as the matter as more people have ears to be tickled than understandings to judge.

Men are much more unwilling to have their weaknesses and their imperfections known than their crimes.

When a man is once in fashion all he does is right.

Distrust all those who love you extremely upon a very slight acquaintance and without any viable reason.

Firmness of purpose is one of the most necessary sinews of character and one of the best instruments of success. Without it genius wastes its efforts in a maze of inconsistencies.

Aim at perfection in everything though in most things it is unattainable. However they who aim at it and persevere will come much nearer to it than those whose laziness and despondency make them give it up as unattainable.

Pleasure is a reciprocal no one feels it who does not at the same time give it. To be pleased one must please.

Few men are of one plain decided colour most are mixed shaded and blended and vary as much from different situations as changeable silks do from different lights.

Idleness is the holiday of fools.

We are in truth more than a half of what we are by imitation.