Quotes by Sydney Smith

“Performance stands out like a ton of diamonds. Non performance can always be explained away.”

“It is an immutable law in business that words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises but only performance is reality.”

“Dont lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations. Expect the best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality.”

The main question to a novel is -- did it amuse? were you surprised at dinner coming so soon? did you mistake eleven for ten? were you too late to dress? and did you sit up beyond the usual hour? If a novel produces these effects, it is good; if it does not -- story, language, love, scandal itself cannot save it. It is only meant to please; and it must do that or it does nothing.

No furniture is so charming as books.

Madam, I have been looking for a person who disliked gravy all my life; let us swear eternal friendship.

If I were to begin life again, I would devote it to music. It is the only cheap and unpunished rapture upon earth.

The fact is that in order to do anything in this world worth doing, we must not stand shivering on the bank thinking of the cold and the danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can.

When you rise in the morning, form a resolution to make the day a happy one for a fellow creature.

I always fear that creation will expire before teatime.

Going to marry her? Impossible! You mean a part of her; he could not marry her all himself. It would be a case, not of bigamy but trigamy; there is enough of her to furnish wives for the whole parish. One man marry her! - it is monstrous! You might people a colony with her; or give an assembly with her; or perhaps take your mornings walk round her, always provided there were frequent resting places, and you were in rude health. I once was rash enough to try walking round her before breakfast, but only got half way and gave it up exhausted. Or you might read the Riot Act and disperse her; in short, you might do anything but marry her!

He has returned from Italy a greater bore than ever he bores on architecture painting statuary and music.

He (Macaulay) has occasional flashes of silence that make his conversation perfectly delightful.

You never say a word of yourself dear Lady Grey. You have that dreadful sin of anti-egotism.

I have gout asthma and seven other maladies but am otherwise very well.

Life is to be fortified by many friendships. To love and to be loved is the greatest happiness of existence.

Madam I have been looking for a person who disliked gravy all my life let us swear eternal friendship.

To do anything in this world worth doing we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger but jump in and scramble through as well as we can.

Great men hallow a whole people and lift up all who live in their time.

Hope is the belief more or less strong that joy will come desire is the wish it may come.