Quote

How often do we contradict the right rules of reason in the whole course of our lives! Reason itself is true and just, but the reason of every particular man is weak and wavering, perpetually swayed and turned by his interests, his passions, and his vices.

Jonathan Swift

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Jonathan Swift
Age: 77 †
Born: 1667
Born: November 30
Died: 1745
Died: October 19
Essayist
Human Rights Activist
Novelist
Opinion Journalist
Pamphleteer
Philosopher
Poet
Priest
Prosaist
Public Figure
Dublin city
Isaac Bickerstaff
M. B. Drapier
Lemuel Gulliver
Simon Wagstaff
Particular
Contradict
Reason
Courses
Perpetually
Whole
Course
Passions
Right
Passion
Vices
Every
Interest
Interests
Men
Lives
Turned
Often
Rules
Swayed
Weak
Wavering
True

More quotes by Jonathan Swift

Image
Liberty of conscience is nowadays only understood to be the liberty of believing what men please, but also of endeavoring to propagate that belief as much as they can.
Jonathan Swift
Image
What poet would not grieve to see His brother write as well as he? But rather than they should excel, He'd wish his rivals all in Hell.
Jonathan Swift
Image
I remember it was with extreme difficulty that I could bring my master to understand the meaning of the word opinion, or how a point could be disputable because reason taught us to affirm or deny only where we are certain and beyond our knowledge we cannot do either.
Jonathan Swift
Image
Reasoning will never make a man correct an ill opinion, which by reasoning he never acquired
Jonathan Swift
Image
What they do in heaven we are ignorant of what they do not do we are told expressly.
Jonathan Swift
Image
Books, like men their authors, have no more than one wayofcoming intothe world, but there areten thousand to go out of it, and return no more.
Jonathan Swift
Image
Under the rose, since here are none but friends, To own the truth we have some private ends.
Jonathan Swift
Image
Very few men, properly speaking, live at present, but are providing to live another time.
Jonathan Swift
Image
If the men of wit and genius would resolve never to complain in their works of critics and detractors, the next age would not know that they ever had any.
Jonathan Swift
Image
It is the first rule in oratory that a man must appear such as he would persuade others to be: and that can be accomplished only by the force of his life.
Jonathan Swift
Image
Satire, being levelled at all, is never resented for an offence by any.
Jonathan Swift
Image
Kitchen Physic is the best Physic.
Jonathan Swift
Image
The tucked-up sempstress walks with hasty strides, While streams run down her oil'd umbrella's sides.
Jonathan Swift
Image
Conversation is but carving! Give no more to every guest Than he's able to digest.
Jonathan Swift
Image
I have known some men possessed of good qualities which were very serviceable to others, but useless to themselves like a sun-dial on the front of a house, to inform the neighbours and passengers, but not the owner within.
Jonathan Swift
Image
The system of morality to be gathered from the ancient sages falls very short of that delivered in the gospel.
Jonathan Swift
Image
Small causes are sufficient to make a man uneasy, when great ones are not in the way: for want of a block he will stumble at a straw.
Jonathan Swift
Image
The stoical scheme of supplying our wants by lopping off our desires, is like cutting off our feet when we want shoes.
Jonathan Swift
Image
Ever eating, never cloying, All-devouring, all-destroying Never finding full repast, Till I eat the world at last.
Jonathan Swift
Image
You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
Jonathan Swift