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To know a little of anything gives neither satisfaction nor credit, but often brings disgrace or ridicule.

Lord Chesterfield

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Lord Chesterfield
Little
Brings
Giving
Credit
Neither
Gives
Knowledge
Often
Disgrace
Littles
Ridicule
Anything
Satisfaction

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The permanency of most friendships depends upon the continuity of good fortune.
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The possibility of remedying imprudent actions is commonly an inducement to commit them.
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Indifference is commonly the mother of discretion.
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Violent measures are always dangerous, but, when necessary, may then be looked on as wise. They have, however, the advantage of never being matter of indifference and, when well concerted, must be decisive.
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Most maxim-mongers have preferred the prettiness to the justness of a thought, and the turn to the truth but I have refused myself to everything that my own experience did not justify and confirm.
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Knowledge of the world in only to be acquired in the world, and not in a closet.
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Do as you would be done by, is the surest method of pleasing.
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Few fathers care much for their sons, or at least, most of them care more for their money. Of those who really love their sons, few know how to do it.
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Manners must adorn knowledge and smooth its way in the world, without them it is like a great rough diamond, very well in a closet by way of curiosity, and also for its intrinsic value but most prized when polished.
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Since attaining the full use of my reason no one has ever heard me laugh.
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No man tastes pleasures truly, who does not earn them by previous business and few people do business well, who do nothing else.
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We are hardly ever grateful for a fine clock or watch when it goes right, and we pay attention to it only when it falters, for then we are caught by surprise. It ought to be the other way about.
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Half the business is done, when one has gained the heart and the affections of those with whom one is to transact it.
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Women who are either indisputably beautiful, or indisputably ugly, are best flattered upon the score of their understandings but those who are in a state of mediocrity are best flattered upon their beauty, or at least their graces for every woman who is not absolutely ugly thinks herself handsome.
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You should not only have attention to everything, but a quickness of attention, so as to observe at once all the people in the room--their motions, their looks and their words--and yet without staring at them and seeming to be an observer.
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Modesty is the only sure bait when you angle for praise.
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Arbitrary power has seldom... been introduced in any country at once. It must be introduced by slow degrees, and as it were step by step.
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There is hardly anybody good for everything, and there is scarcely anybody who is absolutely good for nothing.
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Style is the dress of thoughts, and let them be ever so just.
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I always put these pert jackanapeses out of countenance by looking extremely grave when they expect that I should laugh at their pleasantries and by saying Well, and so?--as if they had not done, and that the sting were still to come. This disconcerts them, as they have no resources in themselves, and have but one set of jokes to live upon.
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