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Vanity makes people ridiculous, pride odious, and ambition terrible.

Richard Steele

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Richard Steele
Age: 57 †
Born: 1672
Born: March 12
Died: 1729
Died: September 1
Journalist
Playwright
Politician
Writer
Dublin city
Sir Richard Steele
People
Odious
Vanity
Ridiculous
Ambition
Pride
Terrible
Makes

More quotes by Richard Steele

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A fool is in himself the object of pity, until he is flattered.
Richard Steele
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No woman is capable of being beautiful who is not incapable of being false.
Richard Steele
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I was going home two hours ago, but was met by Mr. Griffith, who has kept me ever since. . . . I will come within a pint of wine.
Richard Steele
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The praise of an ignorant man is only good-will, and you should receive his kindness as he is a good neighbor in society, and not as a good judge of your actions in point of fame and reputation.
Richard Steele
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It is a wonderful thing that so many, and they not reckoned absurd, shall entertain those with whom they converse by giving them the history of their pains and aches and imagine such narrations their quota of conversation.
Richard Steele
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When a man is not disposed to hear music, there is not a more disagreeable sound in harmony than that of the violin.
Richard Steele
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A favor well bestowed is almost as great an honor to him who confers it as to him who receives it.
Richard Steele
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Though her mien carries much more invitation than command, to behold her is an immediate check to loose behaviour to love her was a liberal education.
Richard Steele
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I cannot think of any character below the flatterer, except he who envies him
Richard Steele
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It has been a sort of maxim, that the greatest art is to conceal art but I know not how, among some people we meet with, their greatest cunning is to appear cunning.
Richard Steele
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Fire and swords are slow engines of destruction, compared to the tongue of a Gossip.
Richard Steele
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Whenever you commend, add your reasons for doing so it is this which distinguishes the approbation of a man of sense from the flattery of sycophants and admiration of fools.
Richard Steele
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Violins are the lively, forward, importunate wits, that distinguish themselves by the flourishes of imagination, sharpness of repartee, glances of satire, and bear away the upper part in every consort.
Richard Steele
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Since our persons are not of our own making, when they are such as appear defective or uncomely, it is, methinks, an honest and laudable fortitude to dare to be ugly.
Richard Steele
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I know of no manner of speaking so offensive as that of giving praise, and closing it with an exception.
Richard Steele
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The world is grown so full of dissimulation and compliment, that men's words are hardly any signification of their thoughts.
Richard Steele
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I look upon it as a Point of Morality, to be obliged by those who endeavour to oblige me
Richard Steele
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It may be remarked in general, that the laugh of men of wit is for the most part but a feint, constrained kind of half-laugh, as such persons are never without some diffidence about them but that of fools is the most honest, natural, open laugh in the world.
Richard Steele
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Modesty never rages, never murmurs, never pouts when it is ill-treated, it pines, it beseeches, it languishes.
Richard Steele
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Zeal for the public good is the characteristic of a man of honor and a gentleman, and must take the place of pleasures, profits and all other private gratifications.
Richard Steele