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Lord Chesterfield

Lord Chesterfield Books

British Statesman

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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; but not hearing often that she is so is the more grateful and the more obliged to the few who tell her so; whereas a decided and conscious beauty looks upon every tribute paid to her beauty only as her due, but wants to shine and to be considered on the side of her understanding…”

Women
Book:LETTERS TO HIS SON
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“Conceal your learning from the company Never display your learning, but on particular occasions. Reserve it for learned men, and let even these rather extort it from you, than appear forward to display it. Hence you will be deemed modest, and reputed to possess more knowledge than you really have. Never seem wiser or more learned than your company. The man who affects to display his learning, will be frequently questioned; and if found superficial, will be ridiculed and despised; if otherwise, he will be deemed a pedant. Nothing can lessen real merit (which will always shew itself) in the opinion of the world, but an ostentatious display by its possessor.”

WisdomLife LessonsKnowledgeAdviceHumilityMeritTeamworkModestySelf Restraint
Author:Lord Chesterfield
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“Those who travel heedlessly from place to place, observing only their distance from each other, and attending only to their accommodation at the inn at night, set out fools, and will certainly return so”

NightFoolReturnDistanceObservingAttendingInnsAccommodations
Book:The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author
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“One man affirms that he has rode post a hundred miles in six hours; probably it is a lie; but supposing it to be true, what then? Why, he is a very good post-boy; that is all. Another asserts, and probably not without oaths, that he has drunk six or eight bottles of wine at a sitting; out of charity I will believe him a liar; for if I do not, I must think him a beast.”

IfsThinkingMenBelieveLyingHoursBoysSixHundredSittingWineCharityVery GoodEightMilesBeing TrueDrunkPostsBeastLiarsOne ManBottlesBoastOathSupposingBottles Of Wine
Book:Lord Chesterfield's Letters
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“The insolent civility of a proud man is, if possible, more shocking than his rudeness could be; because he shows you, by his manner, that he thinks it mere condescension in him; and that his goodness alone bestows upon you what you have no pretense to claim.”

IfsThinkingMenShowsProudGoodnessClaimsMereShockingCivilityPretenseRudenessCondescensionInsolentProud Man
Book:The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author
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“The receipt to make a speaker, and an applauded one too, is short and easy. Take common sense quantum sufficit; add a little application to the rules and orders of the House [of Commons], throw obvious thoughts in a new light, and make up the whole with a large quantity of purity, correctness and elegancy of style. Take it for granted that by far the greatest part of mankind neither analyze nor search to the bottom; they are incapable of penetrating deeper than the surface.”

LittlesWholeLightOrderHouseEasyCommonMankindStyleAddBottomObviousDeeperSurfaceCommon SenseGrantedPurityApplicationQuantitySpeakersQuantumIncapableEloquenceCorrectnessHouse Of CommonsReceipts
Book:Lord Chesterfield's Letters
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“Experience only can teach men not to prefer what strikes them for the present moment, to what will have much greater weight with the them hereafter.”

MenMomentsTeachGreaterExperienceWeightStrikesPresent MomentHereafter
Book:The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author
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“Young men are as apt to think themselves wise enough, as drunken men are to think themselves sober enough. They look upon spirit to be a much better thing than experience; which they call coldness. They are but half mistaken; for though spirit without experience is dangerous, experience without spirit is languid and ineffective.”

ThinkingMenLooksEnoughYoungSpiritHalfWiseDangerousExperienceYoung ManLook UpMistakenSoberColdness
Book:The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author
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