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Lord Chesterfield

Lord Chesterfield Quotes

British Statesman

British statesman known for his epistolary works, which had a profound impact on 18th-century British society.

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All Men People Ifs May Wells Should Company Thinking Giving Manners World Knows Mind Pleasure Character Littles Care Young Long Age

Famous Lord Chesterfield Quotes

“I knew once a very covetous, sordid fellow [perhaps William Lowndes], who used to say, `Take care of the pence, for the pounds will take care of themselves.”

Care Used Fellows Caring Take Care Pounds

Author:Lord Chesterfield

“We are in truth, more than half what we are by imitation. The great point is to choose good models and to study them with care.”

Care Half Study Example Models Imitation

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

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

“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.”

Knows Care Father Family Know How Son

Author:Lord Chesterfield

“I would rather have a young fellow too much than too little dressed; the excess on that side will wear off, with a little age and reflection; but if he is negligent at twenty, he will be a sloven at forty, and stink at fifty years old. Dress yourself fine where others are fine, and plain where others are plain; but take care always that your clothes are well made and fit you, for otherwise they will give you a very awkward air.”

Ifs Giving Years Wells Littles Made Care Age Young Sides Too Much Air Fine Fit Clothes Reflection Twenties Dresses Fellows Take Care Fifty Forty Excess Awkward Stink Fifty Year Olds

Book:Lord Chesterfield's Letters

Source: Lord Chesterfield's Letters

“Talk often, but never long; in that case, if you do not please, at least you are sure not to tire your hearers. Pay your own reckoning, but do not treat the whole company; this being one of the few cases in which people do not care to be treated, every one being fully convinced that he has wherewithal to pay.”

People Ifs Long Whole Care Pay Company Talking Cases Please Treats Convinced Treated Tire Reckoning

Book:Lord Chesterfield's Letters

Source: Lord Chesterfield's Letters

“You must labour to acquire that great and uncommon talent of hating with good breeding, and loving with prudence; to make no quarrel irreconcilable by silly and unnecessary indications of anger; and no friendship dangerous, in care it breaks, by a wanton, indiscreet, and unreserved confidence.”

Love Care Hate Break Talent Dangerous Silly Acquire Labour Unnecessary Quarrels Prudence Indication Breeding Love Hate Uncommon Wanton Good Breeding

Author:Lord Chesterfield

“Vulgarism in language is the distinguishing characteristic of bad company, and a bad education. A man of fashion avoids nothing with more care than that. Proverbial expressions, and trite sayings, are the flowers of the rhetoric of vulgar man.”

Men Care Language Company Fashion Expression Flower Characteristics Rhetoric Vulgar Vulgarity Proverbial Bad Company Bad Education

Book:Lord Chesterfield's Letters

Source: Lord Chesterfield's Letters

“A man of fashion never has recourse to proverbs, and vulgar aphorisms; uses neither favourite words nor hard words, but takes great care to speak very correctly and grammatically, and to pronounce properly; that is, according to the usage of the best companies.”

Men Hard Use Care Speak Language Company Fashion Aphorism Favourite Vulgar Vulgarity Usage Recourse Hard Words Best Company

Book:Lord Chesterfield's Letters

Source: Lord Chesterfield's Letters

“A man of sense soon discovers, because he carefully observes, where and how long he is welcome; and takes care to leave the company at least as soon as he is wished out of it. Fools never perceive whether they are ill timed or ill placed.”

Men Long Care Company Fool Ill Take Care Welcome Perceive

Book:Lord Chesterfield's Letters

Source: Lord Chesterfield's Letters

“Were you to converse with a king, you ought to be as easy and unembarrassed as with your own valet-de chambre; but yet every look,word, and action should imply the utmost respect.... You must wait till you are spoken to; you must receive, not give, the subject of conversation, and you must even take care that the given subject of such conversation do not lead you into any impropriety.”

Giving Should Looks Care Action Given Easy Waiting Subjects Ought Kings Conversation Take Care Royalty Etiquette Converses Words And Actions Valet

Book:Lord Chesterfield's Letters

Source: Lord Chesterfield's Letters

“The only sure way of avoiding these evils [vanity and boasting] is never to speak of yourself at all. But when, historically, youare obliged to mention yourself, take care not to drop one single word that can directly or indirectly be construed as fishing for applause.”

Way Care Evil Speak Take Care Vanity Fishing Avoiding Boast Obliged Egotism Applause Single Word

Author:Lord Chesterfield

“I recommend to you to take care of the minutes; for hours will take care of themselves. I am very sure, that many people lose two or three hours every day, by not taking care of the minutes.”

People Two Care Three Hours Loses Minutes Take Care

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

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

“I recommend you to take care of the minutes, for the hours will take care of themselves.”

Care Time Hours Minutes Positive Take Care Time Management Being Positive

Author:Lord Chesterfield

“I am very sure that any man of common understanding may, by culture, care, attention, and labor, make himself what- ever he pleases, except a great poet.”

Men May Care Culture Understanding Common Attention Poet Please Labor Great Poet

Author:Lord Chesterfield

“An ignorant man is insignificant and contemptible; nobody cares for his company, and he can just be said to live, and that is all.”

Men Said Care Company Stupidity Ignorant Insignificant Nobody Cares

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

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

“Not to care for philosophy is to be a true philospher.”

Philosophy Care Wise

Author:Lord Chesterfield

About the Author

Born: September 22, 1694
Died: March 24, 1773
Known for: British Statesman
Quotes: 437

Related Topics

Men People Ifs May Wells Should Company Thinking Giving Manners World Knows Mind Pleasure Character Littles Care Young Long Age

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Books & Sources

Lord Chesterfield's LettersRelated source material

The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the AuthorRelated source material

Letters Written by the Earl of Chesterfield to His SonRelated source material

The Modern ChesterfieldRelated source material

LETTERS TO HIS SONRelated source material

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