SaturdayMar 21, 2026
Quotes: 53419 Authors: 9969
Johann Kaspar Lavater (November 15, 1741 - January 2, 1801) was a Swiss poet and physiognomist.
The more honesty a man has, the less he affects the air of a saint.
Trust him not with your secrets, who, when left alone in your room, turns over your papers.
I am prejudiced in favor of him who, without impudence, can ask boldly. He has faith in humanity, and faith in himself. Noone who is not accustomed to giving grandly can ask nobly and with boldness.
When you doubt between words, use the plainest, the commonest, the most idiomatic. Eschew fine words as you would rouge; love simple ones as you would the native roses on your cheek.
He who freely praises what he means to purchase, and he who enumerates the faults of what he means to sell, may set up a partnership with honesty.
Genius always gives its best at first, prudence at last.
Never say you know a man till you have divided an inheritance with him.
He who purposely cheats his friend would cheat his God.
Three days of uninterrupted company in a vehicle will make you better acquainted with another, than one hour's conversation with him every day for three years.
Intuition is the clear conception of the whole at once.
Be assured those will be thy worst enemies, not to whom thou hast done evil, but who have done evil to thee. And those will be thy best friends, not to whom thou hast done good, but who have done good to thee.
Action, looks, words, steps, form the alphabet by which you may spell character.
Beware of him who hates the laugh of a child.
Call him wise whose actions, words, and steps are all a clear because to a clear why.
Be not the fourth friend of him who had three before And lost them.
He who has no taste for order, will be often wrong in his judgment, and seldom considerate or conscientious in his Actions.
Act well at the moment, And you have performed a good action for all eternity.
It is one of my favorite thoughts, that God manifests himself to mankind in all wise, good, humble, generous, great and magnanimous men.
Say not you know another entirely till you have divided an inheritance with him.
The cruelty of the weak is more dreadful than that of the strong.
The generous who is always just, and the just who is always generous, may, unannounced, approach the throne of heaven.
The procrastinator is not only indolent and weak but commonly false too; most of the weak are false.
The prudent see only the difficulties, the bold only the Advantages, of a great enterprise; the hero sees both; diminishes the former and makes the latter preponderate, And so conquers.
The qualities of your friends will be those of your enemies, cold friends, cold enemies; half friends, half enemies; fervid enemies, warm friends.
Thinkers are scarce as gold; but he whose thoughts embrace All his subject, pursues it uninterruptedly and fearless of consequences, is a diamond of enormous size.
Volatility of words is carelessness in actions; words are the wings of actions.
Weaknesses, so called, are nothing more nor less than vice in disguise!
Genius always gives its best at first; prudence, at last.
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