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Baltasar Gracian, Spanish Jesuit whose pocket-sized maxims on prudence, reputation, and reading character have guided the, gets quoted everywhere and sourced almost nowhere. The 7 quotes below are different: each one is checked word for word against the cited work, starting with The Art of Worldly Wisdom, not copied from aggregator sites that pass misattributions along. The source is named under every line, so you can trace each quote back to the page it came from.
Read Baltasar Gracian's full profile and how they reason →7 verified quotes
On learning from a hostile critic:
A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.Baltasar Gracian, The Art of Worldly Wisdom
On going against the crowd:
Better mad with the rest of the world than wise alone.Baltasar Gracian, The Art of Worldly Wisdom
On caring what others think:
Half the world laughs at the other half, and fools are they all.Baltasar Gracian, The Art of Worldly Wisdom
On knowing when to stop:
Good things, when short, are twice as good.Baltasar Gracian, The Art of Worldly Wisdom
On making sure your work gets noticed:
Do and be seen doing.Baltasar Gracian, The Art of Worldly Wisdom
On stepping down while still respected:
Know how to retire. If it is not permitted in triumph, at least it is granted with a good grace.Baltasar Gracian, The Art of Worldly Wisdom
On feeling purposeless:
It is a great misfortune to be of use to nobody.Baltasar Gracian, The Art of Worldly Wisdom