Johann Kaspar Lavater Quotes

Say not you know another entirely, till you have divided an inheritance with him.

Si quieres ser sabio, aprende a interrogar razonablemente, a escuchar con atención, a responder serenamente y a callar cuando no tengas nada que decir.

May God preserve those he loves from profitless reading.

Mistrust the man who finds everything good; the man who find everything evil; and more the man who is indifferent to everything.

Who purposely cheats his friend, would cheat his God.

About Fuseli: "...the most original genius I know. Nothing but energy, profusion and calm! The wildness of the warrior—and the feeling of supreme sublimity! … His spirits are storm wind, his ministers flames of fire! He goes upon the wings of the wind. His laughter is the mockery of hell and his love—a deadly lightning-flash.

In nothing do we lay ourselves so open as in our manner of meeting and salutation. —JOHANN KASPAR LAVATER

Distrust yourself if you fear the eye of the sincere, but be afraid of neither God or man, if you have no reason to distrust yourself.

Let none turn over books, or room the stars in quest of God, who sees him not in man.

Let none turn over books, or roam the stars in quest of God, who sees him not in man.

We can do all by speech and silence. He, who understands the double art of speaking opportunely to the moment, and of saying not a syllable more or less than it demanded — and he who can wrap himself up in silence when every word would be in vain — will understand to connect energy with patience.

There is none so bad to do the twentieth part of the evil he might, nor any so good as to do the tenth part of the good it is in his power to do. Judge of yourself by the good you might do and neglect — and of others by the evil they might do and omit — and your judgment will be poised between too much indulgence for yourself and too much severity on others.

Who becomes every day more sagacious, in observing his own faults, and the perfections of another, without either envying him or despairing of himself, is ready to mount the ladder on which angels ascend and descend.

Keep him at least three paces distant who hates bread, music, and the laugh of a child.

He, who to obtain much will suffer little or nothing, can never be called great; and none ever little, who, to obtain one great object, will suffer much.

There is a manner of forgiving so divine, that you are ready to embrace the offender for having called it forth.

None love without being loved; and none beloved is without loveliness.

The more honesty a man has, the less he affects the air of a saint— the affectation of sanctity is a blotch on the face of piety.

The glad gladdens— who gladdens not is not glad. Who is fatal to others is so to himself.