Quotes from Daniel Defoe

Middle age is youth without its levity, and age without decay.

All men would be tyrants if they could.

Self-destruction is the effect of cowardice in the highest extreme.

He bid me [Robinson Crusoe] observe it, and I should always find that the calamities of life were shared among the upper and lower part of mankind; but that the middle station had the fewest disasters.

I have often thought of it as one of the most barbarous customs in the world, considering us as a civilized and a Christian country, that we deny the advantages of learning to women.

In their religion they are so uneven,That each man goes his own byway to heaven.

One day, about noon, going towards my boat, I was exceedingly surprised with the print of a man's naked foot on the shore, which was very plain to be seen in the sand.

Justice is always violent to the party offending, for every man is innocent in his own eyes.

The best of men cannot suspend their fate The good die early, and the bad die late.

It is never too late to be wise.

The soul is placed in the body like a rough diamond, and must be polished, or the luster of it will never appear.

Expect nothing and you'll always be surprised

Thus fear of danger is ten thousand times more terrifying than danger itself.

I saw the Cloud, though I did not foresee the Storm.

Those people cannot enjoy comfortably what God has given them because they see and covet what He has not given them. All of our discontents for what we want appear to me to spring from want of thankfulness for what we have.

I have since often observed, how incongruous and irrational the common temper of mankind is, especially of youth ... that they are not ashamed to sin, and yet are ashamed to repent; not ashamed of the action for which they ought justly to be esteemed fools, but are ashamed of the returning, which only can make them be esteemed wise men.

I hear much of people's calling out to punish the guilty, but very few are concerned to clear the innocent.

Thus fear of danger is ten thousand times more terrifying than danger itself when apparent to the eyes ; and we find the burden of anxiety greater, by much, than the evil which we are anxious about : ...

Today we love what tomorrow we hate, today we seek what tomorrow we shun, today we desire what tomorrow we fear, nay, even tremble at the apprehensions of.

It put me upon reflecting how little repining there would be among mankind at any condition of life, if people would rather compare their condition with those that were worse, in order to be thankful, than be always comparing them with those which are better, to assist their murmurings and complaining.

All our discontents about what we want appeared to me to spring from the want of thankfulness for what we have.

Redemption from sin is greater then redemption from affliction.

He that hath truth on his side is a fool as well as a coward if he is afraid to own it because fo other mens's opinions.

For sudden Joys, like Griefs, confound at first.