Quotes from Henry Home, Lord Kames

Nothing so uncertain as general reputation. A man injures me from humor, passion, or interest; hates me because he has injured me; and speaks ill of me because he hates me.

Even dress is apt to inflame a man's opinion of himself.

Every man, however little, makes a figure in his own eyes.

A rich man cannot enjoy a sound mind nor a sound body without exercise and abstinence; and yet these are truly the worst ingredients of poverty.

If you should escape the censure of others, hope not to escape your own.

Such is the power of imagination, that even a chimerical pleasure in expectation affects us more than a solid pleasure in possession.

No man ever did a designed injury to another, but at the same time he did a greater to himself.

The truly generous is the truly wise, and he who loves not others lives unblest!

Nothing more excites to everything noble and generous, than virtuous love.

As nice as we are in love, we forgive more faults in that than in friendship.

Great wants proceed from great wealth; but they are undutiful children, for they sink wealth down to poverty.

Were wisdom to be sold, she would give no price; every man is satisfied with the share he has from nature.

Parsimony is enough to make the master of the golden mines as poor as he that has nothing; for a man may be brought to a morsel of bread by parsimony as well as profusion.

Men are guided less by conscience than by glory; and yet the shortest way to glory is to be guided by conscience.

The indulgence of revenge tends to make men more savage and cruel.

Logic is the art of thinking well: the mind, like the body, requires to be trained before it can use its powers in the most advantageous way.

Who hath not courage to revenge will never find generosity to forgive.