Quotes About Balance

The Stoics say, Retire within yourselves; it is there you will find your rest. And that is not true. Others say, Go out of yourselves; seek happiness in amusement. And this is not true. Illness comes. Happiness is neither without us nor within us. It is in God, both without us and within us.

Thinking too little about things or thinking too much both make us obstinate and fanatical.

It is not good to be too free. It is not good to have all one needs. (Page 11)

152] Between us and heaven or hell there is only life half-way, the most fragile thing in the world.

For in fact what is man in nature? A Nothing in comparison with the Infinite, an All in comparison with the Nothing, a mean between nothing and everything.

If we look at our work immediately after completing it, we are still too involved; if too long afterwards, we cannot pick up the thread again. It

The weather and my mood have little connection. I have my foggy and my fine days within me.

Reason never wholly overcomes imagination, while the contrary is quite common.

Two contrary reasons . We must begin with that, otherwise we cannot understand anything and everything is heretical. And even at the end of each truth we must add that we are bearing the opposite truth in mind.

The knowledge of God without that of man's misery causes pride. The knowledge of man's misery without that of God causes despair. The knowledge of Jesus Christ is the middle course, because in Him we find both God and our misery.

Two infinites. Mean. When we read too quickly or too slowly we do not understand anything.

Man is neither angel nor beast, and it is unfortunately the case that anyone trying to act the angel acts the beast.

All our life passes in this way: we seek rest by struggling against certain obstacles, and once they are overcome, rest proves intolerable because of the boredom it produces. We must get away from it and crave excitement.

We do not display greatness by going to one extreme, but in touching both at once, and filling all the intervening space.

Knowing God without knowing our own wretchedness makes for pride. Knowing our own wretchedness without God makes for despair. Knowing Jesus Christ strikes the balance because he shows us both God and our own wretchedness.

Multiplicity which is not reduced to unity is confusion. Unity which does not depend on multiplicity is tyranny.

Ne quid nimis

Civil war in man between reason and passions. If there were only reason without passions. If there were only passions without reason. But since he has both he cannot be free from war, for he can only be at peace with the one if he is at war with the other.

Thinking too little about things or thinking too much both make us obstinate and fanatical. If

71 Too much and too little wine. Give him none, he cannot find truth; give him too much, the same.

There is enough light for those who desire only to see, and enough darkness for those of a contrary disposition.

38] Too much and too little wine. Do not give him any, he cannot find the truth. Give him too much; the same thing.

There is internal war in man between reason and the passions. If he had only reason without passions ... If he had only passions without reason ... But having both, he cannot be without strife, being unable to be at peace with the one without being at war with the other. Thus he is always divided against, and opposed to himself.

Justice is subject to dispute; might is easily recognized and is not disputed. So we cannot give might to justice.