Quotes About Character

When simplicity of character and the sovereignty of ideas is broken up by the prevalence of secondary desires, the desire of riches, of pleasure, of power, and of praise,—and duplicity and falsehood take place of simplicity and truth, the power over nature as an interpreter of the will, is in a degree lost; new imagery ceases to be created, and old words are perverted to stand for things which are not; a paper currency is employed, when there is no bullion in the vaults. In

The objection to conforming to usages that have become dead to you is, that it scatters your force. It loses your time and blurs the impression of your character. If you maintain a dead church, contribute to a dead Bible-society, vote with a great party either for the government or against it, spread your table like base housekeepers, — under all these screens I have difficulty to detect the precise man you are.

All writing is by the grace of God. People do not deserve to have good writing, they are so pleased with bad. In these sentences that you show me, I can find no beauty, for I see death in every clause and every word. There is a fossil or a mummy character which pervades this book. The best sepulchers, the vastest catacombs, Thebes and Cairo, Pyramids, are sepulchers to me. I like gardens and nurseries. Give me initiative, spermatic, prophesying, man-making words.

The truest test of civilization is not the census, size of cities, or crops; but the kind of man the country turns out.

Nature magically suits the man to his fortunes, by making these the fruit of his character.

Character teaches above our wills. Men imagine that they communicate their virtue or vice only by overt actions, and do not see that virtue or vice emit a breath every moment.

Character and wit have their own magnetism. Send a deep man into any town, and he will find another deep man there, unknown hitherto to his neighbors. That is the great happiness of life, — to add to our high acquaintances.

Men of character are the conscience of the society to which they belong.

All my good is magnetic, and I educate, not by lessons, but by going about my business.

We have the same interest in condition and character. We honor the rich, because they have externally the freedom, power, and grace which we feel to be proper to man, proper to us.

Just as studying our place in the vast universe should teach us humility, learning how the smallest of creatures play essential roles in nature's scheme should further instruct our mind and enrich our character. The lessons of nature point the way to wisdom.

Wonder generates enthusiasm, which is the highest state of character. It's what makes mere curiosity about nature grow into an all-consuming passion. The history of science is full of examples of enthusiasm. Every schoolchild knows the story of Archimedes, who stepped into his bath and realized that water displacement could be used to measure the volume of any object; he then took off running through the streets like a madman, yelling, "Eureka! I've found it!

What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.

The difference between talents and character is adroitness to keep the old and trodden round, and power and courage to make a new road to new and better goals. Character makes an overpowering present, a cheerful, determined hour, which fortifies all the company by making them see that much is possible and excellent that was not thought of. Character dulls the impression of particular events.

It has been said, that "common souls pay with what they do; nobler souls with that which they are.

When an artist runs out of inspiration or a scholar wearies of books, they always have the ability to live. Character is more important than intellect. Life is primary; our thoughts about it are secondary.

Features well cured make us strong.

The antidote to this abuse of formal government, is, the influence of private character, the growth of the Individual.

The objection to conforming to usages that have become dead to you is that it scatters your force. It loses your time and blurs the impression of your character.

We call it the moral sentiment. As we are, so we do; and as we do, so it is done to us; we are the builders of our fortunes.

The Hero is not fed on sweets Daily his own heart he eats

Nada es sagrado, excepto la integridad de nuestra alma.

What you do with your resources in this life is your autobiography.

Real gold fears no fire