Chesterfield Quotes & Sayings

I look upon indolence as a sort of suicide; for the man is effectually destroyed, though the appetites of the brute may survive. — Lord Chesterfield

I have, by long experience, found women to be like Telephus's spear: if one end kills, the other cures. — Lord Chesterfield

In short, let it be your maxim through life, to know all you can know, yourself; and never to trust implicitly to the informationsof others. — Lord Chesterfield

Prepare yourself for the world, as athletes used to do for their exercises; oil your mind and your manners, to give them the necessary suppleness and flexibility; strength alone will not do. — Lord Chesterfield

If you have wit, use it to please and not to hurt: you may shine like the sun in the temperate zones without scorching. — Lord Chesterfield

Whatever poets may write, or fools believe, of rural innocence and truth, and of the perfidy of courts, this is most undoubtedly true,
that shepherds and ministers are both men; their natures and passions the same, the modes of them only different. — Lord Chesterfield

Women are all so far Machiavellians that they are never either good or bad by halves; their passions are too strong, and their reason too weak, to do anything with moderation. — Lord Chesterfield

Men are much more unrolling to have their weaknesses and their imperfections known than their crimes; and if you hint to a man that you think him silly, ignorant, or even ill-bred or awkward, he will hate you more and longer than if you tell him plainly that you think him a rogue. — Lord Chesterfield

The talent of insinuation is more useful than that of persuasion, as everybody is open to insinuation, but scarce any to persuasion. — Lord Chesterfield

Choose your pleasures for yourself, and do not let them be imposed upon you. — Lord Chesterfield

The vulgar only laugh, but never smile; whereas well-bred people often smile, but seldom laugh. — Lord Chesterfield

History is but a confused heap of facts. — Lord Chesterfield

The manner of your speaking is full as important as the matter, as more people have ears to be tickled than understandings to judge. — Lord Chesterfield

Study the heart and the mind of man, and begin with your own. Meditation and reflection must lay the foundation of that knowledge, but experience and practice must, and alone can, complete it. — Lord Chesterfield

Dancing is, in itself, a very trifling and silly thing: but it is one of those established follies to which people of sense are sometimes obliged to conform; and then they should be able to do it well. And though I would not have you a dancer, yet, when you do dance, I would have you dance well, as I would have you do everything you do well. — Lord Chesterfield

The company of women of fashion will improve your manners, though not your understanding; and that complaisance and politeness, which are so useful in men's company, can only be acquired in women's. — Lord Chesterfield

Buy good books, and read them; the best books are the commonest, and the last editions are always the best, if the editors are not blockheads. — Lord Chesterfield

The insolent civility of a proud man is, if possible, more shocking than his rudeness could be; because he shows you, by his manner, that he thinks it mere condescension in him; and that his goodness alone bestows upon you what you have no pretense to claim. — Lord Chesterfield

Second-rate knowledge, and middling talents, carry a man farther at courts, and in the busy part of the world, than superior knowledge and shining parts. — Lord Chesterfield

The mere brute pleasure of reading - the sort of pleasure a cow must have in grazing. — Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl Of Chesterfield

The more one works, the more willing one is to work. — Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl Of Chesterfield

Any affectation whatsoever in dress implies, in my mind, a flaw in the understanding. — Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl Of Chesterfield

I give my vote for Mr. Johnson to fill that great and arduous post. And I hereby declare that I make a total surrender of all my rights and privileges in the English language, as a freeborn British subject, to the said Mr. Johnson, during the term of his dictatorship. Nay more; I will not only obey him, like an old Roman, as my dictator, but, like a modern Roman, I will implicitly believe in him as my pope, and hold him to be infallible while in the chair; but no longer. — Philip Dormer Stanhope Chesterfield

Physical ills are the taxes laid upon this wretched life; some are taxed higher, and some lower, but all pay something. — Lord Chesterfield

Every man becomes, to a certain degree, what the people he generally converses with are. — Lord Chesterfield

I am provoked at the contempt which most historians show for humanity in general; one would think by them, that the whole human species consisted but of about a hundred and fifty people, called and dignified (commonly very undeservedly too) by the titles of Emperors, Kings, Popes, Generals, and Ministers. — Lord Chesterfield

Whenever I go to an opera, I leave my sense and reason at the door with my half-guinea, and deliver myself up to my eyes and my ears. — Lord Chesterfield

Spirit is now a very fashionable word: to act with Spirit, to speak with Spirit, means only to act rashly, and to talk indiscreetly. An able man shows his Spirit by gentle words and resolute actions; he is neither hot nor timid. — Lord Chesterfield

He makes people pleased with him by making them first pleased with themselves. — Lord Chesterfield

A proper secrecy is the only mystery of able men; mystery is the only secrecy of weak and cunning ones. — Lord Chesterfield

An honest man may really love a pretty girl, but only an idiot marries her merely because she is pretty. — Lord Chesterfield

Manners must adorn knowledge and smooth its way through the world. — Lord Chesterfield

Vice, in its true light, is so deformed, that it shocks us at first sight; and would hardly ever seduce us, if it did not at first wear the mask of some virtue. — Lord Chesterfield

Many people come into company full of what they intend to say in it themselves, without the least regard to others; and thus charged up to the muzzle are resolved to let it off at any rate. — Lord Chesterfield

The greatest dangers have their allurements, if the want of success is likely to be attended with a degree of glory. Middling dangers are horrid, when the loss of reputation is the inevitable consequence of ill success. — Lord Chesterfield

When one is at play, one should not think of one's learning. — Lord Chesterfield

Politicians neither love nor hate. Interest, not sentiment, directs them. — Lord Chesterfield

A vulgar man is captious and jealous; eager and impetuous about trifles. He suspects himself to be slighted, and thinks everything that is said meant at him. — Lord Chesterfield

There is a sort of veteran women of condition, who, having lived always in the grand mode, and having possibly had some gallantries, together with the experience of five and twenty or thirty years, form a young fellow better than all the rules that can be given him. — Lord Chesterfield

Chesterfield 1, Chester 1. Another score draw in the local derby — Des Lynam

I have a friend, physically magnificent, who combines within himself the intellect of a philosopher, the diplomacy of a statesman, the executive ability of the general of an army, the courtesy of a Chesterfield - and the emotions of a rabbit. — Myrtle Reed

Women of fashion and character
I do not mean absolutely unblemished
are a necessary ingredient in the composition of good company; the attention which they require, and which is always paid them by well-bred men, keeps up politeness, and gives a habit of good-breeding; whereas men, when they live together without the lenitive of women in company, are apt to grow careless, negligent, and rough among one another. — Lord Chesterfield

Women are much more like each other than men: they have, in truth, but two passions, vanity and love; these are their universal characteristics. — Lord Chesterfield

A learned parson, rusting in his cell at Oxford or Cambridge, will reason admirably well on the nature of man; will profoundly analyse the head, the heart, the reason, the will, the passions, the sentiments, and all those subdivisions of we know not what; and yet, unfortunately, he knows nothing of man ... He views man as he does colours in Sir Isaac Newton's prism, where only the capital ones are seen; but an experienced dyer knows all their various shades and gradations, together with the result of their several mixtures. — Lord Chesterfield

The law before us, my lords, seems to be the effect of that practice of which it is intended likewise to be the cause, and to be dictated by the liquor of which it so effectually promotes the use; for surely it never before was conceived by any man entrusted with the administration of public affairs, to raise taxes by the destruction of the people. — Lord Chesterfield

Men, as well as women, are much oftener led by their hearts than by their understandings. — Lord Chesterfield

Many young people adopt pleasures for which they have not the least taste, only because they are called by that name ... You mustallow that drunkenness, which is equally destructive to body and mind, is a fine pleasure. Gaming, that draws you into a thousand scraps, leaves you penniless, and gives you the air and manners of an outrageous madman, is another most exquisite pleasure, is it not? As to running after women, the consequences of that vice are only the loss of one's nose, the total destruction of health, and, not unfrequently, the being run through the body. — Lord Chesterfield

The value of moments, when cast up, is immense, if well employed; if thrown away, their loss is irrevocable. — Lord Chesterfield

We are as often duped by diffidence as by confidence. — Lord Chesterfield

To me it appears strange that the men against whom I should be enabled to bring an action for laying a little dirt at my door, may with impunity drive by it half-a-dozen calves, with their tails lopped close to their bodies and their hinder parts covered with blood ... — Lord Chesterfield

I can hardly bring myself to caution you against drinking, because I am persuaded that I am writing to a rational creature, a gentleman, and not to a swine. However, that you may not be insensibly drawn into that beastly custom of even sober drinking and sipping, as the sots call it, I advise you to be of no club whatsoever. — Lord Chesterfield

Gold and silver are but merchandise, as well as cloth or linen; and that nation that buys the least, and sells the most, must always have the most money. — Lord Chesterfield

The heart never grows better with age; I fear rather worse, always harder. — Lord Chesterfield

A rake is a composition of all the lowest, most ignoble, degrading, and shameful vices; they all conspire to disgrace his character, and to ruin his fortune; while wine and the pox content which shall soonest and most effectually destroy his constitution. — Lord Chesterfield

A foreign minister, I will maintain it, can never be a good man of business if he is not an agreeable man of pleasure too. Half his business is done by the help of his pleasures: his views are carried on, and perhaps best, and most unsuspectedly, at balls, suppers, assemblies, and parties of pleasure; by intrigues with women, and connections insensibly formed with men, at those unguarded hours of amusement. — Lord Chesterfield

It is an undoubted truth, that the less one has to do, the less time one finds to do it in. One yawns, one procrastinates, one can do it when one will, and therefore one seldom does it at all. — Lord Chesterfield

Those who see and observe kings, heroes, and statesmen, discover that they have headaches, indigestion, humors and passions, just like other people; every one of which in their turns determine their wills in defiance of their reason. — Lord Chesterfield

I really know nothing more criminal, more mean, and more ridiculous than lying. It is the production either of malice, cowardice, or vanity; and generally misses of its aim in every one of these views; for lies are always detected, sooner or later. — Lord Chesterfield

Wear your knowledge like your watch - in you pocket - and don't pull it out just for show. — Lord Chesterfield

Those who travel heedlessly from place to place, observing only their distance from each other, and attending only to their accommodation at the inn at night, set out fools, and will certainly return so — Lord Chesterfield

Observe it, the vulgar often laugh, but never smile, whereas well-bred people often smile, and seldom or never laugh. A witty thing never excited laughter, it pleases only the mind and never distorts the countenance. — Lord Chesterfield

I would rather have a young fellow too much than too little dressed; the excess on that side will wear off, with a little age and reflection; but if he is negligent at twenty, he will be a sloven at forty, and stink at fifty years old. Dress yourself fine where others are fine, and plain where others are plain; but take care always that your clothes are well made and fit you, for otherwise they will give you a very awkward air. — Lord Chesterfield

Men are apt to mistake, or at least to seem to mistake, their own talents, in hopes, perhaps, of misleading others to allow them that which they are conscious they do not possess. Thus lord Hardwicke valued himself more upon being a great minister of state, which he certainly was not, than upon being a great magistrate, which he certainly was. — Lord Chesterfield

I have seen many people, who, while you are speaking to them, instead of looking at, and attending to you, fix their eyes upon theceiling, or some other part of the room, look out of the window, play with a dog, twirl their snuff-box, or pick their nose. Nothing discovers a little, futile, frivolous mind more than this, and nothing is so offensively ill-bred. — Lord Chesterfield

Remember that the wit, humour, and jokes of most mixed companies are local. They thrive in that particular soil, but will not often bear transplanting. — Lord Chesterfield

Give Dayrolles a chair. — Lord Chesterfield

No woman ever yet either reasoned or acted long together consequentially; but some little thing, some love, some resentment, somepresent momentary interest, some supposed slight, or some humour, always breaks in upon, and oversets their most prudent resolutions and schemes. — Lord Chesterfield

Character must be kept bright as well as clean. — Lord Chesterfield

Since attaining the full use of my reason no one has ever heard me laugh. — Lord Chesterfield

Choose the company of your superiors whenever you can have it. — Lord Chesterfield

Style is the dress of thoughts, and let them be ever so just. — Lord Chesterfield

There never were, since the creation of the world, two cases exactly parallel. — Lord Chesterfield

A man who cannot command his temper should not think of being a man in business. — Lord Chesterfield

People hate who makes you feel one's inferiority. — Lord Chesterfield

Pray be always in motion. Early in the morning go and see things; and the rest of the day go and see people. If you stay but a week at a place, and that an insignificant one, see, however, all that is to be seen there; know as many people, and get into as many houses as ever you can. — Lord Chesterfield

Every man is to be had one way or another and every woman almost anyway. — Lord Chesterfield

If we do not plant knowledge when young, it will give us no shade when we are old. — Lord Chesterfield

The vulgar look upon a man, who is reckoned a fine speaker, as a phenomenon, a supernatural being, and endowed with some peculiargift of Heaven; they stare at him, if he walks in the park, and cry, that is he. You will, I am sure, view him in a juster light, and nulla formidine. You will consider him only as a man of good sense, who adorns common thoughts with the graces of elocution, and the elegancy of style. The miracle will then cease. — Lord Chesterfield

Who the devil are you?" Alexia asked, the man's cavalier interference irritating her into using actual profanity. "Major Channing Channing of the Chesterfield Channings." Alexia gawked. No wonder he was so very full of himself. One would have to be, laboring all one's life under a name like that. "Well, — Gail Carriger

Without some dissimulation no business can be carried on at all. — Lord Chesterfield

I am in the pitiable situation of feeling all the force of temptation without having the strength to succumb to it. — Lord Chesterfield

May you live as long as you are fit to live, but no longer, or, may you rather die before you cease to be fit to live than after! — Lord Chesterfield

I could wish there were a treaty made between the French and the English theatres, in which both parties should make considerableconcessions. The English ought to give up their notorious violations of the unities, and all their massacres, racks, dead bodies, and mangled carcasses, which they so frequently exhibit upon their stage. The French should engage to have more action, and less declamation, and not to cram and to crowd things together to almost a degree of impossibility from a too scrupulous adherence to the unities. — Lord Chesterfield

Inferiority is what you enjoy in your best friends. — Lord Chesterfield

Vanity, or to call it by a gentler name, the desire of admiration and applause, is, perhaps, the most universal principle of humanactions ... Where that desire is wanting, we are apt to be indifferent, listless, indolent, and inert ... I will own to you, under the secrecy of confession, that my vanity has very often made me take great pains to make many a woman in love with me, if I could, for whose person I would not have given a pinch of snuff. — Lord Chesterfield

When a man is once in fashion, all he does is right. — Lord Chesterfield

I do not think that a Physician should be admitted into the College till he could bring proofs of his having cured, in his own person, at least four incurable distempers. — Lord Chesterfield

Elegance of manner is the outgrowth of refined and exalted sense. — Lord Chesterfield

Whoever incites anger has a strong insurance against indifference. — Lord Chesterfield

The rich are always advising the poor, but the poor seldom return the compliment. — Lord Chesterfield

Learn to shrink yourself to the size of the company you are in. Take their tone, whatever it may be, and excell in it if you can;but never pretend to give the tone. A free conversation will no more bear a dictator than a free government will. — Lord Chesterfield

A seeming ignorance is very often a most necessary part of worldly knowledge. It is, for instance, commonly advisable to seem ignorant of what people offer to tell you; and, when they say, Have you not heard of such a thing? to answer, No, and to let them go on, though you know it already. — Lord Chesterfield

Health ... is the first and greatest of all blessings. — Lord Chesterfield

When a person is in fashion, all they do is right. — Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl Of Chesterfield

A man of the best parts and greatest learning, if he does not know the world by his own experience and observation, will be very absurd, and consequently very unwelcome in company. He may say very good things; but they will be probably so ill-timed, misplaced, or improperly addressed, that he had much better hold his tongue. — Lord Chesterfield

Sincerity is the most compendious wisdom. — Lord Chesterfield

Let us not only scatter benefits, but even strew flowers for our fellow-travellers, in the rugged ways of this wretched world. — Lord Chesterfield

Few men are of one plain, decided color; most are mixed, shaded, and blended; and vary as much, from different situations, as changeable silks do from different lights. — Lord Chesterfield

Custom has made dancing sometimes necessary for a young man; therefore mind it while you learn it, that you may learn to do it well, and not be ridiculous, though in a ridiculous act. — Lord Chesterfield

The ideas I stand for are not mine. I borrowed them from Socrates. I swiped them from Chesterfield. I stole them from Jesus. And I put them in a book. If you don't like their rules, whose would you use? — Dale Carnegie