Maxims Quotes - Page 4

• Called to the throne by the voice of the people, my maxim has always been: A career open to talent without distinction of birth. It is this system of equality for which the European oligarchy detests me

  Napoleon Bonaparte

  Equality, Careers, Voice

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• Experience has repeatedly confirmed that well-known maxim of Bacon's that 'a little philosophy inclineth a man's mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion.' At the same time, when Bacon penned that sage epigram... he forgot to add that the God to whom depth in philosophy brings back men's minds is far from being the same from whom a little philosophy estranges them.

  George Santayana

  God, Philosophy, Men

  George Santayana (1954). “The Life of Reason ; Or, The Phases of Human Progress. One-volume Ed”

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• It is a maxim that will endure: To truly know the living God, this begets humility.

  Miguel de Molinos

  God, Humility, Endure

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• When the conduct of men is designed to be influenced, persuasion, kind, unassuming persuasion, should ever be adopted. It is an old and a true maxim, that 'a drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall.'

  Abraham Lincoln

  Leadership, Men, Inspire

  Abraham Lincoln (2008). “The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln”, p.273, Wildside Press LLC

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• Great men,
  Till they have gained their ends, are giants in
  Their promises, but, those obtained, weak pigmies
  In their performance. And it is a maxim
  Allowed among them, so they may deceive,
  They may swear anything; for the queen of love,
  As they hold constantly, does never punish,
  But smile, at lovers' perjuries.

  Philip Massinger

  Life, Queens, Men

  Philip Massinger (1848). “The Dramatic Works of Massinger and Ford. With an introduction, by Hartley Coleridge”, p.175

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• When in doubt, tell the truth. That maxim I did invent, but never expected it to be applied to me. I did say, "When you are in doubt," but when I am in doubt myself I use more sagacity.

  Mark Twain

  Truth, Doubt, Use

  Mark Twain (2008). “Mark Twain's Speeches: Easyread Large Bold Edition”, p.393, ReadHowYouWant.com

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• I believe it is an established maxim in morals that he who makes an assertion without knowing whether it is true or false, is guilty of falsehood; and the accidental truth of the assertion, does not justify or excuse him.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Truth, Lying, Believe

  Abraham Lincoln (1989). “Abraham Lincoln: Speeches & Writings Part 1: 1832-1858: Library of America #45”, p.141, Library of America

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• My Son, these maxims make a rule An lump them ay thegither: The Rigid Righteous is a fool, The Rigid Wise anither.

  Robert Burns

  Wise, Son, Fool

  Robert Burns, Mr. Thomson (George) (1809). “Poems formerly published, with some additions,and a history of these poems, by Gilbert Burns”, p.113

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• A fondness for power is implanted in most men, and it is natural to abuse it when acquired. This maxim, drawn from the experience of all ages, makes it the height of folly to intrust any set of men with power which is not under every possible control; perpetual strides are made after more as long as there is any part withheld.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Men, Long, Abuse

  Alexander Hamilton, John Church Hamilton (1850). “The Works of Alexander Hamilton: Miscellanies, 1774-1789: A full vindication; The farmer refuted; Quebec bill; Resolutions in Congress; Letters from Phocion; New-York Legislature, etc”, p.84

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• ...it is not only the general principles of justice that are infringed, or at least set aside, by the exclusion of women, merely as women, from any share in the representation; that exclusion is also repugnant to the particular principles of the British Constitution. It violates one of the oldest of our constitutional maxims...that taxation and representation should be co-extensive. Do not women pay taxes?

  John Stuart Mill

  Justice, Words Of Wisdom, Principles

  John Stuart Mill (1867). “Speech of John Stuart Mill, M.P., on the Admission of Women to the Electoral Franchise: Spoken in the House of Commons, May 20th, 1867”, p.5

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• CENTAUR, n. One of a race of persons who lived before the division of labor had been carried to such a pitch of differentiation, and who followed the primitive economic maxim, "Every man his own horse."

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Horse, Men

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.29, 谷月社

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• 'T is an old maxim in the schools, That flattery 's the food of fools; Yet now and then your men of wit Will condescend to take a bit.

  Jonathan Swift

  School, Men, Cooking

  Jonathan Swift, Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols (1801). “The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, D.D., Dean of St. Patrick's, Dublin”, p.121

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• Here is one of the best means to acquire humility; fix well in mind this maxim: One is as much as he is in the sight of God, and no more.

  Francis of Assisi

  Mean, Humility, Sight

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• A physician who treated mental cases says that he based his diagnosis on the way his patients moved: "The body never lies" was his maxim.

  Gerald Jonas

  Dance, Lying, Dancing

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• We seldom repent of speaking little, very often of speaking too much: a vulgar and trite maxim, which all the world knows and, but which all the world does not practice

  Jean de la Bruyere

  Practice, Doe, World

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• When we were the political slaves of King George, and wanted to be free, we called the maxim that "all men are created equal" a self evident truth; but now when we have grown fat, and have lost all dread of being slaves ourselves, we have become so greedy to be masters that we call the same maxim "a self evident lie" The fourth of July has not quite dwindled away; it is still a great day-for burning fire-crackers!!!

  Abraham Lincoln

  Kings, Lying, Men

  Abraham Lincoln (1989). “Abraham Lincoln: Speeches & Writings Part 1: 1832-1858: Library of America #45”, p.359, Library of America

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• There exists in the economy and course of nature, an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness; between duty and advantage; between the genuine maxims of an honest and magnanimous policy, and the solid rewards of public prosperity and felicity; since we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained.

  George Washington

  Order, Heaven, Unions

  First Inaugural Address on April 30, 1789. "The Writings of George Washington", edited by John C. Fitzpatrick, Volume 30, pp. 294-295,

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• Is it not time to awake from the deceitful dream of a golden age, and to adopt as a practical maxim for the direction of our political conduct, that we, as well as the other inhabitants of the globe, are yet remote from the happy empire of perfect wisdom and perfect virtue?

  Alexander Hamilton

  Dream, Perfect, Political

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Quentin P. Taylor, John Jay (1998). “The Essential Federalist: A New Reading of the Federalist Papers”, p.56, Rowman & Littlefield

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• I can't make head or tail of Life. Love is a fine thing, Art is a fine thing, Nature is a fine thing; but the average human mind and spirit are confusing beyond measure. Sometimes I think that all our learning is the little learning of the maxim. To laugh at a Roman awe-stricken in a sacred grove is to laugh at something today.

  Wallace Stevens

  Love, Art, Thinking

  Wallace Stevens, Holly Stevens (1966). “Letters of Wallace Stevens”, p.86, Univ of California Press

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• [I]n the next place, to show that unless these departments be so far connected and blended as to give to each a constitutional control over the others, the degree of separation which the maxim requires, as essential to a free government, can never in practice be duly maintained.

  James Madison

  Government, Practice, Giving

  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay (1852). “The Federalist, on the New Constitution, Written in 1788”, p.228

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• It has been said of the world's history hitherto that might makes right. It is for us and for our time to reverse the maxim, and to say that right makes might.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Inspirational, World, Might

  Abraham Lincoln (1982). “Abraham Lincoln, wisdom & wit”, Peter Pauper Pr

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• I have achieved my seventy years in the usual way: by sticking strictly to a scheme of life which would kill anybody else... I will offer here, as a sound maxim, this: That we can't reach old age by another man's road.

  Mark Twain

  Birthday, Men, Years

  Mark Twain's seventieth birthday speech at Delmonico’s restaurant in New York City, www.pbs.org. 1905.

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• I don't normally do shoots in bikinis - I'm just not that kind of girl. But for 'Maxim' I was like, 'Bring it on!' I wanted to wear the higher heels and the skimpier bathing suit. I figured I'd go for it!

  Krysten Ritter

  Girl, Suits, Bikinis

  "Biography/Personal Quotes". www.imdb.com.

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• My mother had all these maxims-like, classy girls never chew gum, never read comic books, never get their ears pierced, never get their hair dyed.

  Jennifer Tilly

  Girl, Mother, Book

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• Well, let’s start with the maxim that the best writing is understated, meaning it’s not full of flourishes and semaphores and tap dancing and vocabulary dumps that get in the way of the story you are telling. Once you accept that, what are you left with? You are left with the story you are telling.
  The story you are telling is only as good as the information in it: things you elicit, or things you observe, that make a narrative come alive; things that support your point not just through assertion, but through example; quotes that don’t just convey information, but also personality.

  Gene Weingarten

  Writing, Vocabulary, Dancing

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