Baltasar Gracián (1601–58,) fully Baltasar Jerónimo Gracián y Morales, was a Spanish baroque moralist, Jesuit scholar, and philosophical novelist. Considered one of the greatest prose masters of Spain’s Golden Age, he was the foremost Spanish exponent of conceptism (“conceptismo,”) a literary style that employs terse and subtle displays of exaggerated wit.
Born in Belmonte de Calatayud, Spain, Gracián studied at Calatayud and Zaragoza. He entered the Jesuit order at the age of 18 and became rector of the Jesuit College at Tarragona.
Gracián’s initial works—El héroe (1637; ‘The Hero,’) El discreto (1646; ‘The Compleat Gentleman,’) and El oráculo manual y arte de prudencia (1647; ‘The Art of Worldly Wisdom: A Pocket Oracle’)—were predominantly efforts to instruct people in the ethics of worldly life. His literary style of conceptism was first presented in Agudeza y arte de ingenio (1642, ‘Subtlety and the Art of Genius.’)
Gracián published pseudonymously El criticón (1651, 1653, 1657; The Critick, 1781,) a three-part philosophical novel that portrays a pessimistic allegorical vision of human life. Arthur Schopenhauer considered it one of the best books ever written.
Gracián’s works influenced Francois de La Rochefoucauld, and later Voltaire, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Jorge Luis Borges. Arthur Schopenhauer considered El criterión one of the best books ever written.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Baltasar Gracian
Nothing arouses ambition so much in the heart as the trumpet-clang of another’s fame.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Role models, Ambition
It is better to have too much courtesy than too little, provided you are not equally courteous to all, for that would be injustice.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Courtesy, Manners
A prudent man will think more important what fate has conceded to him, than what it has denied.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Blessings, Gratitude, Appreciation
A gilded No is more satisfactory than a dry Yes.
—Baltasar Gracian
He that can live alone resembles the brute beast in nothing, the sage in much, and God in everything.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Solitude
The envious die not once, but as oft as the envied win applause.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Jealousy, Applause, Envy
True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides it’s evils. Strive to have friends, for life without friends is like life on a desert island. To find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep him is a blessing.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Friends, Friendship
Begin with another’s to end with your own.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Originality, Innovation
Knowledge and courage take turns at greatness.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Knowledge
There is no wilderness like a life without friends; friendship multiplies blessings and minimizes misfortunes; it is a unique remedy against adversity, and it soothes the soul.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Friendship
The sole advantage of power is that you can do more good.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Power
Fortune pays sometimes for the intensity of her favors by the shortness of their duration.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Fortune
Let him that hath no power of patience retire within himself, though even there he will have to put up with himself.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Patience
There is none who cannot teach somebody something, and there is none so excellent but he is excelled.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Excellence
All that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Waste, Time Management
Don’t show off every day, or you’ll stop surprising people. There must always be some novelty left over. The person who displays a little more of it each day keep up expectations, and no one ever discovers the limits of his talents.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Strength
Beauty and folly are generally companions.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Beauty
Respect yourself if you would have others respect you. – Gracian, Baltasar
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Self-Esteem, Self Respect
A man of honour should never forget what he is because he sees what others are.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Men
Never do anything when you are in a temper, for you will do everything wrong.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Anger
We have more days to live through than pleasures. Be slow in enjoyment, quick at work, for men see work ended with pleasure, pleasure ended with regret.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Pleasure
When desire dies, fear is born.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Desire, Desires
A single lie destroys a whole reputation of integrity.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Reputation
One who was adored by all in prosperity is abhorred by all in adversity.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Difficulties, Adversity
To be at ease is better than to be at business. Nothing really belongs to us but time, which even he has who has nothing else.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Leisure, Rest
If you are wise, live as you can; if you cannot, live as you would.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Wisdom, Acceptance
Don’t take the wrong side of an argument just because your opponent has taken the right side.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Arguments
Oh life, you should never had begun, but since you did, you should never end.
—Baltasar Gracian
It is good to vary in order that you may frustrate the curious, especially those who envy you.
—Baltasar Gracian
It is a great deed to leave nothing for tomorrow.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Future
Work is the price that is paid for reputation.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Work
Mediocrity obtains more with application than superiority without it.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Perseverance
The wise does at once what the fool does at last.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Inaction, Getting Going, Wisdom, Action, Procrastination
Do something well, and that is quickly enough.
—Baltasar Gracian
When everyone covets something, they are easily annoyed by it.
—Baltasar Gracian
Share weight and woe, for misfortune falls with double force on him that stands alone.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Giving
There are friendships merely for pleasure, some for the exchange of ideas. Rarest are those friends of one’s inmost self.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Friends
Sometimes it proves the highest understanding not to understand.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Ignorance
It is as hard to tell the truth as to hide it.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Truth
The heaven of the envied is hell for the envious.
—Baltasar Gracian
Topics: Envy, Jealousy
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