I believe half the unhappiness in life comes from people being afraid to go straight at things.
—John Locke
Topics: Action, Happiness, Courage
The distinguishing characters of the face, and the lineaments of the body, grow more plain and visible with time and age; but the peculiar physiognomy of the mind is most discernible in children.
—John Locke
Every man has a property in his own person; this nobody has a right to but himself.
—John Locke
Topics: Slavery
It is of great use to the sailor to know the length of his line, though he cannot with it fathom all the depths of the ocean.
—John Locke
If punishment makes not the will supple it hardens the offender.
—John Locke
Topics: Punishment
Where there is no property there is no injustice.
—John Locke
Topics: Property
One unerring mark of the love of truth is not entertaining any proposition with greater assurance than the proofs it is built upon will warrant.
—John Locke
Topics: Truth
General observations drawn from particulars are the jewels of knowledge, comprehending great store in a little room.
—John Locke
Topics: Observation
To love our neighbor as ourselves is such a truth for regulating human society, that by that alone one might determine all the cases in social morality.
—John Locke
Topics: Neighbors, Morality
He that has found a way to keep a child’s spirit easy, active, and free, and yet at the same time to restrain him from many things he has a mind to, and to draw him to things that are uneasy to him, has, in my opinion, got the true secret of education.
—John Locke
Topics: Education
I am apt to think that men find their simple ideas agree, though in discourse they confound one another with different names.
—John Locke
Kind words prevent a good deal of that perverseness which rough and imperious usage often produces in generous minds.
—John Locke
Topics: Kindness
The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts.
—John Locke
Topics: Thinking, Action, Thoughts, Thought
Education begins the gentleman, but reading, good company, and reflection must finish him.
—John Locke
The least and most imperceptible impressions received in our infancy have consequences very important and of long duration.—It is with these first impressions as with a river, whose waters we can easily turn at its source; with the same facility we may turn the minds of children to what direction we please.
—John Locke
The discipline of desire is the background of character.
—John Locke
Topics: Discipline, Desire, Desires, One liners
Folly consists in drawing of false conclusions from just principles, by which it is distinguished from madness, which draws just conclusions from false principles.
—John Locke
The great question which, in all ages, has disturbed mankind, and brought on them the greatest part of those mischiefs, which have ruined cities, depopulated countries, and disordered the peace of the world, has been, not whether there be power in the world, not whence it came, but who should have it.
—John Locke
Topics: Power
A miracle I take to be a sensible operation, which being above the comprehension of the spectator, and in his opinion contrary to the established course of nature, is taken by him to be divine.
—John Locke
Topics: Miracles
The thoughts that come often unsought, and, as it were, drop into the mind, are commonly the most valuable of any we have.
—John Locke
Topics: Thinking, Thoughts
Where all is but dream, reasoning and arguments are of no use, truth and knowledge nothing.
—John Locke
Topics: Arguments
None of the things children are to learn should ever be made a burden to them, or imposed on them as a task. Whatever is so imposed presently becomes irksome; the mind takes an aversion to it, though before it were a thing of delight.
—John Locke
Topics: Learning
Syllogism is of necessary use, even to the lovers of truth, to show them the fallacies that are often concealed in florid, witty, or involved discourses.
—John Locke
Topics: Logic
An ill argument introduced with deference will procure more credit than the profoundest science with a rough, insolent, and noisy management.
—John Locke
Topics: Argument
The Bible is one of the greatest blessings bestowed by God on the children of men.—It has God for its author; salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture for its matter.—It is all pure, all sincere; nothing too much; nothing wanting.
—John Locke
Topics: Bible
He that will make a good use of any part of his life must allow a large part of it to recreation.
—John Locke
Topics: America, Leisure
The great art of learning, is to undertake but little at a time.
—John Locke
Topics: Learning
Every man has a property in his own person. This nobody has a right to, but himself.
—John Locke
Topics: Property, Self Respect, Self-Esteem, Self-Discovery
No one knows what strength of parts he has till he has tried them.—And of the understanding one may most truly say, that its force is generally greater than it thinks till it is put to it.—Therefore the proper remedy is, to set the mind to work, and apply the thoughts vigorously to the business, for it holds in the struggles of the mind, as in those of war, that to think we shall conquer is to conquer.
—John Locke
Topics: Understanding
Reverie is when ideas float in our mind without reflection or regard of the understanding.
—John Locke
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
- Immanuel Kant Prussian German Philosopher
- Francis Bacon English Philosopher
- David Hume Scottish Philosopher, Historian
- John Stuart Mill English Philosopher, Economist
- Aristotle Ancient Greek Philosopher
- Charles Sanders Peirce American Philosopher
- Bertrand A. Russell British Philosopher, Mathematician
- Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz German Philosopher, Mathematician
- Roger Bacon English Philosopher
- William of Ockham English Philosopher, Polemicist
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