Quotes by John Locke

"

It is one thing to show a man wrong, and another to put him in possession of the truth.

"

Nothing penetrates so unconsciously and deeply into a man's soul as example: every evil trait which men have noticed and overlooked, inspires them only with disgust and shame when it is brought to their attention. depicts before the eyes, but to others.

"

We cannot but like humane, friendly, and polite behavior wherever we meet it. A free and self-assured nature, which is not mean and narrow, which is not arrogant and impudent, untouched by any great defect, works charmingly on anyone.

"

We are all chameleons in our own way, lending color to the things around us.

"

Courage is the guardian and support of all the other virtues, and he who lacks courage is unlikely to be firm in the discharge of duty and display all the qualities of a truly honorable man.

"

From the analysis of our own person, and what we learn precisely from our own constitution, our intellect leads us to learn that indisputable and indubitable truth that there is an eternal, all-powerful, and all-knowing being. It is not important what it is called, or even "God", what is important is its existence. Truth, like gold, is not less precious just because it has recently been mined.

"

An important part of ethics might be formulated with such clearness as to give the thinking man as little reason for doubt as mathematical proofs do.

"

Bad examples undoubtedly work more effectively than good rules.

"

Virtue is applauded not because it is given by birth, but because it is useful.

"

People's actions are the best interpreters of their thoughts.

"

Zeflemeaua is the most refined means of portraying the faults of others.

"

No one has ever succeeded in being so cunning as to be able to hide this quality.

"

Cunning is the same as the absence of reason: not being able to achieve its goals directly, it tries to do it by swindles and by roundabout ways; the misfortune is that cunning helps you only once, after which it becomes a hindrance.

"

Between people of identical education there is a great inequality of opportunity.

"

The intellect, like the eye, enables us to see and perceive all other things, but it gives no information of itself: it requires skill and effort to place it at some distance and make it its own object.

"

Familiarity with the things around us extinguishes our wonder, but it does not rid us of the ignorant.

"

The well-being of the entire nation depends on the correct education of children.

"

The chief end of men's entry into a society is the desire to use their wealth peaceably and without danger, and the laws which regulate that society are the chief instrument and means to this end.

"

Learning the sciences facilitates the development of virtues in people with good spiritual aptitudes; in people who are not endowed with such skills, it only makes them more stupid and unlearned.

"

To have the authority of a dictator, and to make others accept any innate right that may serve the pedagogue, is to have power over men.

"

Ninety percent of the people we meet are what they are - good or bad, useful or useless - because of education.

"

Twenty mistakes can be forgiven more easily than one disregard of the truth.

"

Will and desire are not to be confused... I want to do something that leans in one direction, while desire leans in another, completely opposite direction.

"

Probability makes up for the shortcomings of knowledge.

"

The great art of learning a lot consists in taking as little as possible at once.

"

In the ill-educated man, courage becomes boldness, erudition, pedantry, wit, buffoonery, simplicity, coarseness, gentleness, flattery.

"

Vice does not lie in having desires, but in the inability to submit them to the rules of reason; it is not a matter, therefore, of whether or not you have certain inclinations, but of the ability to govern them or to give them up.

"

We tend to forget that human happiness does not come from a lucky combination of circumstances, but is a function of our own attitude.

"

Iniquity and crime are the same, whether committed by a crowned prince or a petty scoundrel. The rank of the culprit and the number of his companions do not diminish the crime, but aggravate it. The only difference is that the great robbers punish the little ones, but the great ones are rewarded with laurel wreaths and celebrated in triumphal processions, because they are too great for the weak hand of this world's justice to overtake them, and they have the power which must punish the wrongdoers.

"

The skill of the teacher consists in being able to win and hold the attention of his student; when he has attained this, he will proceed as rapidly as the faculties of his pupil will permit; without attention, all your hustle and bustle and agitation will be wasted or at least will have very little results.

"

As soon as the child can speak, it is time to learn to read.

"

We value power, wealth, and even virtue itself only insofar as it leads to happiness.

"

It is a sure sign of the love of truth to have no greater confidence in anything than the evidence warrants.

"

We are "ruminating species", so it is not enough to stuff our brains with the contents of books. Until we have chewed our way through it several times and digested it all, it is of no use to us.

"

By reading, we accumulate knowledge in our brains, but it only becomes our own through thinking.

"

New opinions are always met with suspicion and usually opposition, simply because they are not yet universally accepted.

"

A mistake is not a lack of knowledge, but an incorrectness of our judgment.

"

We are seldom quite free and quite free from the urges of our natural or acquired desires. Our will is controlled by a constant series of hurtful feelings that have been accumulated in us by needs or acquired habits.

"

It's one thing to show someone they're wrong, and another to bring them to the truth.

"

The baby's soul is a "clean sheet" - tabula rasa - on which nothing is written. This sheet is filled with the child's experiences - what he sees, hears and feels.

"

A healthy soul in a healthy body: this is a short but complete summary of human happiness on earth.

"

He who is not master of his inclinations, who cannot resist the urge of momentary pleasure or pain to do what common sense suggests to him: he does not have the basis of virtue and goodwill and fears that he will never become a good person. Therefore, this emotion, so contrary to unbridled nature, must be acquired early; and this habit, this true foundation of future happiness and usefulness, must be planted in the child's soul, and preferably early.

"

Whenever the child cries for something that he should not have or do, we should not let him just because he is small and wants it that way; on the contrary, every time he is incompetent or violent, make sure that his wishes are not fulfilled either.