Art of pleasing is the most necessary Assenting, but without being servile and abject Assertion instead of argument Attacked by ridicule, and, punished with contempt Bold, but with great seeming modesty Close, without being costive Command of our temper, and of our countenance Company is, in truth, a constant state of negotiation Consider things in the worst light, to show your skill Darkness visible Defended by arms, adorned by manners, and improved by laws Doing nothing, and might just as well be asleep Endeavor to hear, and know all opinions Enjoy all those advantages Few people know how to love, or how to hate Fools, who can never be undeceived Frank, but without indiscretion Frequently make friends of enemies, and enemies of friends Grave without the affectation of wisdom Horace How troublesome an old correspondent must be to a young one I CANNOT DO SUCH A THING Ignorant of their natural rights, cherished their chains Inattention Infallibly to be gained by every sort of flattery Judges from the appearances of things, and not from the reality Keep your own temper and artfully warm other people's King's popularity is a better guard than their army Made him believe that the world was made for him Make every man I met with like me, and every woman love me Man or woman cannot resist an engaging exterior Man who is only good on holydays is good for very little Never seek for wit; if it presents itself, well and good Not making use of any one capital letter Notes by which dances are now pricked down as well as tunes Old fellow ought to seem wise whether he really be so or not Please all who are worth pleasing; offend none Pleasures do not commonly last so long as life Polite, but without the troublesome forms and stiffness Prejudices are our mistresses Quarrel with them when they are grown up, for being spoiled Read with caution and distrust Ruined their own son by what they called loving him Secret, without being dark and mysterious Seeming inattention to the person who is speaking to you Talent of hating with good-breeding and loving with prudence The longest life is too short for knowledge Trifles that concern you are not trifles to me Truth, but not the whole truth, must be the invariable principle Useful sometimes to see the things which one ought to avoid Where one would gain people, remember that nothing is little Wife, very often heard indeed, but seldom minded Wit may created any admirers but makes few friends Young fellow ought to be wiser than he should seem to be LETTERS TO HIS SON, 1753-54 [LC#07][lc07sxxx.xxx]3357 Never to show the least symptom of resentment which you cannot to a certain degree gratify; but always to smile, where you cannot strike. Singularity is only pardonable in old age and retirement; I may now be as singular as I please, but you may not. You will find that reason, which always ought to direct mankind, seldom does; but that passions and weaknesses commonly usurp its seat, and rule in its stead.