Sydney Smith Quotes

1771-1845, British Writer, Clergyman
quotes
40
topics
12
Origin
What do these mean?
Topic
“To love and be loved is the great happiness of existence.”
Love
“Solitude cherishes great virtues and destroys little ones.”
Solitude
“What would life be without arithmetic, but a scene of horrors?”
VerifiedLady Holland's Memoir (1855), Vol. II, letter to Miss Lucie Austin (22 July 1835), p. 364 · evidenceMathematics
“I never read a book before reviewing it; it prejudices a man so.”
Critics and Criticism
“A great deal of talent is lost in the world for want of courage.”
Courage
“Avoid shame but do not seek glory --nothing so expensive as glory.”
VerifiedLady Holland's Memoir (1855) · evidenceGlory
“Poverty is no disgrace to a man, but it is confoundedly inconvenient.”
Poverty and The Poor
“Great men hallow a whole people, and lift up all who live in their time.”
Verified"Ireland", published in The Edinburgh Review (1820) · evidenceGreatness
“I have, alas, only one illusion left, and that is the Archbishop of Canterbury.”
VerifiedLady Holland's Memoir (1855) · evidenceChurches
“No man can ever end with being superior who will not begin with being inferior.”
VerifiedLecture IX : On the Conduct of the Understanding · evidencePower
“Never talk for half a minute without pausing and giving others a chance to join in.”
Conversation
“He had occasional flashes of silence that made his conversation perfectly delightful.”
Silence
“The greatest of all mistakes is to do nothing because you can only do a little. Do what you can.”
Action
“It is always right that a man should be able to render a reason for the faith that is within him.”
VerifiedLady Holland's Memoir (1855) · evidenceFaith
“It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can do only a little. Do what you can.”
Perseverance
“Madam, I have been looking for a person who disliked gravy all my life; let us swear eternal friendship.”
VerifiedLady Holland's Memoir (1855) · evidenceCompatibility
“The writer does the most good who gives his reader the most knowledge and takes from him the least time.”
Writers and Writing
“Never try to reason the prejudice out of a man. It was not reasoned into him, and cannot be reasoned out.”
Reason
“Life is to be fortified by many friendships. To love and to be loved is the greatest happiness of existence.”
VerifiedLady Holland's Memoir (1855) · evidenceFriends and Friendship
“A comfortable house is a great source of happiness. It ranks immediately after health and a good conscience.”
VerifiedLady Holland's Memoir (1855), Vol. II, letter to Lord Murray (29 September 1843), p. 501 · evidenceHome
“Correspondences are like small clothes before the invention of suspenders; it is impossible to keep them up.”
VerifiedLady Holland's Memoir (1855), Vol. II, letter to Catherine Crowe (31 January 1841), pp. 441–442 · evidenceLetters
“How can a bishop marry? How can he flirt? The most he can say is ''I will see you in the vestry after service.''”
VerifiedLady Holland's Memoir (1855) · evidenceChurches
“Find fault when you must find fault in private, and if possible sometime after the offense, rather than at the time.”
Correction
“Among the smaller duties of life I hardly know any one more important than that of not praising where praise is not due.”
VerifiedLecture IX : On the Conduct of the Understanding · evidencePraise
“Manners are the shadows of virtues; the momentary display of those qualities which our fellow creatures love, and respect.”
VerifiedSermon XII, Sermons (1809) · evidenceManners
“Have the courage to be ignorant of a great number of things, in order to avoid the calamity of being ignorant of everything.”
VerifiedLecture IX : On the Conduct of the Understanding · evidenceIgnorance
“Oh, don't tell me of facts -- I never believe facts: you know Canning said nothing was so fallacious as facts, except figures.”
Facts
“Married couples resemble a pair of scissors, often moving in opposite directions, yet punishing anyone who gets in between them.”
Marriage