Proverbs & Maxims

Confucius on Dealing with People

July 29, 2016 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

The teachings of Confucius (551 BCE–479 BCE) have dominated Chinese traditions and philosophy for centuries. He taught followers to lead a virtuous and righteous life, love others, honor one’s parents, lead by example, and treat others as one would like to be treated:

Confucius on keeping one’s wits about one: “The superior man may let others lie to him but not make a fool of him. The superior man encourages what is beautiful in men; the inferior man, what is unbeautiful.”
Confucius on the spirit of humanity: “What makes a place beautiful is the humanity that dwells there. He who is able to choose and does not settle among humane people is not wise.” Moreover, “the superior man does not neglect his neighbors” and “the superior man honors the worthy and tolerates all men.”
Confucius on showing consideration for people of all ages and from all walks of life: “Let me respect the tranquility of the ages; let me be loyal to my friends; let me love children tenderly.”
Confucius on managing parents: “Serve them in life.” It is not enough to feed one’s parents “if respect is absent, wherein should we differ from the beasts?” If parents seem to be mistaken, we may respectfully argue and protest, but we must obey them.
Confucius on managing friendships: “Have no friend who is not your equal.” Also, friends should “loyally admonish one another and tactfully set one another right.” Friends should be dependable: “even if the season be cold, we know that pines and cypresses are evergreen.”
Confucius on the right conduct toward authority-figures: “A good official serves his prince in the right way; if that is impossible, he withdraws.” Further, a good official “will not circumvent the prince but oppose him openly” and “will not be chary of good advice.” Moreover, “if the country is on the right path, he may speak and act boldly; if it is not on the right path, he may act boldly, but he will speak cautiously.”
Confucius on the right conduct toward subordinates: “The superior man gives his servants no ground for complaint that he makes insufficient use of them, but (unlike the inferior man) he does not expect perfection; he takes men’s abilities into account and does not dismiss old and trusted servants without grave cause.”

Reference: German-Swiss psychiatrist and philosopher Karl Jaspers‘ The Great Philosophers (trans. Ralph Manheim.) I recommend The Great Philosophers for its delightful introductions to the philosophies of four great minds from the “East” (i.e. east of the Danube river:) Jesus, Socrates, Confucius, and the Buddha.

Dueling Maxims, Adages, and Proverbs

January 15, 2015 By Nagesh Belludi 1 Comment

Dueling Maxims, Adages, and Proverbs

Different Proverbs & Different Situations

The 17th-century Anglo-Welsh writer James Howell once said, “Proverbs may not improperly be called the philosophy of the common people.”

And the Spanish philosopher George Santayana once remarked, “Almost every wise saying has an opposite one, no less wise, to balance it.”

Maxims and proverbs condense humankind’s wisdom through the ages. Applied appropriately, proverbs are persuasive devices to convince others—through wit, humor, zing, irony, or bitterness—of implied wisdom and collective experience.

Proverbs tend to sound convincing—that is, at least until a contradictory proverb is evoked. According to American poet and essayist William Mathews, “All maxims have their antagonist maxims; proverbs should be sold in pairs, a single one being a half truth.” This discrepancy even appears in the Hebrew Bible (The Old Testament), as Proverbs 26:4 counsels, “do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.” In the very next verse, Proverbs 26:5 urges, “answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.”

One of the pleasures of working with maxims, proverbs, and quotations is contemplating confirmations, counterparts, contradictions, and inconsistencies. In other words, it’s fascinating and helpful to examine how words might apply differently in various situations.

When used without qualification, proverbs sometimes cancel one-another out. The following compendium illustrates this phenomenon.

Contradicting Common Proverbs

“All that glitters is not gold.” But, “Clothes make the man.”

“Clothes make the man.” But, “Never judge a book by its cover.”

“Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.” But sometimes, “Leave well enough alone.”

“Wise men think alike.” But, “Fools seldom differ.”

“Haste makes waste.” But sometimes, “Strike while the iron is hot.”

“One man’s meat is another man’s poison.” But sometimes, “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”

“Misery loves company.” But, “The more the merrier.”

“The more the merrier.” But sometimes, “Two’s company; three’s a crowd.”

“What will be, will be.” But, “Life is what you make it.”

“Don’t sweat the small stuff.” But, “Every little bit helps.”

“Don’t sweat the small stuff.” But, “The devil is in the details.”

“A penny saved is a penny earned.” But, “Penny wise, pound foolish.”

“Repentance comes too late.” But, “Never too late to mend.”

“All for one and one for all.” But sometimes, “Every man for himself.”

“Blood is thicker than water.” But, “Many kinfolk, few friends.”

“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” But, “A man’s reach should exceed his grasp.”

“The pen is mightier than the sword.” But, “Actions speak louder than words.”

“Ask no questions and hear no lies.” But, “Better to ask the way than to go astray.”

“If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.” But sometimes, “If you lie down with dogs, you’ll wake up with fleas.”

“Better be alone than in bad company.” But, “There’s safety in numbers.”

“Tomorrow is another day.” But, “Another day might be too late.”

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” But, “Don’t beat a dead horse.”

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” But, “Out of sight, out of mind.”

“A silent man is a wise one.” But, “A man without words is a man without thoughts.”

“There is nothing new under the sun.” But, “There is nothing permanent except change.”

“The bigger the better.” But sometimes, “Good things come in small packages.”

“Look before you leap.” But, “He who hesitates is lost.”

“Don’t talk to strangers.” But, “Familiarity breeds contempt.”

“Variety is the spice of life.” But sometimes, “Don’t change horses in midstream.”

“All good things come to those who wait.” But sometimes, “Time and tide wait for no man.”

“Rome wasn’t built in a day.” But, “Time and tide wait for no man.”

“A miss is as good as a mile.” But sometimes, “Half a loaf is better than none.”

“Don’t speak too soon.” But sometimes, “Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

“Money can’t buy you love.” But, “Romance without finance can be a nuisance.”

“Never do evil, that good may come of it.” But, “The end justifies the means.”

“If you want something done right, do it yourself.” But sometimes, “Two heads are better than one.”

“There’s no fool like an old fool.” But, “An old fox is not easily snared.”

“Divide and rule.” But, “United we stand, divided we fall.”

“It’s never too late.” But, “The early bird catches the worm.”

“The early bird catches the worm.” But, “Good things come to those who wait.”

“To thine own self be true.” But, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

“With age comes wisdom.” But, “Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings come all wise sayings.”

“Actions speak louder than words.” But, “It’s the thought that counts.”

“It’s the thought that counts.” But, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

“Curiosity killed the cat.” But, “Ask and you shall receive.”

“Birds of a feather flock together.” But, “Opposites attract.”

“Ask and you shall receive.” But, “Ask no questions and hear no lies.”

“Faith will move mountains.” But, “Doubt is the beginning, not the end, of wisdom.”

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” But, “You’re never too old to learn.”

“Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” But, “Let sleeping dogs lie.”

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” But, “Take no for an answer.”

“Knowledge is power.” But, “Ignorance is bliss.”

“It never rains, then it pours.” But sometimes, “Lightning never strikes twice in the same place.”

“Better safe than sorry.” But, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

“Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.” But, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”

“Silence is golden.” But sometimes, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” But, “Idle hands do the devil’s work.”

“Practice makes perfect.” But, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

“If one door shuts, another opens.” But, “Opportunity never knocks twice on the same door.”

“Don’t preach to the choir.” But, “Don’t cast pearls before swine.”

“Many hands make light work.” But, “Too many cooks spoil the broth.”

“Too many cooks spoil the broth.” But, “Two heads are better than one.”

“Don’t cross the bridge until you reach it.” But, “Forewarned is forearmed.”

“One size fits all.” But sometimes, “Different strokes for different folks.”

“The best things in life are free.” But, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”

“A good beginning makes a good ending.” But, “It’s not over till it’s over.”

“Hold fast to the words of your ancestors.” But, “Wise men make proverbs; fools repeat them.”

The Best of the Chinese Proverbs (Inspirational Quotations #362)

February 3, 2011 By Nagesh Belludi 1 Comment

Chinese New Year, the Spring Festival

The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, is the most important festival on the Chinese calendar. The festivities traditionally begin on the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar and end with the Lantern Festival celebrated on the 15th day of the New Year.

The Chinese festival year follows a lunar calendar and consists of twelve moons; each moon lasts about 29 1/2 days. The Chinese calendar follows a 12-year cycle and each year relates to an animal in the Chinese zodiac. Year 4708, the year beginning February 3, 2011, is the Year of the Rabbit.

Festivities and Traditions

For the Chinese, the New Year is a time of great renewal. They devote the last few days of the old year to intense preparation. They clean their homes in a belief that, along with the dirt and debris around their homes, they can sweep away the mistakes and misfortunes of the past. They hang protective ornaments in their homes to welcome the good fortunes that the New Year brings.

The Chinese New Year is also a period of reunion. Scores of migrants return home to share the festivities with their families. The Chinese celebrate by partaking in divinatory readings at temples, sharing gifts, and bonding over elaborate family dinner parties. Children receive “lucky money” in red envelopes as part of the New Year’s gift-giving.

Outside of the Far East, ethnic Chinese celebrate the New Year in Chinatowns around the world with community parades and extravaganzas featuring fireworks, lion and dragon dance-shows, acrobatics, lanterns, and illuminated floats.

Chinese Proverbs

Patience is power; with time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown.
—Chinese Proverb

Gold cannot be pure, and people cannot be perfect.
—Chinese Proverb

If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.
—Chinese Proverb

Man who waits for roast duck to fly into mouth must wait very, very long time.
—Chinese Proverb

Slander cannot destroy the man … when the flood recedes, the rock is there.
—Chinese Proverb

I dreamed a thousand new paths… I woke and walked my old one.
—Chinese Proverb

If you must play, decide upon three things at the start: the rules of the game, the stakes, and the quitting time.
—Chinese Proverb

What you cannot avoid, welcome.
—Chinese Proverb

Man fools himself. He prays for a long life, and he fears an old age.
—Chinese Proverb

Never try to catch two frogs with one hand.
—Chinese Proverb

Flowers leave their fragrance on the hand that bestows them.
—Chinese Proverb

If you want your dinner, don’t offend the cook.
—Chinese Proverb

Talk doesn’t cook rice.
—Chinese Proverb

A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows the public opinion.
—Chinese Proverb

Not the fastest horse can catch a word spoken in anger.
—Chinese Proverb

Spring is sooner recognized by plants than by men.
—Chinese Proverb

The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. But the second best time is today.
—Chinese Proverb

The Wit & Wisdom of Benjamin Franklin: The Best 100 Maxims from “Poor Richard’s Almanack”

January 17, 2011 By Nagesh Belludi 8 Comments

It is the 305th birthday of Benjamin Franklin, American inventor, journalist, printer, diplomat, author, and founding father.

At age 27, Benjamin Franklin began publishing “Poor Richard’s Almanack” under the pseudonym “Richard Saunders.”

Published annually for the next 26 years, the Almanack became widely successful. At the height of its popularity, the Almanack sold 10,000 copies a year, making it a best-seller in colonial America.

“Poor Richard’s Almanack” consisted of a hodgepodge of facts, weather forecasts, household hints, puzzles, historical tidbits, poems, and assorted amusements. However, what made the Almanack well known were the witty proverbs and maxims that Franklin included as fillers. The most famous of these maxims include, “Well done is better than well said,” “Haste makes waste,” and the oft misquoted “A penny saved is twopence dear.”

Benjamin Franklin sourced a good number of his maxims in the “Poor Richard’s Almanack” from Native American traditions, common legends and superstitions of his day, public speeches, and works of other published authors.

Maxims from Benjamin Franklin’s “Poor Richard’s Almanack”

'Poor Richard's Almanack' published by Benjamin Franklin under the pseudonym Richard Saunders

Fools multiply folly.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

The noblest question in the world is, What Good may I do in it?
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Pay what you owe, and you’ll know what’s your own.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

An ounce of wit that is bought, is worth a pound that is taught.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Hunger is the best pickle.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Reading makes a full Man, Meditation a profound Man,|discourse a clear Man.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Whate’er’s begun in anger ends in shame.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Fear to do ill, and you need fear naught else.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

A quarrelsome Man has no good Neighbors.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality, since lost time is never found again; and what we call time enough always proves little enough. Let us then up and be doing, and doing to the purpose; so by diligence shall we do more with less perplexity.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

If you desire many things, many things will seem few.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Well done is better than well said.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

He that sows thorns, should not go barefoot.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Work as if you were to live 100 years, Pray as if you were to die To-morrow.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Genius without education is like silver in the mine.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Who is strong? He that can conquer his bad Habits.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Don’t go to the doctor with every distemper, nor to the lawyer with every quarrel, nor to the pot for every thirst.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Distrust & caution are the parents of security.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Avarice and Happiness never saw each other, how then shou’d they become acquainted.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Wink at small faults; remember thou hast great ones.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Proclaim not all thou knowest, all thou owest, all thou hast, nor all thou canst.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Employ thy time well if thou meanest to gain leisure; and since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour. Leisure is time for doing something useful, and this leisure the diligent man will obtain, but the lazy man never, for a life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Reading makes a full man, meditation a profound man, discourse a clear man.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Plough deep, while Sluggards sleep; And you shall have Corn, to sell and to keep.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Better is a little with content than much with contention.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Silence is not always a Sign of Wisdom, but Babbling is ever a Mark of Folly.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

You may give a Man an Office, but you cannot give him Discretion.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Experience keeps a dear school; but fools will learn in no other, and scarce in that; for it is true, we may give advice, but we cannot give conduct.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Search others for their virtues, thy self for thy vices.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry, all things easy.—He that rises late must trot all day, and hall scarce overtake his business at night, while laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes him.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Glass, China, and Reputation, are easily crack’d, and never well mended.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Better slip with foot than tongue.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

If you’d know the Value of Money, go and borrow some.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

The Proud hate Pride—in others.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

God helps them that help themselves.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Have you somewhat to do tomorrow; do it today.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Wish not so much to live long as to live well.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

The worst wheel of the cart makes the most noise.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Diligence overcomes Difficulties, Sloth makes them.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Would you persuade, speak of Interest, not of Reason.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

An empty bag will not stand upright.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

He that can compose himself, is wiser than he that composes books.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

He’s a Fool that cannot conceal his Wisdom.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Having been poor is no shame, but being ashamed of it, is.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

If you desire many things, many things will seem but a few.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Beware of him that is slow to anger: He is angry for some thing, and will not be pleased for nothing.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Humility makes great men twice honourable.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

The Sting of a Reproach, is the Truth of it.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

How many observe Christ’s Birth-day! How few, his Precepts! O! ’tis easier to keep Holidays than Commandments.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Think of three Things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Virtue may not always make a Face handsome, but Vice will certainly make it ugly.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

To-morrow, every fault is to be amended; but that To-morrow never comes.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

The things which hurt, instruct.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

By diligence and patience, the mouse bit in two the cable.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

He that’s content, hath enough; He that complains, has too much.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

If time be of all things most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality, since lost time is never found again.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Necessity never made a good bargain.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

A great Talker may be no Fool, but he is one that relies on him.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Approve not of him who commends all you say.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

When the Well’s dry, we know the Worth of Water.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

They that won’t be counselled, can’t be helped.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Tell a miser he’s rich, and a woman she’s old, you’ll get no money of one, nor kindness of t’other.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Tell me my Faults, and mend your own. Men take more pains to mask than mend.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

The poor have little, beggars none, the rich too much, enough not one.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Poverty wants some things, Luxury many things, Avarice all things.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Wealth is not his that has it, but his that enjoys it.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Anger is never without a Reason, but seldom with a good One.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

A Temper to bear much, will have much to bear.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

If Man could have Half his Wishes, he would double his Troubles.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Lost time is never found again.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Want of Care does us more Damage than Want of Knowledge.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Hunger never saw bad bread.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

God helps them that help themselves.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Speak little, do much.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

The Wolf sheds his Coat once a Year, his Disposition never.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

To err is human, to repent divine, to persist devilish.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

When you’re good to others, you are best to yourself.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

He that waits upon fortune, is never sure of a dinner.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Do not do what you would not have known.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Haste makes waste.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

He that is rich need not live sparingly, and he that can live sparingly need not be rich.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Half the Truth is often a great Lie.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Diligence is the mother of good luck.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

No gains without pains.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

There are lazy Minds as well as lazy Bodies.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Be slow in chusing a Friend, slower in changing.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

He that lives upon Hope, dies fasting.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

The Sun never repents of the good he does, nor does he ever demand a recompence.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Love, and be loved.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

What signifies your Patience, if you can’t find it when you want it.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Fish & visitors stink in 3 days.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Sin is not harmful because it is forbidden, but it is forbidden because it is hurtful.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Be neither silly, nor cunning, but wise.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

They who have nothing to be troubled at, will be troubled at nothing.
—Benjamin Franklin (American Political leader)

Franklin was a doyen of the self-improvement movement. His methods for self-mastery are worth taking a serious look at if you’re interested in getting better at anything in life. He was the unlikely father of self-help and his Autobiography (1793) remains a popular self-help book.

Inspirational Epigrams by Oscar Wilde (#346)

October 16, 2010 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

It’s the birthday of Oscar Wilde, Irish writer, poet and playwright. Born Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde, in Dublin on 16th October, 1854, Oscar Wilde is famous for his plays and his confinement and untimely death at age 46. His prominent works include The Picture of Dorian Gray (a novel), Salome (a play), An Ideal Husband (a play), and The Importance of Being Earnest (a play).

Oscar Wilde is also famous for his intellectual humor and witty epigrams. Some of his most famous one-liners include, “Life is never fair. And perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not.” And, “Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.” Below are some more of his most inspirational epigrams.

At age 40, Oscar Wilde was arrested and subsequently convicted for two years of hard labor for “gross indecency.” His health deteriorated when he got out of prison and moved to Paris. For the next four years, he travelled around Europe and died of cerebral meningitis on November 30, 1900.

Inspirational Epigrams by Oscar Wilde

The only difference between a caprice and a lifelong passion is that the caprice lasts a little longer.
—Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet)

True friends stab you in the front.
—Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet)

I forgot that every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character, and that therefore what one has done in the secret chamber one has some day to cry aloud on the house-tops.
—Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet)

Fathers should be neither seen nor heard. That is the only proper basis for family life.
—Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet)

Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one’s mistakes.
—Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet)

In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.
—Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet)

Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or a nation.
—Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet)

When one is in love, one always begins by deceiving oneself; and one always ends by deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance.
—Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet)

A sentimentalist is a man who sees an absurd value in everything and doesn’t know the market price of a single thing.
—Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet)

I always pass on good advice. It is the only thing to do with it. It is never of any use to oneself.
—Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet)

To be premature is to be perfect.
—Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet)

Wickedness is a myth invented by good people to account for the curious attractiveness of others.
—Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet)

In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it. The last is much the worst; the last is a real tragedy!
—Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet)

But the bravest man amongst us is afraid of himself. The mutilation of the savage has its tragic survival in the self-denial that mars our lives. We are punished for our refusals. Every impulse that we strive to strangle broods in the mind and poisons us. The body sins once, and has done with its sin, for action is a mode of purification. Nothing remains then but the recollection of a pleasure, or the luxury of a regret. The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. Resist it, and your soul grows sick with longing for the things it has forbidden to itself, with desire for what its monstrous laws have made monstrous and unlawful. It has been said that the great events of the world take place in the brain. It is in the brain, and the brain only, that the great sins of the world take place also.
—Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet)

The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.
—Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet)

Proverbs & Maxims

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Different Proverbs & Different Situations

Contradicting Common Proverbs

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Chinese New Year, the Spring Festival

Festivities and Traditions

Chinese Proverbs

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Maxims from Benjamin Franklin’s “Poor Richard’s Almanack”

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Suggested Reading

Inspirational Epigrams by Oscar Wilde

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