In our judgment of human transactions, the law of optics is reversed; we see the most indistinctly the objects which are close around us. — Richard Whately Copy Share Image
It is worth noticing that those who assume an imposing demeanor and seek to pass themselves off for something beyond what they are, are… — Richard Whately Copy Share
Of Rhetoric various definitions have been given by different writers; who, however, seem not so much to have disagreed in their conceptions of the… — Richard Whately Copy Share
Falsehood, like the dry-rot, flourishes the more in proportion as air and light are excluded. — Richard Whately Copy Share
Of all hostile feelings, envy is perhaps the hardest to be subdued, because hardly any one owns it even to himself, but looks out… — Richard Whately Copy Share
Geologists complain that when they want specimens of the common rocks of a country, they receive curious spars; just so, historians give us the… — Richard Whately Copy Share
Reason can no more influence the will, and operate as a motive, than the eyes which show a man his road can enable him… — Richard Whately Copy Share
Eloquence is relative. One can no more pronounce on the eloquence of any composition than the wholesomeness of a medicine, without knowing for whom… — Richard Whately Copy Share
Falsehood, like poison, will generally be rejected when administered alone; but when blended with wholesome ingredients may be swallowed unperceived. — Richard Whately Copy Share
Though not always called upon to condemn ourselves, it is always safe to suspect ourselves. — Richard Whately Copy Share
Even supposing there were some spiritual advantage in celibacy, it ought to be completely voluntary. — Richard Whately Copy Share
Some men's reputation seems like seed-wheat, which thrives best when brought from a distance. — Richard Whately Copy Share
He who is not aware of his ignorance will be only misled by his knowledge. — Richard Whately Copy Share
