Best Quintilian Sayings
- When defeat is inevitable, it is wisest to yield. Defeat
- It is the nurse that the child first hears, and her words that he will first attempt to imitate. Attempt
- The mind is exercised by the variety and multiplicity of the subject matter, while the character is moulded by the contemplation of virtue and vice. Character
- We must form our minds by reading deep rather than wide. Book
- It is worth while too to warn the teacher that undue severity in correcting faults is liable at times to discourage a boy's mind from… Boy
- For it would have been better that man should have been born dumb, nay, void of all reason, rather than that he should employ the… All
- As regards parents, I should like to see them as highly educated as possible, and I do not restrict this remark to fathers alone. Alone
- Consequently the student who is devoid of talent will derive no more profit from this work than barren soil from a treatise on agriculture. Agriculture
- Forbidden pleasures alone are loved immoderately; when lawful, they do not excite desire. Alone
- Nature herself has never attempted to effect great changes rapidly. Attempted
- Our minds are like our stomaches; they are whetted by the change of their food, and variety supplies both with fresh appetite. Appetite
- Where evil habits are once settled, they are more easily broken than mended. Broken
- Without natural gifts technical rules are useless. Gifts
- God, that all-powerful Creator of nature and architect of the world, has impressed man with no character so proper to distinguish him from other animals,… All
- A liar should have a good memory. Good
- Whilst we deliberate how to begin a thing, it grows too late to begin it. Begin
- We excuse our sloth under the pretext of difficulty. Difficulty
- For all the best teachers pride themselves on having a large number of pupils and think themselves worthy of a bigger audience. All
- Vain hopes are like certain dreams of those who wake. Certain
- The perfection of art is to conceal art. Art
- A laugh, if purchased at the expense of propriety, costs too much. Costs
- To swear, except when necessary, is becoming to an honorable man. Becoming
- Those who wish to appear wise among fools, among the wise seem foolish. Among
- Though ambition in itself is a vice, yet it is often the parent of virtues. Ambition
- Though ambition itself be a vice, yet it is often times the cause of virtues. Ambition