Arthur Helps

"No man ever praised two persons equally—and pleased them both."

"Self-indulgence takes many forms; and we should bear in mind that there may be a sullen sensuality as well as a gay one."

"Our knowledge of human nature is for the most part empirical; and it would often be better, if, instead of endeavouring to say some new things ourselves, we were to confirm without more words the sayings of another."

"There is one statesman of the present day, of whom I always say that he would have escaped making the blunders that he has made if he had only ridden more in omnibuses."

"You must work for yourself; for what you reject may be as important for you to have seen and thought about, as what you adopt."

"Even the most careless people have a sort of aversion to signing things which they have never considered."

"How often we should stop in the pursuit of folly, if it were not for the difficulties that continually beckon us onwards."

"A very useful book might be written with the sole object of advising what parts of what books should be read. It should not be a book of elegant extracts, but should merely refer to the passages which are advised to be read. It might also indicate what are the chief works upon any given subject. For example, take rent; the important passages in Adam Smith, Ricardo, Jones, Mill, and other writers, should be referred to."

"It has always appeared to me that there is so much to be done in this world, that all self-inflicted suffering which cannot be turned to good account for others, is a loss—a loss, if you may so express it, to the spiritual world."

"Any one who is much talked of, must be much maligned. This seems to be a harsh conclusion; but when you consider how much more given men are to depreciate than to appreciate, you will acknowledge that there is some truth in the saying."

"Friendship is often outgrown; and his former child’s clothes will no more fit a man than some of his former friendships."

"The envious man desires some good which another possesses; the jealous man would often be content to be without the good so that that other did not possess it."