Gracian, Baltasar

"Never contend with a man who has nothing to lose."

"Nothing arouses ambition so much in the heart as the trumpet-clang of another's fame."

"Nature scarcely ever gives us the very best; for that we must have recourse to art."

"Aspire rather to be a hero than merely appear one."

"The pillow is a silent Sibyl, and it is better to sleep on things beforehand than lie awake about them afterwards." - The Art of Worldly Wisdom

"Good things, when short, are twice as good." - The Art of Worldly Wisdom

"A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends." - The Art of Worldly Wisdom