The Art of Worldly Wisdom

Baltasar Gracián, Joseph Jacobs

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9780486440347
• eBook ISBN: 9780486146775
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Ethics & Moral Philosophy

"Think with the few and speak with the many," "Friends are a second existence," and "Be able to forget" are among this volume's 300 thought-provoking maxims on politics, professional life, and personal development. Published in 1637, it was an instant success throughout Europe. The Jesuit author's timeless advice, focusing on honesty and kindness, remains ever popular. A perfect browsing book of mental and spiritual refreshment, it can be opened at random and appreciated either for a few moments or for an extended period.

Notes

Orig. refers to the Spanish original, generally from the Barcelona edition of 1734, though I have occasionally referred to the Madrid edition of 1653, and at times used the text of the Biblioteca de autores españoles. This may have occasioned some inconsistencies, especially with regard to accentuation. Schop. refers to Schopenhauer’s translation; I have used Grisebach’s edition in the Reclam series. M.G.D. is prefixed to quotations from Sir M. Grant Duff’s renderings in Fort. Rev., March 1877; Eng. I. and II. refer to the English translations of 1694 and Savage’s of 1702 respectively.

PAGE	MAX.
1	ii	character and intellect—Orig. “Genio y ingenio”; Schop. “Herz und Kopf”; Eng. I. “Wit and a Genius.” The first section of El Discreto has the same title.
		two poles—Orig. “los dos exes del lucimiento de prendas”; M.G.D. “The two axes of the brilliance of our accomplishments.”
1	iii	when you explain; cf. ccliii.
		the Divine way; cf. “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing,” Prov. xxv. 2.
2	v	Not he that adorns—Orig. “No hace el númen el que lo dora sino el que lo adora”; Schop. “Den Götzen macht nicht der Vergolder sondern der Anbeter.”
		golden platter—Orig. “del oro al lodo”; lit. from the gold to the mire.
	vi	A Man; from El Discreto.
3	ix	strata—so Schop. “Schichten”; Orig. “venas donde pasa.”
5	xiii	Second Thoughts—Orig. “intencion segunda.” The expression and idea is derived from scholastic logic. Terms of second intention, i.e. logical technical terms, are doubly abstract, being abstractions of terms of first intention. warfare against malice—Orig. “milicia . . . contra la malicia.”
5	xiv	accident—Orig. “circumstancia”; again a scholastic term referring to the modes of real being.
		joy in life; cf. Emerson: “Beautiful behaviour is the finest of the fine arts.”
6	xv	make use of the wise—“Make friends of the wise,” said the Seven Sages, ap. Stobaeus, Flor. iii. 80.
		great thing to know—Orig. “Ay mucho que saber y es poco el vivir”; Schop. takes it as a variant of Hippocrates’ maxim, “Art is long,” etc., and renders “Das Wissen ist lang, das Leben kurz.” See, however, ccxlvii.
	xvi	Knowledge without sense—“Ciencia sin seso locura doble”; cf. Span. prov. “Ciencia es Locura si buen seso no la cura.”
	xvii	impulse—Orig. “intencion,” a reference to xiii, where see Note.
7	xviii	Application and Ability. Galton, Hereditary Genius, p. 38, adds zeal or energy.
	xix	Arouse, etc.; from El Heroe, §16.
8	xx	The sage has one advantage. A favourite maxim of Schopenhauer, quoted by him in his Wille in d. Natur, 1836, p. 34, and written on his own copy of Die Welt als Wille, obviously applying it to himself. (See Grisebach, Edita und Inedita, p. 104.)
	xxiii	soon finds out—Orig. “para luego y aun repara.”
9	xxv	Know how, etc.—Orig. “Buen entendedor”; from El Discreto. Eng. I. “A good Pryer”; Eng. II. “A good Understanding.” The reference is to the Span. prov. “A buen entendedor pocas palabras,” Don Quixote, ii. cc. 37, 60. Sly uses the later half in Taming of Shrew Induction, “Therefore pocas palabras, let the world slide, sessa!”
10	xxvii	giants are real dwarfs; cf. Bacon’s apothegm, “Nature did never put her jewels in garrets.”
		try the brawn. A slight embellishment. Orig. “para exercitar antes los braços que los ingenios.”
	xxviii	great and wise—Phocion; ap. Plutarch, Reg. et Imp. Apophthegm. Phocion, 4. chameleons of popularity; cf. ccxcv.
	xxix	Many praise it; cf. “Probitas laudatur et alget,” Juv. Sat. i. 74.
11	xxxi	Select the Lucky. Quoted by Addison in Spectator, No. 293. The Rothschilds are said to act on this principle in their business relations.
		Never open; cf. ccliv.
	xxxii	win the odd trick—Orig....

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Dedication
• Preface
• Testimonia
• Dedication
• i Everything is at its Acme;
• ii Character and Intellect:
• iii Keep Matters for a Time in Suspense.
• iv Knowledge and Courage
• v Create a Feeling of Dependence.
• vi A Man at his Highest Point.
• vii Avoid Victories over Superiors.
• viii To be without Passions.
• ix Avoid the Faults of your Nation.
• x Fortune and Fame.
• xi Cultivate those who can teach you.
• xii Nature and Art:
• xiii Act sometimes on Second Thoughts, sometimes on First Impulse.
• xiv The Thing Itself and the Way it is done.
• xv Keep Ministering Spirits.
• xvi Knowledge and Good Intentions
• xvii Vary the Mode of Action;
• xviii Application and Ability.
• xix Arouse no Exaggerated Expectations on entering.
• xx A Man of the Age.
• xxi The Art of being Lucky.
• xxii A Man of Knowledge to the Point.
• xxiii Be Spotless:
• xxiv Keep the Imagination under Control,
• xxv Know how to take a Hint.
• xxvi Find out each Man’s Thumbscrew.
• xxvii Prize Intensity more than Extent.
• xxviii Common in Nothing.
• xxix A Man of Rectitude
• xxx Have naught to do with Occupations of Ill-repute,
• xxxi Select the Lucky and avoid the Unlucky.
• xxxii Have the Reputation of being Gracious.
• xxxiii Know how to Withdraw.
• xxxiv Know your strongest Point—
• xxxv Think over Things, most over the most Important.
• xxxvi In Acting or Refraining, weigh your Luck.
• xxxvii Keep a Store of Sarcasms, and know how to use them.
• xxxviii Leave your Luck while Winning.
• xxxix Recognise when Things are ripe, and then enjoy them.
• xl The Goodwill of People.
• xli Never Exaggerate.
• xlii Born to Command.
• xliii Think with the Few and speak with the Many.
• xliv Sympathy with great Minds.
• xlv Use, but do not abuse, Cunning.
• xlvi Master your Antipathies.
• xlvii Avoid “Affairs of Honour”—
• xlviii Be Thorough.
• xlix Observation and Judgment.
• l Never lose Self-respect,
• li Know how to Choose well.
• lii Never be put out.
• liii Diligent and Intelligent.
• liv Know how to show your Teeth.
• lv Wait.
• lvi Have Presence of Mind.
• lvii Slow and Sure.
• lviii Adapt Yourself to your Company.
• lix Finish off well.
• lx A Sound Judgment.
• lxi To Excel in what is Excellent.
• lxii Use good Instruments.
• lxiii To be the First of the Kind is an Excellence,
• lxiv Avoid Worry.
• lxv Elevated Taste.
• lxvi See that Things end well.
• lxvii Prefer Callings “en Evidence.”
• lxviii It is better to help with Intelligence than with Memory.
• lxix Do not give way to every common Impulse.
• lxx Know how to Refuse.
• lxxi Do not Vacillate.
• lxxii Be Resolute.
• lxxiii Utilise Slips.
• lxxiv Do not be Unsociable.
• lxxv Choose an Heroic Ideal;
• lxxvi Do not always be Jesting.
• lxxvii Be all Things to all Men—
• lxxviii The Art of undertaking Things.
• lxxix A Genial Disposition.
• lxxx Take care to get Information.
• lxxxi Renew your Brilliance.
• lxxxii Drain Nothing to the Dregs, neither Good nor Ill.
• lxxxiii Allow Yourself some venial Fault.
• lxxxiv Make use of your Enemies.
• lxxxv Do not play Manille.
• lxxxvi Prevent Scandal.
• lxxxvii Culture and Elegance.
• lxxxviii Let your Behaviour be Fine and Noble.
• lxxxix Know Yourself—
• xc The Secret of Long Life
• xci Never set to work at anything if you have any doubts of its Prudence.
• xcii Transcendent Wisdom.
• xciii Versatility.
• xciv Keep the extent of your Abilities unknown.
• xcv Keep Expectation alive.
• xcvi The highest Discretion.
• xcvii Obtain and preserve a Reputation.
• xcviii Write your Intentions in Cypher.
• xcix Reality and Appearance.
• c A Man without Illusions, a wise Christian, a philosophic Courtier.
• ci One half of the World laughs at the other, and Fools are they all.
• cii Be able to stomach big slices of Luck.
• ciii Let each keep up his Dignity.
• civ Try your hand at Office.
• cv Don’t be a Bore.
• cvi Do not parade your Position.
• cvii Show no Self-satisfaction.
• cviii The Path to Greatness is along with Others.
• cix Be not Censorious.
• cx Do not wait till you are a Sinking Sun.
• cxi Have Friends.
• cxii Gain Goodwill.
• cxiii In Prosperity prepare for Adversity.
• cxiv Never Compete.
• cxv Get used to the Failings of your Familiars,
• cxvi Only act with Honourable Men.
• cxvii Never talk of Yourself.
• cxviii Acquire the Reputation of Courtesy;
• cxix Avoid becoming Disliked.
• cxx Live Practically.
• cxxi Do not make a Business of what is no Business.
• cxxii Distinction in Speech and Action.
• cxxiii Avoid Affectation.
• cxxiv Get Yourself missed.
• cxxv Do not be a Black List.
• cxxvi Folly consists not in committing Folly, but in not hiding it when committed.
• cxxvii Grace in Everything.
• cxxviii Highmindedness.
• cxxix Never complain.
• cxxx Do and be seen Doing.
• cxxxi Nobility of Feeling.
• cxxxii Revise your Judgments.
• cxxxiii Better Mad with the rest of the World than Wise alone.
• cxxxiv Double your Resources.
• cxxxv Do not nourish the Spirit of Contradiction.
• cxxxvi Post Yourself in the Centre of Things.
• cxxxvii The Sage should be Self-sufficing.
• cxxxviii The Art of letting Things alone.
• cxxxix Recognise unlucky Days.
• cxl Find the Good in a Thing at once.
• cxli Do not listen to Yourself.
• cxlii Never from Obstinacy take the Wrong Side because your Opponent has anticipated you in taking the Right One.
• cxliii Never become Paradoxical in order to avoid the Trite.
• cxliv Begin with Another’s to end with your Own.
• cxlv Do not show your wounded Finger,
• cxlvi Look into the Interior of Things.
• cxlvii Do not be Inaccessible.
• cxlviii Have the Art of Conversation.
• cxlix Know how to put off Ills on Others.
• cl Know to get your Price for Things.
• cli Think beforehand.
• clii Never have a Companion who casts you in the Shade.
• cliii Beware of entering where there is a great Gap to be filled.
• cliv Do not Believe, or Like, lightly.
• clv The Art of getting into a Passion.
• clvi Select your Friends.
• clvii Do not make Mistakes about Character.
• clviii Make use of your Friends.
• clix Put up with Fools.
• clx Be careful in Speaking.
• clxi Know your pet Faults.
• clxii How to triumph over Rivals and Detractors.
• clxiii Never, from Sympathy with the Unfortunate, involve Yourself in his Fate.
• clxiv Throw Straws in the Air,
• clxv Wage War Honourably.
• clxvi Distinguish the Man of Words from the Man of Deeds.
• clxvii Know how to take your own Part.
• clxviii Do not indulge in the Eccentricities of Folly.
• clxix Be more careful not to Miss once than to Hit a hundred times.
• clxx In all Things keep Something in Reserve.
• clxxi Waste not Influence.
• clxxii Never contend with a Man who has nothing to Lose;
• clxxiii Do not be Glass in Intercourse, still less in Friendship.
• clxxiv Do not live in a Hurry.
• clxxv A Solid Man.
• clxxvi Have Knowledge, or know those that have Knowledge.
• clxxvii Avoid Familiarities in Intercourse.
• clxxviii Trust your Heart,
• clxxix Reticence is the Seal of Capacity.
• clxxx Never guide the Enemy to what he has to do.
• clxxxi The Truth, but not the whole Truth.
• clxxxii A Grain of Boldness in Everything.
• clxxxiii Do not hold your Views too firmly.
• clxxxiv Do not be Ceremonious.
• clxxxv Never stake your Credit on a single Cast,
• clxxxvi Recognise Faults, however high placed.
• clxxxvii Do pleasant Things Yourself, unpleasant Things through Others.
• clxxxviii Be the Bearer of Praise.
• clxxxix Utilise Another’s Wants.
• cxc Find Consolation in all Things.
• cxci Do not take Payment in Politeness;
• cxcii Peaceful Life, a long Life.
• cxciii Watch him that begins with Another’s to end with his own.
• cxciv Have reasonable Views of Yourself and of your Affairs,
• cxcv Know how to Appreciate.
• cxcvi Know your ruling Star.
• cxcvii Do not carry Fools on your Back.
• cxcviii Know how to transplant Yourself.
• cxcix To find a proper Place by Merit, not by Presumption.
• cc Leave Something to wish for,
• cci They are all Fools who seem so besides half the rest.
• ccii Words and Deeds make the Perfect Man.
• cciii Know the great Men of your Age.
• cciv Attempt easy Tasks as if they were difficult, and difficult as if they were easy.
• ccv Know how to play the Card of Contempt.
• ccvi Know that there are vulgar Natures everywhere,
• ccvii Be Moderate.
• ccviii Do not die of the Fools’ Disease.
• ccix Keep Yourself free from common Follies.
• ccx Know how to play the Card of Truth.
• ccxi In Heaven all is bliss:
• ccxii Keep to Yourself the final Touches of your Art.
• ccxiii Know how to Contradict.
• ccxiv Do not turn one Blunder into two.
• ccxv Watch him that acts on Second Thoughts.
• ccxvi Be Expressive.
• ccxvii Neither Love nor Hate, forever.
• ccxviii Never act from Obstinacy but from Knowledge.
• ccxix Do not pass for a Hypocrite,
• ccxx If you cannot clothe Yourself in Lionskin use Foxpelt.
• ccxxi Do not seize Occasions to embarrass Yourself or Others.
• ccxxii Reserve is proof of Prudence.
• ccxxiii Be not Eccentric,
• ccxxvi Take care to be Obliging.
• ccxxvii Do not be the Slave of First Impressions.
• ccxxviii Do not be a Scandalmonger.
• ccxxix Plan out your Life wisely,
• ccxxx Open your Eyes betimes.
• ccxxxi Never let Things be seen half-finished.
• ccxxxii Have a Touch of the Trader.
• ccxxxiii Let not the proffered Morsel be distasteful;
• ccxxxiv Never trust your Honour to another, unless you have his in Pledge.
• ccxxxv Know how to Ask.
• ccxxxvi Make an Obligation beforehand of what would have to be a Reward afterwards.
• ccxxxvii Never share the Secrets of your Superiors.
• ccxxxviii Know what is wanting in Yourself.
• ccxxxix Do not be Captious.
• ccxl Make use of Folly.
• ccxli Put up with Raillery, but do not practise it.
• ccxlii Push Advantages.
• ccxliii Do not be too much of a Dove.
• ccxliv Create a feeling of Obligation.
• ccxlv Original and out-of-the-way Views
• ccxlvi Never offer Satisfaction unless it is demanded.
• ccxlvii Know a little more, live a little less.
• ccxlviii Do not go with the last Speaker.
• ccxlix Never begin Life with what should end it.
• ccl When to change the Conversation.
• ccli Use human Means as if there were no divine ones, and divine as if there were no human ones.
• cclii Neither belong entirely to Yourself nor entirely to Others.
• ccliii Do not Explain overmuch.
• ccliv Never despise an Evil, however small,
• cclv Do Good a little at a time, but often.
• cclvi Go armed against Discourtesy,
• cclvii Never let Matters come to a Rupture,
• cclviii Find out someone to share your Troubles.
• cclix Anticipate Injuries and turn them into Favours.
• cclx We belong to none and none to us, entirely.
• cclxi Do not follow up a Folly.
• cclxii Be able to Forget.
• cclxiii Many things of Taste one should not possess oneself.
• cclxiv Have no careless Days.
• cclxv Set those under you difficult Tasks.
• cclxvi Do not become Bad from sheer Goodness.
• cclxvii Silken Words, sugared Manners.
• cclxviii The Wise do at once what the Fool does at last.
• cclxix Make use of the Novelty of your Position;
• cclxx Do not condemn alone that which pleases all.
• cclxxi In every Occupation if you know little, stick to the safest.
• cclxxii Sell Things by the Tariff of Courtesy.
• cclxxiii Comprehend their Dispositions with whom you deal,
• cclxxiv Be Attractive.
• cclxxv Join in the Game as far as Decency permits.
• cclxxvi Know how to renew your Character,
• cclxxvii Display yourself.
• cclxxviii Avoid Notoriety in all Things.
• cclxxix Do not contradict the Contradicter.
• cclxxx Be Trustworthy.
• cclxxxi Find Favour with Men of Sense.
• cclxxxii Make use of Absence to make yourself more esteemed or valued.
• cclxxxiii Have the Gift of Discovery.
• cclxxxiv Do not be Importunate,
• cclxxxv Never die of another’s Ill luck.
• cclxxxvi Do not become responsible for all or for everyone,
• cclxxxvii Never act in a Passion.
• cclxxxviii Live for the Moment.
• cclxxxix Nothing depreciates a Man more than to show he is a Man like other Men.
• ccxc ’Tis a piece of good Fortune to combine Men’s Love and Respect.
• ccxci Know how to Test.
• ccxcii Let your personal Qualities surpass those of your Office.
• ccxciii Maturity.
• ccxciv Be moderate in your Views.
• ccxcv Do not affect what you have not effected.
• ccxcvi Noble Qualities.
• ccxcvii Always act as if your Acts were seen.
• ccxcviii Three Things go to a Prodigy.
• ccxcix Leave off Hungry.
• ccc In one word, be a Saint.
• Notes