Berber Quotes

What then, is correctness of speech but the maintenance of the practice of others, as established by the authority of ancient speakers? But the weaker men are, the more they are troubled by such matters. Their weakness stems from a desire to appear learned, not with a knowledge of things, by which we are edified, but with a knowledge of signs, by which it is difficult not to be puffed up in some way; even a knowledge of things often makes people boastful, unless their necks are held down by the Lord's yoke.

The entire most beautiful order of things that are very good, when their measures have been accomplished, is to pass away.

The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would steal them away. -Ronald Reagan In the absence of justice, what is sovereignty but organized robbery?

What thou meanest by seizing the whole earth; but because I do it with a petty ship, I am called a robber, whilst thou who dost it with a great fleet art styled emperor.

Attract them by the way you live.

Men go forth to marvel at the height of mountains, and the huge waves of the sea, the broad flow of the rivers, the vastness of the ocean, the orbits of the stars, and yet they neglect to marvel at themselves. Variant: Men go abroad to admire the heights of mountains, the mighty billows of the sea, the broad tides of rivers, the compass of the ocean, and the circuits of the stars, and pass themselves by.

Humility must accompany all our actions, must be with us everywhere; for as soon as we glory in our good works they are of no further value to our advancement in virtue.

It is the function of perfection to make one know one's imperfection.

So give to the poor; I'm begging you, I'm warning you, I'm commanding you, I'm ordering you.

Custom is second nature.

I was unhappy and so is every soul unhappy which is tied to its love for mortal things; when it loses them, it is torn in pieces, and it is then that it comes to realize the unhappiness which was there even before it lost them.

Love and do what you want. If you stop talking, you will stop talking with love; if you shout, you will shout with love; if you correct, you will correct with love.

One never errs more safely than when one errs by too much loving the truth.

It will not be held against you that you are ignorant against your will, but that you neglect to seek out what it is that makes you ignorant; not that you cannot bring together your wounded limbs, but that you reject Him that would heal them.

Try to acquire the virtues you believe lacking in your brothers. Then you will no longer see their defects, for you will no longer have them yourself.

What you are must always displease you, if you would attain to that which you are not.

This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections.

Do not wander far and wide but return into yourself. Deep within man there dwells the truth.

The mind commands the body, and it obeys forthwith; the mind commands itself, and is resisted. The mind commands the hand to be moved, and such readiness is there that the command is scarce to be distinguished from the obedience. Yet the mind is mind, and the hand is body. The mind commands the mind to will, and yet, though it be itself, it obeyeth not. Whence this monstrous thing? and why is it?

This world's a bubble.

People travel to marvel at the mountains, seas, rivers and stars and they pass right by themselves without astonishment.

Though in the order of nature angels rank above men, yet, by scale of justice, good men are of greater value than bad angels.

It seems to me that an unjust law is no law at all.

For what is time? ... Who can even in thought comprehend it, so as to utter a word about it? ... If no one asks me, I know: If I wish to explain it to one that asketh, I know not.

Blessed is he who devotes his life to great and noble ends, and who forms his well-considered plans with deliberate wisdom.

Bad times, hard times, this is what people keep saying; but let us live well, and times shall be good. We are the times: Such as we are, such are the times.

You are what you love.

To seek the highest good is to live well.

It is not earthly riches which make us or our sons happy; for they must either be lost by us in our lifetime, or be possessed when we are dead, by whom we know not, or perhaps by whom we would not.

It is a sin to judge any man by his post

Seek not abroad, for in the inner man dwells the truth.

No man has a right to lead such a life of contemplation as to forget in his own ease the service due to his neighbor.

The purpose of all wars, is peace.

Because I do it with one small ship, I am called a terrorist. You do it with a whole fleet and are called an emperor.

What are kingdoms without justice? They're just gangs of bandits.

You wish to be great, begin from the least. You are thinking to construct some mighty fabric in height; first think of the foundation of humility. And how great soever a mass of building one may wish and design to place above it, the greater the building is to be, the deeper does he dig his foundation.

Unjust laws aren't laws at all.

In the usual course of study I had come to a book of a certain Cicero.

What is time? If I am not asked, I know; if I am asked, I don't.

Let us, on both sides, lay aside all arrogance. Let us not, on either side, claim that we have already discovered the truth. Let us seek it together as something which is known to neither of us. For then only may we seek it, lovingly and tranquilly, if there be no bold presumption that it is already discovered and possessed.

There is no greater invitation to love than loving first.

The one who is good, is free even being a slave; the one who is bad remains a slave even being a king.

To wisdom belongs the intellectual apprehension of eternal things; to knowledge, the rational knowledge of temporal things.

The most venerable, clearly understood, enlightened, and reliable constant in the world is not only that we want to be happy, but that we want only to be so. Our very nature requires it of us.

Cursed is everyone who places his hope in changing the nature of man

Hear the other side.

Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending.

When regard for truth has been broken down or even slightly weakened, all things will remain doubtful.

Hope has two lovely daughters, anger and courage.

The arrogance is not greatness but swelling; and the swelling seems big but it's not healthy.

We should never use the truth to wound.

Things are solved by walking around.

How high a price we pay for the burden of habit! I am fitted for life here where I do not want to be, I want to live there but am unfit for it, and on both counts I am miserable.

There is something in humility which, strangely enough, exalts the heart, and something in pride which debases it.

It is human to err, but it is devilish to remain willfully in error.

Solvitur ambulando . . . it is solved by walking.

All the dancer's gestures are signs of things, and the dance called rational, because it aptly signifies and displays something over and above the pleasure of the senses.

Love, and do what you will. If you are silent, be silent for love; or if you cry out, cry out for love. If you chastise, chastise for love; if you spare, spare for love.

In the absence of justice, what is sovereignty but organized robbery?

Don't let your life give evidence against your tongue. Sing with your voices... sing also with your conduct.