James Burgh (1714 – 1775)
British Whig politician whose book Political Disquisitions set out an early case for free speech and universal suffrage.
In disputes upon moral or scientific points, ever let your aim be to come at truth, not to conquer your opponent: so you never shall be at a loss in losing the argument, and gaining a new discovery.
If you mean to make your side of the argument appear plausible, do not prejudice the people against what you think truth by your passionate manner of defending it.
What may be very entertaining in company with ignorant people may be tiresome to those who know more of the matter.
Never offer advice but where there is some probability ef its being followed.
If you have a friend that will reprove your faults and foibles, consider you enjoy a blessing which the king upon the throne cannot have.
Do well, but do not boast of it; for that will lessen the commendation you might otherwise have deserved.
In mixed company, be readier to hear than to speak, and put people upon talking of what is in their own way; for then you will both oblige them, and be most likely to improve by their conversation.
Make your company a rarity, and people will value it. Men despise what they can easily have.
Never fish for praise; it is not worth the bait.
Learning is like bank-notes: prudence and good behaviour are like silver, useful upon all occasions.
Fools pretend to foretell what will be the issue of things, and are laughed at for their awkward conjectures. Wise men being aware of the uncertainty of human aflairs, and having observed how small a matter often produces a great change, are modest in their conjectures.
Love your fellow creature, though vicious. Hate vice in the friend you love the most.
Insult not another for his want of a talent you possess: He may have others which you want.
To offer advice to an angry man, is like blowing against a tempest.
Do not think of knocking out another person's brains because he differs in opinion from you. It would be as rational to knock yourself on the head because you differ from yourself ten years ago.
Reproof is a medicine like mercury or opium; if it be improperly administered it will do harm instead of good.
If you want to gain any man's good opinion, take particular care how you behave the first time you are in company with him; the light you appear in at first, to one who is neither inclinable to think well nor ill of you, will strongly prejudice him either for or against you.
The modest man is seldom the object of envy.
If you happen into company where the talk runs into party, obscemty, scandal, folly, or vice of any kind, you had better pass for morose or unsocial, among people whose good opinion is not worth having, than shock your own conscience by joining in conversation which you must disapprove of.
Men repent speaking ten times, for once that they repent keeping silence.
It is an advantage to have concealed one's opinion; for by that means you may change your judgment of things (which every wise man fmds reason to do) and not be accused of fickleness.