Francis Bacon idézet

oldal 10

„Egyes könyveket megízlelünk, másokat lenyelünk, de nagyon kevés az olyan, amelyet megrágunk és megemésztünk.”

„Ha az ember bizonyossággal kezd, akkor kételyekkel végez; de ha megelégszik azzal, ha kételyekkel kezd, akkor bizonyossággal végez.”

„A bölcs ember a lehetőségeit megteremti, és nem megtalálja.”

„A remény egy jó reggeli, de rossz vacsora.”

„Az óvatos kérdés a bölcsesség egyik fele.”

„A tudomány minden nyomorúságának egyetlen alapvető oka van: oktalanul csodáljuk az emberi elme erejét, de nem igyekszünk hatékony segédeszközökkel a segítségére sietni.”

„Tanításunkban csupán egyetlen, igen egyszerű módokhoz folyamodunk: visszavezetni a tényekhez, a tények sorozatához és rendjéhez az embereket, és rávenni őket, hogy szabaduljanak meg egy időre a fogalmaktól, és szokjanak lassan össze a valósággal.”

„A természet fortélyossága lépten-nyomon kijátssza az érzékek és az értelem fortélyosságát, úgyhogy bolond időtöltés volna mind a sok szép elmélkedés, emberi okoskodás, vitatkozás, ha nem akadna, aki felhivja erre a figyelmet.”

„A temészetet szolgáló és magyarázó ember annyit tehet és foghat fel, amennyit a természet rendjéből a dolgokra vagy elméjére vonatkozóan megfigyelhet: ennél többet nem tudhat és nem tehet.”

„A fény terjesztésének két módja van: gyertyának lenni vagy tükörnek, amely visszatükrözi a gyertya fényét.”

„A barátság a barátok meglátogatásával nő, de főleg azzal, ha ritkán látogatjuk meg őket.”

„A csend az alvás, amely táplálja a bölcsességet.”

“It were better to have no opinion of God at all, than such an opinion, as is unworthy of him. For the one is unbelief, the other is contumely; and certainly superstition is the reproach of the Deity.”

“I had rather believe all the fables in the legends and the Talmud and the Alcoran, than that this universal frame is without a mind.”

“It is often seen that bad husbands, have very good wives; whether it be, that it raiseth the price of their husband's kindness, when it comes; or that the wives take a pride in their patience.”

“But yet he was reputed one of the wise men, that made answer to the question, when a man should marry,—A young man not yet, an elder man not at all.”

“Chaste women are often proud and froward, as presuming upon the merit of their chastity. It is one of the best bonds, both of chastity and obedience, in the wife, if she think her husband wise; which she will never do, if she find him jealous.”

“A single life doth well with churchmen; for charity will hardly water the ground, where it must first fill a pool. It is indifferent for judges and magistrates; for if they be facile and corrupt, you shall have a servant, five times worse than a wife.”

“Unmarried men are best friends, best masters, best servants; but not always best subjects; for they are light to run away; and almost all fugitives, are of that condition.”

“The perpetuity by generation is common to beasts; but memory, merit, and noble works, are proper to men. And surely a man shall see the noblest works and foundations have proceeded from childless men; which have sought to express the images of their minds, where those of their bodies have failed.”

“They increase the cares of life; but they mitigate the remembrance of death.”

“Children sweeten labors; but they make misfortunes more bitter.”

“The joys of parents are secret; and so are their griefs and fears. They cannot utter the one; nor they will not utter the other.”

“As for talkers and futile persons, they are commonly vain and credulous withal. For he that talketh what he knoweth, will also talk what he knoweth not.”

“In few words, mysteries are due to secrecy. Besides (to say truth) nakedness is uncomely, as well in mind as body; and it addeth no small reverence, to men's manners and actions, if they be not altogether open.”

“Dissimulations is but a faint kind of policy, or wisdom; for it asketh a strong wit, and a strong heart, to know when to tell truth, and to do it. Therefore it is the weaker sort of politics, that are the great dissemblers.”

“This is certain, that a man that studieth revenge, keeps his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal, and do well.”

“Some, when they take revenge, are desirous, the party should know, whence it cometh. This is the more generous. For the delight seemeth to be, not so much in doing the hurt, as in making the party repent.”

“But, above all, believe it, the sweetest canticle is', Nunc dimittis; when a man hath obtained worthy ends, and expectations. Death hath this also; that it openeth the gate to good fame, and extinguisheth envy.—Extinctus amabitur idem.”

“He that dies in an earnest pursuit, is like one that is wounded in hot blood; who, for the time, scarce feels the hurt; and therefore a mind fixed, and bent upon somewhat that is good, doth avert the dolors of death.”

“It is as natural to die, as to be born; and to a little infant, perhaps, the one is as painful, as the other.”

“Certainly, the contemplation of death, as the wages of sin, and passage to another world, is holy and religious; but the fear of it, as a tribute due unto nature, is weak. Yet in religious meditations, there is sometimes mixture of vanity, and of superstition.”

“Credulity in arts and opinions... is likewise of two kinds viz., when men give too much belief to arts themselves, or to certain authors in any art. The sciences that sway the imagination more than the reason are principally three viz., astrology, natural magic, and alchemy... Alchemy may be compared to the man who told his sons that he had left them gold, buried somewhere in his vineyard; while they by digging found no gold, but by turning up the mould about the roots of the vines procured a plentiful vintage. So the search and endeavours to make gold have brought many useful inventions to light.”

“Friendship increases in visiting friends, but in visiting them seldom.”

“Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom.”

“There is a difference between happiness and wisdom: he that thinks himself the happiest man is really so; but he that thinks himself the wisest is generally the greatest fool.”