Arthur Helps Men Quotations

The man of the house can destroy the pleasure of the household, but he cannot make it. That rests with the woman, and it is her greatest privilege.

A man's action is only a picture book of his creed.

Man ceased to be an ape, vanquished the ape, on the day the first book was written.

The heroic example of other days is in great part the source of the courage of each generation; and men walk up composedly to the most perilous enterprises, beckoned onward by the shades of the brave that were.

Most terrors are but spectral illusions. Only have the courage of the man who could walk up to his spectre seated in the chair before him, and sit down upon it; the horrid thing will not partake the chair with you.

The reasons which any man offers to you for his own conduct betray his opinion of your character.

Men of much depth of mind can bear a great deal of counsel; for it does not easily deface their own character, nor render their purposes indistinct.

An official man is always an official man, and he has a wild belief in the value of reports.

A sceptical young man one day conversing with the celebrated Dr. Parr, observed that he would believe nothing which he could not understand. "Then, young man, your creed will be the shortest of any man's I know."

Alas! it is not the child but the boy that generally survives in the man.

There is hardly a more common error than that of taking the man who has one talent, for a genius.

Men rattle their chains-to manifest their freedom.

No man has ever praised to persons equally-and pleased them both.

The thing which makes one man greater than another, the quality by which we ought to measure greatness, is a man's capacity for loving.

The man who could withstand, with his fellow-men in single line, a charge of cavalry may lose all command of himself on the occurrence of a fire in his own house, because of some homely reminiscence unknown to the observing bystander.

Many a man has a kind of a kaleidoscope, where the bits of broken glass are his own merits and fortunes; and they fall into harmonious arrangements, and delight him, often most mischievously and to his ultimate detriment; but they are a present pleasure.

Any one who is much talked of be much maligned. This seems to be a harsh conclusion; but when you consider how much more given men are to depreciate than to appreciate, you will acknowledge that there is some truth in the saying.

Always win fools first. They talk much, and what they have once uttered they will stick to; whereas there is always time, up to the last moment, to bring before a wise man arguments that may entirely change his opinion.

The most enthusiastic man in a cause is rarely chosen as the leader.

Do not shun this maxim because it is common-place. On the contrary, take the closest heed of what observant men, who would probably like to show originality, are yet constrained to repeat. Therein lies the marrow of the wisdom of the world.

It has been said with some meaning that if men would but rest in silence, they might always hear the music of the spheres.

It takes a great man to make a great listener

Do not be deceived into thinking that how a man acts is the full picture.

No man who has not sat in the assemblies of men can know the light, odd and uncertain ways in which decisions are often arrived at.