Delphi Collected Works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe \(Illustrated\) pdfdrive com

FROM OTTILIE’S DIARY

“We like to look into the future, because the undetermined in it, which may be

affected this or that way, we feel as if we could guide by our silent wishes in our

own favor.”

“We  seldom  find  ourselves  in  a  large  party  without  thinking;  the  accident

which brings so many here together, should bring our friends to us as well.”

“Let us live in as small a circle as we will, we are either debtors or creditors

before we have had time to look round.”

“If  we  meet  a  person  who  is  under  an  obligation  to  us,  we  remember  it

immediately.  But  how  often  may  we  meet  people  to  whom  we  are,  ourselves,

under obligation, without its even occurring to us!”

“It  is  nature  to  communicate  one’s-self;  it  is  culture  to  receive  what  is

communicated as it is given.”

“No  one  would  talk  much  in  society,  if  he  only  knew  how  often  he

misunderstands others.”

“One  alters  so  much  what  one  has  heard  from  others  in  repeating  it,  only

because one has not understood it.”

“Whoever  indulges  long  in  monologue  in  the  presence  of  others,  without

flattering his listeners, provokes ill-will.”

“Every word a man utters provokes the opposite opinion.”

“Argument  and  flattery  are  but  poor  elements  out  of  which  to  form  a

conversation.”

“The pleasantest society is when the members of it have an easy and natural

respect for one another.”

“There  is  nothing  in  which  people  more  betray  their  character  than  in  what

they find to laugh at.”

“The ridiculous arises out of a moral contrast, in which two things are brought

together before the mind in an innocent way.”

“The  foolish  man  often  laughs  where  there  is  nothing  to  laugh  at.  Whatever

touches him, his inner nature comes to the surface.”

“The  man  of  understanding  finds  almost  everything  ridiculous;  the  man  of

thought scarcely anything.”

“Some one found fault with an elderly man for continuing to pay attention to

young  ladies.  ‘It  is  the  only  means,’  he  replied,  ‘of  keeping  one’s-self  young,

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and everybody likes to do that.’“

“People will allow their faults to be shown them; they will let themselves be

punished for them; they will patiently endure many things because of them; they

only become impatient when they have to lay them aside.”

“Certain  defects  are  necessary  for  the  existence  of  individuality.  We  should

not be pleased, if old friends were to lay aside certain peculiarities.”

“There is a saying, ‘He will die soon,’ when a man acts unlike himself.”

“What kind of defects may we bear with and even cultivate in ourselves? Such

as rather give pleasure to others than injure them.”

“The passions are defects or excellencies only in excess.”

“Our passions are true phoenixes: as the old burn out, the new straight rise up

out of the ashes.”

“Violent passions are incurable diseases; the means which will cure them are

what first make them thoroughly dangerous.”

“Passion is both raised and softened by confession. In nothing, perhaps, were

the middle way more desirable than in knowing what to say and what not to say

to those we love.”

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