Sydney Smith

"A great deal of talent is lost to the world for the want of a little courage. "

"A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage. Every day sends to their graves obscure men whose timidity prevented them from making a first effort. "

"Errors to be dangerous must have a great deal of truth mingled with them. It is only from this alliance that they can ever obtain an extensive circulation. "

"Have the courage to be ignorant of a great number of things, in order to avoid the calamity of being ignorant of everything. "

"He had occasional flashes of silence, that made his conversation perfectly delightful. "

"He not only overflowed with learning, he stood in the slop. "

"It is always right that a man should be able to render a reason for the faith that is within him. "

"It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do a little. Do what you can. "

"Life is to be fortified by many friendships. To love and to be loved is the greatest happiness of existence. "

"Live always in the best company when you read. "

"Never try to reason the prejudice out of a man. It was not reasoned into him, and cannot be reasoned out. "

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals. "

"There is one piece of advice, in a life of study, which I think no one will object to and that is, every now and then to be completely idle - to do nothing at all. "

"To do anything in this world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in, and scramble through as well as we can. "

"Whatever you are by nature, keep to it never desert your line of talent. Be what nature intended you for and you will succeed. "

"You must not think me necessarily foolish because I am facetious, nor will I consider you necessarily wise because you are grave. "