The Art of Worldly Wisdom: 10 Amazing Maxims to Live By!

I have to be honest, prior to picking up my latest read, The Art of Worldly Wisdom, I had no idea who Baltasar Gracian was.

So, after reading the book’s description which reads:

“Think with the few and speak with the many,” “Friends are a second existence,” and “Be able to forget” are among this volume’s 300 thought-provoking maxims on politics, professional life. and personal development. Published in 1637, it was an instant success throughout Europe. The Jesuit author’s timeless advice, focusing on honesty and kindness, remains ever popular. A perfect browsing book of mental and spiritual refreshment, it can be opened at random and appreciated either for a few moments or for an extended period.

…I decided to do a little research about the author of this book, the aforementioned Baltasar Gracian. Of all the stuff I read about this baroque moralist, philosopher, and Jesuit scholar, my favorite description came from sacred-texts.com who referred to him as:

“Part life-coach, part Machiavelli, part Yoda, Balthasar Gracian [1601-1658], a Jesuit priest, wrote this collection of pithy sayings four centuries ago.” ¹

In today’s post, I will present my top 10 favorite maxims and commentary from Gracian’s The Art of Worldly Wisdom, counting down from number 10.

My Favorite 10 Maxims from the Art of Worldly Wisdom

We will get things started with one that shows way back then it was as important as it is now to be able to say no!

X.  Know How to Refuse.

One ought not to give way in everything nor to everybody. To know how to refuse is therefore as important as to know how to consent. This is especially the case with men of position. All depends on the how. Some men’s No is thought more of than the Yes of others: for a gilded No is more satisfactory than a dry Yes. There are some who always have No on their lips, whereby they make everything distasteful. No always comes first with them, and when sometimes they give way after all, it does them no good on account of the unpleasing herald. Your refusal need not be point-blank: let the disappointment come by degrees. Nor let the refusal be final; that would be to destroy dependence; let some spice of hope remain to soften the rejection. Let politeness compensate and fine words supply the place of deeds. Yes and No are soon said, but give much to think over. ¹

Inspiration is real and seeing someone else accomplish something shows us that it is possible…

IX.  Choose a Heroic Ideal;

but rather to emulate than to imitate. There are exemplars of greatness, living texts of honour. Let everyone have before his mind the chief of his calling not so much to follow him as to spur himself on. Alexander wept not on account of Achilles dead and buried, but over himself, because his fame had not yet spread throughout the world. Nothing arouses ambition so much in the heart as the trumpet-clang of another’s fame. The same thing that sharpens envy, nourishes a generous spirit. ¹

We all have bad days, there is no sense getting too down on the bad ones, so the idea is to…

VIII.  Recognize Unlucky Days.

They exist: nothing goes well on them; even though the game may be changed the ill luck remains. Two tries should be enough to tell if one is in luck today or not. Everything is in process of change, even the mind, and no one is always wise: chance has something to say, even how to write a good letter. All perfection turns on the time; even beauty has its hours. Even wisdom fails at times by doing too much or too little. To turn out well a thing must be done on its own day. This is why with some everything turns out ill, with others all goes well, even with less trouble. They find everything ready, their wit prompt, their presiding genius favourable, their lucky star in the ascendant. At such times one must seize the occasion and not throw away the slightest chance. But a shrewd person will not decide on the day’s luck by a single piece of good or bad fortune, for the one may be only a lucky chance and the other only a slight annoyance. ¹

Never get complacent… And remember that there is variation in all the processes of life, and we all have above and below average days.

VII.  Show No Self-Satisfaction.

You must neither be discontented with yourself—and that were poor-spirited—nor self-satisfied—and that is folly. Self-satisfaction arises mostly from ignorance: it would be a happy ignorance not without its advantages if it did not injure our credit. Because a man cannot achieve the superlative perfections of others, he contents himself with any mediocre talent of his own. Distrust is wise, and even useful, either to evade mishaps or to afford consolation when they come, for a misfortune cannot surprise a man who has already feared it. Even Homer nods at times, and Alexander fell from his lofty state and out of his illusions. Things depend on many circumstances: what constitutes triumph in one set may cause a defeat in another. In the midst of all incorrigible folly remains the same with empty self-satisfaction, blossoming, flowering, and running all to seed. ¹

Don’t gossip or talk crap about others, or as Gracian says…

VI.  Do Not Be a Scandalmonger.

Still less pass for one, for that means to be considered a slanderer. Do not be witty at the cost of others: it is easy but hateful. All men have their revenge on such an one by speaking ill of him, and as they are many and he but one, he is more likely to be overcome than they convinced. Evil should never be our pleasure, and there-fore never our theme. The backbiter is always hated, and if now and then one of the great consorts with him, it is less from pleasure in his sneers than from esteem for his insight. He that speaks ill will always hear worse. ¹

Try to find the good in everyone and everything in your life…

V.  Find the Good in a Thing at Once.

’Tis the advantage of good taste. The bee goes to the honey for her comb, the serpent to the gall for its venom. So with taste: some seek the good, others the ill. There is nothing that has no good in it, especially in books, as giving food for thought. But many have such a scent that amid a thousand excellences they fix upon a single defect, and single it out for blame as if they were scavengers of men’s minds and hearts. So they draw up a balance sheet of defects which does more credit to their bad taste than to their intelligence. They lead a sad life, nourishing themselves on bitters and battening on garbage. They have the luckier taste who midst a thousand defects seize upon a single beauty they may have hit upon by chance. ¹

Character is huge, so…

IV.  Do Not Make Mistakes About Character.

That is the worst and yet easiest error. Better be cheated in the price than in the quality of goods. In dealing with men, more than with other things, it is necessary to look within. To know men is different from knowing things. It is profound philosophy to sound the depths of feeling and distinguish traits of character. Men must be studied as deeply as books. ¹

What you do is much more important than what you say you are going to do…

III.  Distinguish the Man of Words from the Man of Deeds.

Discrimination here is as important as in the case of friends, persons, and employments, which have all many varieties. Bad words even without bad deeds are bad enough: good words with bad deeds are worse. One cannot dine off words, which are wind, nor off politeness, which is but polite deceit. To catch birds with a mirror is the ideal snare. It is the vain alone who take their wages in windy words. Words should be the pledges of work, and, like pawn-tickets, have their market price. Trees that bear leaves but not fruit have usually no pith. Know them for what they are, of no use except for shade. ¹

Be open-minded…

II.  Do Not Hold Your Views Too Firmly.

Every fool is fully convinced, and everyone fully persuaded is a fool: the more erroneous his judgment the more firmly he holds it. Even in cases of obvious certainty, it is fine to yield: our reasons for holding the view cannot escape notice, our courtesy in yielding must be the more recognised. Our obstinacy loses more than our victory yields: that is not to champion truth but rather rudeness. There be some heads of iron most difficult to turn: add caprice to obstinacy and the sum is a wearisome fool. Steadfastness should be for the will, not for the mind. Yet there are exceptions where one would fail twice, owning oneself wrong both in judgment and in the execution of it. ¹

As for number I, never get too down on yourself when you make a mistake, use it as a learning experience and as a way to get better next time, as he says…

I.  Never Stake Your Credit on a Single Cast,

for if it miscarries the damage is irreparable. It may easily happen that a man should fail once, especially at first: circumstances are not always favourable: hence they say, “Every dog has his day.” Always connect your second attempt with your first: whether it succeed or fail, the first will redeem the second. Always have resort to better means and appeal to more resources. Things depend on all sorts of chances. That is why the satisfaction of success is so rare. ¹

That’s It!

Pretty good stuff, right? It’s amazing how something like The Art of Worldly Wisdom that was written so long ago still holds so true today!

I highly recommend this book if you want to check out the Gracian’s other great 290 maxims.

My only criticism of The Art of Worldly Wisdom is related to some great advice given by Joseph Jacobs who translated it from Spanish in 1892. Jacobs recommended when reading the book to only cover 50 sayings at a time.

While that is great advice which I agree with, the problem is that the sayings are numbered using Roman numerals and I can only read Roman numerals up to 10.  Consequently, I had no idea when I reached 50! All those X’s, L’s, C’s, V’s, and I’s just confused the hell out of me!!!

So, if you are going to enjoy this book 50 sayings at a time, here’s a little advice from the aforementioned Yoda:

“Learn roman numerals you must!”

Until next time, enjoy The Art of Worldly Wisdom, do not be a Scandalmonger, and as always…PYMFP!
–Rick

P.S. Wanna know more? Check out the entire book.

When to Use It – The Art of Worldly Wisdom

Use these maxims from The Art of Worldly Wisdom whenever appropriate in your life!

What Do You Think?

Are there any of the maxims above from The Art of Worldly Wisdom that resonates with you more than others? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

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References

1 http://www.sacred-texts.com/eso/aww/

2 The Art of Worldly Wisdom by Baltasar Gracian