Christoph Martin Wieland Quotations

Stupidity has its sublime as well as genius, and he who carries that quality to absurdity has reached it; which is always a source of amusement to sensible people.

To be silent is sometimes an art, yet not so great a one as certain people would have us believe, who are wisest they are most silent.

It is commonly a dangerous thing for a man to have more sense than his neighbors. Socrates paid for his superiority with his life; and if Aristotle saved his skin, it was by taking to his heels in time.

The compulsion of fate is bitter.

I have often thought that however learned you may talk about it, one knows nothing but what he learns from his own experience. [Ger., Da dacht ich oft: schwatzt noch so hoch gelehrt, Man weiss doch nichts, als was man selbst erfahrt.]

Too oft is transient pleasure the source of long woes

To do nothing by halves is the way of noble spirits.

An illusion which makes me happy is worth a verity which drags me to the ground.

The cleverest of all the devils is Opportunity.

Endurance is the prerogative of woman, enabling the gentlest to suffer what would cause terror to manhood.

Man blindly works the will of fate. [Ger., Blindlings that er blos den Willen des Geschickes.]

For whatever a man has, is in reality only a gift.