Johann Kaspar (or Caspar) Lavater (15 November 1741 – 2 January 1801) was a Swiss poet, writer, philosopher, physiognomist and theologian.
Those who speak always and those who never speak are equally unfit for friendship. A food proportion of the talent of listening and speaking is the base of social virtues.
Who values gold above all, considers all else as trifling.
Close thine ear against him that shall open his mouth secretly against another. If thou receivest not his words, they fly back and wound the reporter. If thou dost receive them, they fly forward and wound the receiver.
The creditor whose appearance gladdens the heart of a debtor may hold his head in sunbeams and his foot on storms.
Man without religion is a diseased creature, who would persuade himself he is well and needs not a physician; but woman without religion is raging and monstrous.
The conscience is more wise than science.
The loss of taste for what is right is loss of all right taste.
The public seldom forgive twice.
Who forces himself on others is to himself a load. Impetuous curiosity is empty and inconstant. Prying intrusion may be suspected of whatever is little.
The man who loves with his whole heart truth will love still more he who suffers for truth.
Wishes run over in loquacious impotence, will presses on with laconic energy.
Joy and grief decide character. What exalts prosperity? what imbitters grief? what leaves us indifferent? what interests us? As the interest of man, so his God,--as his God, so he.
He who can at all times sacrifice pleasure to duty approaches sublimity.
He who seldom speaks, and with one calm well-timed word can strike dumb the loquacious, is a genius or a hero.
The great rule of moral conduct is next to God, respect time.
Before thou callest a man hero or genius, investigate whether his exertion has features of indelibility; for all that is celestial, all genius, is the offspring of immortality.
Too much gravity argues a shallow mind.
Vociferation and calmness of character seldom meet in the same person.
He who, when called upon to speak a disagreeable truth, tells it boldly and has done is both bolder and milder than he who nibbles in a low voice and never ceases nibbling.
Just so far as we are pleased at finding faults, are we displeased at finding perfection.