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Kata Mutiara Bahasa Inggris Tentang Kehidupan
Berikut adalah beberapa kata mutiara atau quotes tentang kehidupan dalam bahasa Inggris:
Action
Do what you can, when you cannot do what you would.
A good action performed in this world receives its recompense in the other, just as water poured at the root of a tree appears again above in fruit and flower.
If the world were to see our real motives, we should be ashamed of some of our best actions.
Our actions are our own; their consequences belong to Heaven.
—Francis.
What thou intendest to do, speak not of, before thou doest it.
There is as much eloquence in the tone of voice, in the eyes, and in the air of a speaker, as in his choice of words.
—Rochefoucauld.
Actions—What I must do, is all that concerns me, and not what people think.
—Emerson.
Adversity
Adversity is sometimes hard upon a man; but for one man who can stand prosperity, there are a hundred that will stand adversity.
—Carlyle.
Adversity does not take from us our true friends; it only disperses those who pretended to be so.
Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant.
—Horace.
He who never was acquainted with adversity, has seen the world but on one side, and is ignorant of half the scenes of nature.
In prosperity the proud man knows nobody; in adversity nobody knows him.
—From Scottish-American.
The finest friendships have been formed in mutual adversity.
Advice
It is a disingenuous thing to ask for advice, when you mean assistance; and it will be a just punishment if you get that which you pretended to want.
—Sir A. Helps.
Before giving advice we must have secured its acceptance, or rather, have made it desired.
—Amiel.
There is nothing more difficult than the art of making advice agreeable.
Every man, however wise, sometimes requires the advice of a friend in the affairs of life.
—Plautus.
He who gives advice to a self-conceited man, stands himself in need of counsel.
Pouring water on a duck’s back. (Fruitless counsel or advice).
—Chinese.
Most people, when they come to you for advice, come to have their own opinions strengthened, not corrected.
Age
Old age is a joy, when youth has been well spent.
Age is a matter of feeling, not of years.
G. W. Curtis.
Men are as old as they feel, and women as they look.
Italian.
May you all be as old as I, And see your sons to manhood grow; And many a time before you die, Be just as pleased as I am now.
—Bloomfield.
Old age and faded flowers, no remedies can revive.
—Chinese.
‘Twas impious then (so much was age rever’d) For youth to keep their seats when an old man appear’d.
Goethe said: “It is only necessary to grow old to become more indulgent. I see no fault committed that I have not committed myself.”
The young are fond of novelty, The old of custom.
Speak gently to the aged one, Grieve not the care-worn heart; The sands of life are nearly run— Let such in peace depart!
Elderly people look back upon the friends, relatives and acquaintances of thirty, forty or fifty years ago, and say, “There are no friends now-a-days like the old friends of long ago.” It is natural for them to think this way, particularly when most of the old friends are dead; but the fact is, that there are friends as true now as ever.
These are the effects of doting age, Vain doubts, and idle cares, and over-caution.
—Dryden.
Anger
A good man’s anger lasts an instant, A meddling man’s for two hours, A base man’s a day and night, A great sinner’s until death.
—Persian.
Have nothing to do with men in a passion, for they are not like iron, to be wrought on when they are hot.
Anger generally begins with folly, and ends with repentance.
—Pythagoras.
He who subdues his anger, conquers his greatest enemy.
A fit of anger is as fatal to dignity as a dose of arsenic to life.
—J. G. Holland.
It is much better to reprove, than to be angry secretly.
Catch not too soon at an offence, nor give too easy way to anger; the one shows a weak judgment, the other a perverse nature.
He who can suppress a moment’s anger, may prevent a day of sorrows.
Nothing can be more unjust, or ridiculous, than to be angry with others because they are not of our opinion.
When a man grows angry, his reason flies out.
—Spanish.
Beauty
Beauty of face is but a fleeting dower, A momentary gleam, a short-lived flower, A charm that goes no deeper than the skin; Beauty of mind is firm enthroned within.
There is the beauty of infancy, the beauty of youth, the beauty of maturity, and, believe me, ladies and gentlemen, the beauty of age.
Beauty with selfishness, is a flower without perfume.
What is beauty?
‘Tis the stainless soul within That outshines the fairest skin.
—Sir A. Hunt.
Fragile is beauty: with advancing years ‘Tis less and less, and, last, it disappears. Your hair too, fair one, will turn grey and thin; And wrinkles furrow that now rounded skin; Then brace the mind and thus beauty fortify, The mind alone is yours, until you die.
Beauty without kindness dies unenjoyed and undelighting.
—Johnson.
Business
We all, according as our business prospers or fails, are elated or cast down.
I’ll give money to any well deserving friend, but in the matter of business, I’ll cavil on the ninth part of a hair.
—Shakespeare.
Sentiment is not now recognized in business affairs.
To business that we love, we rise betime, And go to it with delight.
—Shakespeare.
Caution
Deliberate well on what you can do but once.
A life of caution is overpaid by the avoidance of one serious misfortune.
Say not always what you know, but always know what you say.
Never sign a paper you have not read, nor drink water you have not examined.
Character
The sun has some spots on his surface, and the best and brightest characters are not without their faults and frailties.
The crown jewel of character is sincerity.
An appearance of delicacy is inseparable from sweetness and gentleness of character.
—Mrs. Sigourney.
As daylight can be seen through very small holes, so little things will illustrate a person’s character.
Small kindnesses, small courtesies, small considerations, habitually practiced in our social intercourse, give a greater charm to the character than the display of great talents and accomplishments.
—Kelty.
Character—After I have named the man, I need say no more.
—Pliny the Younger.
Oaths are not the cause why a man is believed, but the character of a man is the cause why the oath is believed.
—Aeschylus.
There is no man suddenly either excellently good, or extremely evil.
—Juvenalis.
He who aspires to public position, offers his character for a football.
No character is more glorious, none deserving of universal admiration and respect, than that of helping those who are in no condition of helping themselves.
Prosperity tries the human heart with the deepest probe, and brings forth the hidden character.
—Tacitus.
The history of a man is his character.
The firm foot is that which finds firm footing; The weak falters, although it be standing upon a rock.
To be thoroughly good natured, and yet avoid being imposed upon, shows great strength of character.
Charity
As charity covers a multitude of sins before God, so does politeness before men.
—Lord Greville.
Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.
—Pope.
Where there is plenty, charity is a duty, not a courtesy.
—Feltham.
We step up, when we stoop down, to help the needy.
Give freely to him that deserveth well, and asketh nothing.
It is charity not to excite a hope, when it must end in disappointment.
When you see a man in distress, acknowledge him at once your fellow man. Recollect that he is formed of the same materials, with the same feelings as yourself, and then relieve him as you yourself would wish to be relieved.
Charity—It is another’s fault if he be ungrateful; but it is mine if I do not give. To find one thankful man, I will oblige many that are not so.
—Seneca.
He gives double who gives unasked.
Confidence
Confidence always gives pleasure to the man in whom it is placed.
No one so sure but he may miss.
—Dutch.
Don’t cry hurrah till you are over the bridge.
—From the German.
Confidence is a plant of slow growth in an aged bosom.
—Wm. Pitt.
He who knows the road, can ride at full trot.
—From the Italian.
Never put much confidence in those who put no confidence in others.
Contentment
“I never complained of my condition but once,” said an old man, “when my feet were bare and I had no money to buy shoes; but I met a man without feet, and became contented.”
It is right to be contented with what we have, but never with what we are.
—Sir James Mackintosh.
A favorite saying of the beloved Dr. John A. Broaddus was: “It is better to like what you have, than to have what you like.”
—Christian Observer.
If you live according to nature, you never will be poor; if according to the world’s caprice, you never will be rich.
Happy the man, whose wish and care A few paternal acres bound, Content to breathe his native air In his own ground.
Since we have loaves, let us look not for cakes.
—Spanish.
To be content with little is difficult; to be content with much—impossible.
—Marie Ebner Eschenbach.
If thou hast but little, make it not less by murmuring.
—Quarles.
Contentment will make a cabbage look as fair as a palace.
—W. Secker.
May we never murmur without a cause, nor have cause to murmur.
He that is rich need not live sparingly, and he that can live sparingly need not be rich.
Some have too much, yet still do crave; I have little, and seek no more: They are but poor, though much they have, And I am rich with little store; They poor, I rich; they beg, I give; They lack, I have; they pine, I live.
—Sir Edward Dyer, (Died 1607.)
If all the gems of earth were mine And wealth and power were to me sent, How infinitely poor I’d be Without content.
—Annie W. McCoy.
Is it possible to find perfect contentment? Some one once said:—”The secret of perfect contentment is, that there isn’t any.”
“It is a great blessing to possess what one wishes,” said one to an ancient philosopher, who replied, “It is a greater blessing still, not to desire what one does not possess.”
Contentment is a pearl of great price, and whoever procures it at the expense of ten thousand desires, makes a wise and happy purchase.
—J. Balgury.
He that deserves nothing should be content with anything.
He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.
—Epictetus.
When the well is dry, then we all know the worth of water.
Conversations
In conversation avoid the extremes of Forwardness and Reserve.
—Cato.
Conversation.—To please others we should talk on subjects they like and that interest them; avoid disputes, seldom ask questions, and never let them see that we pretend to be better informed than they are.
—Rochefoucauld.
The first ingredient in conversation is truth, the next good sense, the third good humor, and the fourth wit.
—Sir W. Temple.
Conversation is the music of the mind; an intellectual orchestra, where all the instruments should bear a part, but where none should play together.
—Colton.
Never argue in society; if any person differs from you, bow, and turn the conversation.
—Beaconsfield.
I never, with important air, In conversation overbear.
—Gay’s Fables.
One of the best rules in conversation is, never say a thing which any of the company can reasonably wish had been left unsaid.
—Swift.
Conversation.—As it is the mark of great minds to say many things in a few words, so it is that of little minds to use many words to say nothing.
“So much they talked, so very little said.”
To say nothing charmingly is a great gift.
Conversation.—In general those who nothing have to say contrive to spend the longest time in doing it.
—An Oriental Apologue.
Economy
Economy is the easy chair of old age.
He that will not economize may some day have to agonize.
—Confucius.
Economy is no disgrace; it is better living on a little, than living beyond your means.
In abundance prepare for scarcity.
—Mencius.
Lay up something for a rainy day; it may be needed some day.
Economy is something like a savings-bank, into which we drop pennies and get dollars in return.
—H. W. Shaw.
Take care to be an economist in prosperity: there is no fear of your being one in adversity.
—Zimmerman.
For age and want, save while you may, No morning sun lasts a whole day.
Economy is too late at the bottom of the purse.
Spend not when you must save, Spare not when you must spend.
Faults
Faults.—Every man has a bag hanging before him, in which he puts his neighbors’ faults, and another behind him in which he stows his own.
—Shakespeare.
Better find one of our own faults, Than ten Of our neighbor’s.
Each should be sure of an untarnished name, Before he ventures others’ faults to blame.
The greatest of faults, is to be conscious of none.
Wink at wee (little) faults; Your ain are muckle.
—Scotch.
Forgiveness
If there be One of you all that ever from my presence I have with sadden’d heart unkindly sent, I here, in meek repentance, of him crave A brother’s hand, in token of forgiveness.
‘Tis easier for the generous to forgive Than for the offender to ask it.
We forgive just as long as we love.
He that cannot forgive others, breaks down the bridge over which he must pass himself, for every one has need to be forgiven.
—Lord Herbert.
The world never forgives; it is only God and our mothers that can do that.
—Ellen F. Fowler.
Forgiveness that covers only part of the wrong, is like two fingers given in a handshake.
—Wells.
Individuals sometimes forgive, but bodies and societies never do.
Fortune
Nothing is more dangerous to men than a sudden change of fortune.
—Quintilian.
The continuance of good fortune forms no ground of ultimate security.
Fortune gives too much to many, but to none enough.
—Martial.
Good-fortune comes to some people while they are asleep, i. e., without their seeking it.
Good fortune that comes seldom, comes more welcome.
—Dryden.
How often it is, in the twinkling of an eye one vicissitude of fortune follows another.
—Horatius.
That which we acquire with most difficulty, we retain the longest; as those who have earned a fortune are usually more careful of it than those who have inherited one.
—Cotton.
Fortune knocks once at least at every one’s door.
If fortune favors you, do not be too elated; if she frowns, do not despond too much.
Manners often make fortunes.
Fortune sometimes makes quick despatch, and in a day May strip you bare as beggary itself.
—Cumberland.
The Result of Fortune:—The generality of men sink in virtue as they rise in fortune.
—Sir J. Beaumont.
Don’t live in hope with your arms folded. Fortune smiles on those who roll up their sleeves and put their shoulders to the wheel.
Whil’st fortun’d favour’d; friends, you smil’d on me: But, when she fled, a friend I could not see.
—Burton.
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Quotes di atas diambil dari buku “Life and Literature Over two thousand extracts from ancient and modern writers, and classified in alphabetical order“, by J. Purver Richardson
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