Francis Bacon Quotes

Consult your friend on all things, especially on those which respect yourself. His counsel may then be useful where your own self-love might impair your judgment.

Human nature is so constituted, that all see and judge better in the affairs of other men than in their own.

I don't like to watch myself. I can't get into the story; I'm too critical.

Every person is observant of the flaws of others and blind to his own flaws.

I sometimes give myself admirable advice, but I am incapable of taking it.

Few men survey themselves with so much severity as not to admit prejudices in their own favour, which an artful flatterer may gradually strengthen, till wishes for a particular qualification are improved to hopes of attainment, and hopes of attainment to belief of possession.

Self-criticism, like self-administered brain surgery, is perhaps not a good idea. Can the 'self' see the 'self' with any objectivity?

Few men survey themselves with so much severity as not to admit prejudices in their own favor.

Distrust your judgment the moment you can discern the shadow of a personal motive in it.

Blinded as they are to their true character by self-love, every man is his own first and chiefest flatterer, prepared, therefore, to welcome the flatterer from the outside, who only comes confirming the verdict of the flatterer within.

Being judgmental about your own behavior is actually another cop-out because it makes you feel as though you're doing something virtuous.

In the future, when something comes up, you tell exactly how it happened but write down for yourself the way you think it should have happened. Tell the truth and write the story. Then you won't get mixed up. It was the best advice Francie every got.

Self-analysis always cheats.

The world has become uglier since it began to look into a mirror every day; so let us settle for the mirror image and do without an inspection of the original.

Nothing shows our weakness more than to be so sharp-sighted at spying other men's faults, and so purblind about our own.

What we cut off from our other faults is very often but so much added to our pride.

I'm a fool, to confuse this with goodness. I am not good. I know too much to be good. I know myself. I know myself to be vengeful, greedy, secretive and sly.

A writer judging his own work is like deceived husband - he is frequently the last person to appreciate the true state of affairs.

I always get the better when I argue alone.

In Leon's account of his life, no-one was mean-spirited, no-one schemed or lied or betrayed; everyone was celebrated at least in some degree... Leon turned out to be a spineless, grinning idiot.

The vices we scoff at in others laugh at us within ourselves.

First, never go against the best light you have; second, take care that your light be not darkness.

I always do the wrong. I do the wrong thing so much that the times I actually do the right thing stand out so brightly in my memory that I forget I always do the wrong thing.

Sometimes it helps to scold yourself, to give yourself advice.

Our credulity is greatest concerning the things we know least about. And since we know least about ourselves, we are ready to believe all that is said about us. Hence the mysterious power of both flattery and calumny.