189 Quotes by Daniel Defoe

So sehen wir nie die wahren Vorteile unseres Zustandes, ehe wir die entgegenstehende Nachteile erfahren haben; wir lernen den Wert der Dinge erst dann kennen, wenn wir sie verloren haben!

Actions receive their tincture from the times, And as they change are virtues made or crimes.

I learned to look more upon the bright side of my condition, and less upon the dark side, and to consider what I enjoyed rather than what I wanted; and this gave me sometimes such secret comforts, that I cannot express them; and which I take notice of here, to put those discontented people in mind of it, who cannot enjoy comfortably what God has given them, because they see and covet something that He has not given them.

How strange a Chequer Work of Providence is the Life of Man! and by what secret differing Springs are the Affections hurry’d about as differing Circumstances present! To Day we love what to Morrow we hate; to Day we seek what to Morrow we shun; to Day we desire what to Morrow we fear; nay even tremble at the Apprehensions of;.

Ero nato demolitore di me stesso.

I could almost set down as many extravagant things done in the excess of their joy as of their grief; but that would be to lessen the value of it.

And here I must observe again, that this necessity of going out of our houses to buy provisions was in a great measure the ruin of the whole city; for the people catched the distemper, on these occasions, one of another;.

I afterwards made it a certain Rule with me, That whenever I found those secret Hints, or pressings of my Mind, to doing, or not doing any Thing that presented; or to going this Way, or that Way, I never fail’d to obey the secret Dictate; though I knew no other Reason for it, than that such a Pressure, or such a Hint hung upon my Mind: I.

I rather wished for their ruin, than studied to avoid it.