734 Quotes by Leonardo da Vinci

I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death.

While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die.

The natural desire of good men is knowledge.

The beginnings and ends of shadow lie between the light and darkness and may be infinitely diminished and infinitely increased. Shadow is the means by which bodies display their form. The forms of bodies could not be understood in detail but for shadow.

I have found that, in the composition of the human body as compared with the bodies of animals, the organs of sense are duller and coarser. Thus, it is composed of less ingenious instruments, and of spaces less capacious for receiving the faculties of sense.

Experience never errs; it is only your judgments that err by promising themselves effects such as are not caused by your experiments.

Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation... even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind.

Blinding ignorance does mislead us. O! Wretched mortals, open your eyes!

Medicine is the restoration of discordant elements; sickness is the discord of the elements infused into the living body.