Sydney Smith - Quodid

About

Picture of Sydney Smith

Sydney Smith (3 June 1771 – 22 February 1845) was an English writer and Anglican clergyman, mainly famous for his wit. Besides his energetic parochial work, he was known for his writing and philosophy, founding the Edinburgh Review, lecturing at the Royal Institution and his rhyming salad dressing recipe.

Quotes from Sydney Smith

It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little.

—Sydney Smith

power impotence weakness change

Have the courage to be ignorant of a great number of things, in order to avoid the calamity of being ignorant of everything.

—Sydney Smith

ignorance knowledge discretion

You must not think me necessarily foolish because I am facetious, nor will I consider you necessarily wise because you are grave.

—Sydney Smith

wisdom foolishness gravity

Human beings cling to their delicious tyrannies and to their exquisite nonsense, till death stares them in the face.

—Sydney Smith

life death nonsense

Your ignorance, cramps my conversation.

—Sydney Smith

ignorance conversation

Never try to reason the prejudice out of a man. It was not reasoned into him, and cannot be reasoned out.

—Sydney Smith

Live always in the best company when you read.

—Sydney Smith

There is one piece of advice, in a life of study, which I think no one will object to; and that is, every now and then to be completely idle - to do nothing at all.

—Sydney Smith