Francis Bacon

The desire of excessive power caused the angels to fall; the desire of knowledge caused men to fall.

Rebellions of the belly are the worst.

Believing that I was born for the service of mankind, and regarding the care of the commonwealth as a kind of common property which, like the air and the water, belongs to everybody, I set myself to consider in what way mankind might be best served, and what service I was myself best fitted by nature to perform.

He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator.

Philosophy when superficially studied, excites doubt, when thoroughly explored, it dispels it.

Nothing is pleasant that is not spiced with variety.

Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very pleasant careers.

Once we recognize that all things are impermanent, we have no problem enjoying them.

The great advantage of a hotel is that it is a refuge from home life.

Genius Borrows nobly.

There is a difference between happiness and wisdom: he that thinks himself the happiest man is really so; but he that thinks himself the wisest is generally the greatest fool.

It’s powerful to have strong men but what does that strength mean?

Cure the disease and kill the patient.

I have thought of a pulley to raise me gradually; but that would give me pain, as it would counteract my natural inclination. I would have something that can dissipate the inertia and give elasticity to the muscles. We can heat the body, we can cool it; we can give it tension or relaxation; and surely it is possible to bring it into a state in which rising from bed will not be a pain.

The moment we want to believe something, we suddenly see all the arguments for it, and become blind to the arguments against it.

Tis admirable to consider, how Powerful the Kings are, yet they move by the Breath of their People.

He who has not the spirit of this age, has all the misery of it.

To different minds, the same world is a hell, and a heaven.

For knowledge itself is power.

Friendship increases in visiting friends, but in visiting them seldom.

A physician’s physiology has much the same relation to his power of healing as a cleric’s divinity has to his power of influencing conduct.