Oddities and singularities of behavior may attend genius; when they do, they are its misfortunes and its blemishes. The man of true genius will be ashamed of them; at least he will never affect to distinguish himself by whimsical peculiarities.
Any man shall speak the better when he knows what others have said, and sometimes the consciousness of his inward knowledge gives a confidence to his outward behavior, which of all other is the best thing to grace a man in his carriage.
Never put off till to-morrow what you can do to-day. Never trouble another for what you can do yourself. Never spend your money before you have it. Never buy what you do not want because it is cheap. Pride costs us more than hunger, thirst, and cold. We seldom repent having eaten too little. Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly. How much pain the evils have cost us that have never happened! Take things always by the smooth handle. When angry, count ten before you speak; if very angry, a hundred.