The Art of Worldly Wisdom

The Art of Worldly Wisdom is a collection of aphorisms and advice written by the Spanish Jesuit philosopher and writer, Balthasar Gracian. Originally published in 1647, this book is a guide to living a successful and fulfilling life in the world. Gracian's insights are based on his observations of human behavior and his own experiences as a scholar and courtier. The book is divided into 300 maxims, each offering a concise and practical piece of advice on topics such as social skills, leadership, self-improvement, and the art of conversation. Gracian's writing is clear, concise, and full of wit, making it an engaging and thought-provoking read. The Art of Worldly Wisdom has been widely read and admired for centuries, and its timeless wisdom continues to be relevant and valuable today.1904. The translator, Mr. Jacobs, has endeavored to produce Gracian's Laconism and �������Cultismo������� in his own version, and even tried to retain Gracian's many paronomasias and jingles of similar sound. Jacobs may have here and there introduced others of his own to redress the balance for cases where he found it impossible to produce the same effect in English. In such cases, Jacobs generally gives the original in the Notes. Wherever possible he replaced Spanish proverbs and proverbial phrases by English ones, and throughout tried to preserve the characteristic rhythm and brevity of the proverb.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.