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Close thine ear against him that shall open his mouth secretly against another. If thou receivest not his words, they fly back and wound the reporter. If thou dost receive them, they fly forward and wound the receiver.

— Johann Kaspar Lavater Attributed Forty Thousand Quotations (1917)

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More quotes by Johann Kaspar Lavater

Let none turn over books, or roam the stars in quest of God, who sees him not in man.

Aphorisms on Man (1788)

Where there is much pretension, much has been borrowed — nature never pretends.

Aphorisms on Man (1788)

If you see one cold and vehement at the same time, set him down for a fanatic.

Aphorisms on Man (1788)

All affectation is the vain and ridiculous attempt of poverty to appear rich.

Aphorisms on Man (1788)

Good can be done by the bad — but the good alone can be good.

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Johann Kaspar Lavater (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.