Vanity, indeed, is the very antidote to conceit; for while the former makes us all nerve to the opinion of others, the latter is perfectly satisfied with its opinion of itself.
Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron LyttonWe cannot of ourselves estimate the degree of our success in what we strive for.
Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron LyttonIt is a very high mind to which gratitude is not a painful sensation. If you wish to please, you will find it wiser to receive, solicit even, favors, than accord them; for the vanity of the obligor is always flattered, that of the obligee rarely.
Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron LyttonFate! There is no fate. Between the thought and the success God is the only agent. Fate is not the ruler, but the servant of Providence.
Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron LyttonArt employs method for the symmetrical formation of beauty, as science employs it for the logical exposition of truth; but the mechanical process is, in the last, ever kept visibly distinct, while in the first it escapes from sight amid the shows of color and the curves of grace.
Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton