The only things one can admire at length are those one admires without knowing why.

The only things one can admire at length are those one admires without knowing why.

The best emotions to write out of are anger and fear or dread. . . . The least energizing emotion read more

The best emotions to write out of are anger and fear or dread. . . . The least energizing emotion to write out of is admiration . . . because the basic feeling that goes with admiration is a passive contemplative mood.

here is an innocence in admiration; it is found in those to whom it has never yet occurred that they, read more

here is an innocence in admiration; it is found in those to whom it has never yet occurred that they, too, might be admired some day.

Heroes themselves had fallen behind!
--Whene'er he went before.

Heroes themselves had fallen behind!
--Whene'er he went before.

Admiration begins where acquaintance ceases

Admiration begins where acquaintance ceases

Admiration and familiarity are strangers.

Admiration and familiarity are strangers.

Admiration is the daughter of ignorance.

Admiration is the daughter of ignorance.

"Not to admire, is all the art I know
(Plain truth, dear Murray, needs few flowers of speech)
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"Not to admire, is all the art I know
(Plain truth, dear Murray, needs few flowers of speech)
To make men happy, or to keep them so."
(So take it in the very words of Creech)
Thus Horace wrote we all know long ago;
And thus Pope quotes the precept to re-teach
From his translation; but had none admired,
Would Pope have sung, or Horace been inspired?

We always love those who admire us; we do not always love those whom we admire.

We always love those who admire us; we do not always love those whom we admire.