The pleasure of criticizing takes away from us the pleasure of being moved by some very fine things.
~ Jean De La Bruyère
If some persons died and others did not die death would indeed be a terrible affliction.
Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its brevity.
If poverty is the mother of all crimes, lack of intelligence is their father.
The unnamed should not be mistaken for the nonexistent.
The very essence of politeness is to take care that by our words and actions we make other people pleased with us as well as with themselves.
The pleasure of criticism takes away from us the pleasure of being deeply moved by very fine things.
The most exquisite pleasure is giving pleasure to others.
As long as men are liable to die and are desirous to live a physician will be made fun of but he will be well paid.
He who has lived a day has lived an age.
Those who make the worst use of their time most complain of its brevity.
A man must have very eminent qualities to hold his own without being polite.
Out of difficulties grow miracles.
Love and friendship exclude each other.
The sweetest of all sounds is that of the voice of the woman we love.
At the beginning and at the end of love, the two lovers are embarrassed to find themselves alone.
When a work lifts your spirits and inspires bold and noble thoughts in you, do not look for any other standard to judge by: the work is good, the product of a master craftsman.
There are only three events in a man's life; birth, life, and death; he is not conscious of being born, he dies in pain, and he forgets to live.
The passion of hatred is so long lived and so obstinate a malady that the surest sign of death in a sick person is their desire for reconciliation.
There are certain things in which mediocrity is not to be endured, such as poetry, music, painting, public speaking.
We should keep silent about those in power; to speak well of them almost implies flattery; to speak ill of them while they are alive is dangerous, and when they are dead is cowardly.
A position of eminence makes a great person greater and a small person less.
Avoid lawsuits beyond all things; they pervert your conscience, impair your health, and dissipate your property.
Marriage, it seems, confines every man to his proper rank.
The first day one is a guest, the second a burden, and the third a pest.
Time makes friendship stronger, but love weaker.
It is a sad thing when men have neither the wit to speak well nor the judgment to hold their tongues.
The regeneration of society is the regeneration of society by individual education.
Men blush less for their crimes than for their weaknesses and vanity.
All of our unhappiness comes from our inability to be alone.
All men's misfortunes spring from their hatred of being alone.
The wise person often shuns society for fear of being bored.
Children have neither a past nor a future. Thus they enjoy the present, which seldom happens to us.
