Extremes are vicious, and proceed from men; compensation is just, and proceeds from God. Jean de la Bruyere More Quotes by Jean de la Bruyere More Quotes From Jean de la Bruyere We wish to constitute all the happiness, or, if that cannot be, the misery of the one we love. Jean de la Bruyere selfishness self-love wish Genius and great abilities are often wanting; sometimes, only opportunities. Some deserve praise for what they have done; others for what they would have done. Jean de la Bruyere genius done opportunity It would be a kind of ferocity to reject indifferently all sorts of praise. One should be glad to have that which comes from good men who praise in sincerity things that are really praiseworthy. Jean de la Bruyere good-man would-be men Discretion is the perfection of reason, and a guide to us in all the duties of life. It is only found in men of sound sense and understanding. Jean de la Bruyere understanding perfection men One seeks to make the loved one entirely happy, or, if that cannot be, entirely wretched. Jean de la Bruyere wretched love life Misers are neither relations, nor friends, nor citizens, nor Christians, nor perhaps even human beings. Jean de la Bruyere wealth citizens christian Don't wait to be happy to laugh... You may die and never have laughed. Jean de la Bruyere waiting happiness laughing A position of eminence makes a great person greater and a small person less. Jean de la Bruyere small-person great-person greatness A man reveals his character even in the simplest things he does. Jean de la Bruyere doe character men The same common sense which makes an author write good things, makes him dread they are not good enough to deserve reading. Jean de la Bruyere common-sense reading writing We ought not to make those people our enemies who might have become our friends, if we had only known them better. Jean de la Bruyere might people enemy You think him to be your dupe; if he feigns to be so who is the greater dupe, he or you? Jean de la Bruyere dupes deceit thinking A coquette is one that is never to be persuaded out of the passion she has to please, nor out of a good opinion of her own beauty: time and years she regards as things that only wrinkle and decay other women, forgetting that age is written in the face, and that the same dress which became her when she was young now only makes her look older. Jean de la Bruyere wrinkles passion years For a woman to be at once a coquette and a bigot is more than the humblest of husbands can bear; she should mercifully choose between the two. Jean de la Bruyere coquette husband two A coxcomb is the blockhead's man of merit. Jean de la Bruyere blockheads merit men All the world says of a coxcomb that he is a coxcomb; but no one dares to say so to his face, and he dies without knowing it. Jean de la Bruyere knowing faces world It is very rare to find ground which produces nothing; if it is not covered with flowers, with fruit trees and grains, it produces briers and pines. It is the same with man; if he is not virtuous, he becomes vicious. Jean de la Bruyere flower tree men Cunning is none of the best nor worst qualities; it floats between virtue and vice; there is scarce any exigence where it may not, and perhaps ought not to be supplied by prudence. Jean de la Bruyere quality vices may Great things astonish us, and small dishearten us. Custom makes both familiar. Jean de la Bruyere customs great-things familiar Caprice in women often infringes upon the rules of decency. Jean de la Bruyere caprice decency
