There are no principles; there are only events. There is no good and bad, there are only circumstances. Honore de Balzac More Quotes by Honore de Balzac More Quotes From Honore de Balzac Old maids claw as cats do. They not only inflict wounds but experience pleasure in doing so. Nor will they fail to remind their victims of the blood drawn. Honore de Balzac maids cat blood Most geometricians, chemists, mathematicians, and great scientists submit religion to reason only to discover a problem as unsolvable as that of squaring a circle. Honore de Balzac circles problem reason A man may and ought to pride himself more on his will than on his talent. Honore de Balzac pride may men Unintelligent persons are like weeds that thrive in good ground; they love to be amused in proportion to the degree in which they weary themselves. Honore de Balzac marijuana degrees weed Conviction brings a silent, indefinable beauty into faces made of the commonest human clay; the devout worshiper at any shrine reflects something of its golden glow, even as the glory of a noble love shines like a sort of light from a woman's face. Honore de Balzac clay shining light Like most young people, these two attributed to the world their own intelligence and virtues. Youth who knows no failure has no mercy on the faults of other people; but it has also a sublime faith in them. Honore de Balzac sublime two people Virtue in women is perhaps a question of temperament. Honore de Balzac women virtue human-nature White hair often covers the head, but the heart that holds it is ever young. Honore de Balzac white hair heart Our greatest fears lie in anticipation. Honore de Balzac greatest-fear anticipation lying There are as many mediocrities exalted through pity as masters decried through envy. Honore de Balzac pity envy mediocrity Everything becomes agitated. Ideas quick-march into motion like battalions of a grand army to its legendary fighting ground, and the battle rages. Memories charge in, bright flags on high; the cavalry of metaphor deploys with a magnificent gallop; the artillery of logic rushes up with clattering wagons and cartridges; on imagination's orders, sharpshooters sight and fire; forms and shapes and characters rear up; the paper is spread with ink - for the nightly labor begins and ends with torrents of this black water, as a battle opens and concludes with black powder. Honore de Balzac writing character memories When a woman wants to betray her husband, her actions are almost invariably studied but they are never reasoned. Honore de Balzac betrayal husband want Only when one has learned to acknowledge that wiser minds have made better words to come out of our mouths may we truly, then, begin to speak them. Honore de Balzac mouths mind may For avarice begins where poverty ends. Honore de Balzac avarice-greed poverty ends The victory always has a lot of parents but the defeat is always an orphan. Honore de Balzac defeat victory parent Temperament is the thermometer of character. Honore de Balzac thermometers temperament character Man can start with aversion and end with love, but if he begins with love and comes round to aversion he will never get back to love. Honore de Balzac aversion ends men Marriage must fight constantly against a monster which devours everything: routine. Honore de Balzac marriage fighting monsters Narrow minds can develop as well through persecution as through benevolence; they can assure themselves of their power by tyrannizing cruelly or beneficially over others. Honore de Balzac benevolence persecution mind An ounce of courage will go farther with women than a pound of timidity. Honore de Balzac timidity pounds
