Too elevated qualities often unfit a man for society. We do not go to market with ingots, but with silver and small change. Nicolas Chamfort More Quotes by Nicolas Chamfort More Quotes From Nicolas Chamfort We need to be just before we are generous, as we need shirts before ruffles. Nicolas Chamfort ruffles generosity needs All that I've learned, I've forgotten. The little that I still know, I've guessed. Nicolas Chamfort ive-learned forgotten littles If taking vitamins doesn't keep you healthy enough, try more laughter: The most wasted of all days is that on which one has not laughed. Nicolas Chamfort laughter healthy trying Tragedy has the great moral defect of giving too much importance to life and death. Nicolas Chamfort life-and-death tragedy giving In living and in seeing other men, the heart must break or become as bronze. Nicolas Chamfort heart men life If a woman were about to proceed to her execution, she would demand a little time to perfect her toilet. Nicolas Chamfort execution toilets perfect Be my brother or I will kill you. Nicolas Chamfort my-brother brother There is no history worthy attention save that of free nations; the history of nations under the sway of despotism is no more than a collection of anecdotes. Nicolas Chamfort anecdotes attention history In the library of the world men have hitherto been ranged according to the form, and the binding; the time is coming when they will take rank and order according to their contents and intrinsic merits. Nicolas Chamfort library men order The philosopher who would fain extinguish his passions resembles the chemist who would like to let his furnace go out. Nicolas Chamfort chemist philosopher passion There some trifles well habited, as there are some fools well clothed. Nicolas Chamfort trifles wells fool It is children only who enjoy the present; their elders either live on the memory of the past or the hope of the future. Nicolas Chamfort memories children past Swallow a toad in the morning and you will encounter nothing more disgusting the rest of the day. Nicolas Chamfort time morning funny Love is more pleasant than marriage for the same reason that novels are more amusing than history. Nicolas Chamfort amusing reason love-is [Prudence] replaces [strength] by saving the man who has the misfortune of not possessing it from most occasions when it's needed. Nicolas Chamfort saving he-man men A good number of works owe their success to the mediocrity of their authors' ideas, which match the mediocrity of those of the general public. Nicolas Chamfort mediocrity numbers ideas Nature in causing reason and the passions to be born at one and the same time apparently wished by the latter gift to distract man from the evil she had done him by the former, and by only permitting him to live for a few years after the loss of his passions seems to show her pity by early deliverance from a life that reduces him to reason as his sole resource. Nicolas Chamfort passion loss men We must start human society from scratch; as Francis Bacon said, we must recreate human understanding. Nicolas Chamfort scratches understanding said It is inconceivable how much wit it requires to avoid being ridiculous. Nicolas Chamfort wit ridiculous Running a house should be left to innkeepers. Nicolas Chamfort should house running
