We do not write as we want, but as we can. W. Somerset Maugham More Quotes by W. Somerset Maugham More Quotes From W. Somerset Maugham There is no cruelty greater than a woman's to a man who loves her and whom she does not love; she has no kindness then, no tolerance even, she has only an insane irritation. W. Somerset Maugham irritation kindness men By the time a man notices that he is no longer young, his youth has long since left him. W. Somerset Maugham love men long I promised myself that if ever I had some money that I would savor a cigar each day after lunch and dinner. This is the only resolution of my youth that I have kept, and the only realized ambition which has not brought disillusion. W. Somerset Maugham humorous ambition funny As we grow older we become more conscious of the complexity, incoherence, and unreasonableness of human beings; this indeed is the only excuse that offers for the middle-aged or elderly writer whose thoughts should more properly be turned to graver matters, occupying himself with the trivial concerns of imaginary people. W. Somerset Maugham occupy-yourself real men Loving-kindness is the better part of goodness. W. Somerset Maugham loving-kindness goodness kindness The value of money is that with it we can tell any man to go to the devil. It is the sixth sense which enables you to enjoy the other five. W. Somerset Maugham devil money men The artist produces for the liberation of his soul. W. Somerset Maugham produce artist soul Life is really very fantastic, and one has to have a peculiar sense of humour to see the fun of it. [Virtue] W. Somerset Maugham peculiar life-is fun In the conduct of life we make use of deliberation to justify ourselves in doing what we want to do. W. Somerset Maugham ethics use want The normal is what you find but rarely. The normal is an ideal. It is a picture that one fabricates of the average characteristics of men, and to find them all in a single man is hardly to be expected. W. Somerset Maugham average character men I never met an author who admitted that people did not buy his book because it was dull. W. Somerset Maugham reading book people We find things beautiful because we recognize them and contrariwise we find things beautiful because their novelty surprises us. W. Somerset Maugham novelty beautiful beauty I did not believe him capable of love. That is an emotion in which tenderness is an essential part, but Strickland had no tenderness either for himself or for others; there is in love a sense of weakness, a desire to protect, an eagerness to do good and to give pleasure--if not unselfishness, at all events a selfishness which marvellously conceals itself; it has in it a certain diffidence. W. Somerset Maugham desire giving believe The highest activities of consciousness have their origins in physical occurrences of the brain, just as the loveliest melodies are not too sublime to be expressed by notes. W. Somerset Maugham sublime consciousness brain Women are constantly trying to commit suicide for love, but generally they take care not to succeed. W. Somerset Maugham care suicide trying It is one of the defects of my character that I cannot altogether dislike anyone who makes me laugh. W. Somerset Maugham make-me-laugh character laughing You're beginning to dislike me, aren't you? Well, dislike me. It doesn't make any difference to me now. W. Somerset Maugham dislike-me wells differences Reserve is an artificial quality that is developed in most of us but as the result of innumerable rebuffs. W. Somerset Maugham quality personality character When we come to judge others it is not by ourselves as we really are that we judge them, but by an image that we have formed of ourselves from which we have left out everything that offends our vanity or would discredit us in the eyes of the world. W. Somerset Maugham vanity eye judging In civilized communities men's idiosyncrasies are mitigated by the necessity of conforming to certain rules of behavior. Culture is a mask that hides their faces. W. Somerset Maugham community men culture
