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A wise man neither suffers himself to be governed, nor attempts to govern others.
Jean de la Bruyere
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Jean de la Bruyere
Age: 50 †
Born: 1645
Born: August 16
Died: 1696
Died: May 10
Aphorist
Essayist
French Moralist
Lawyer
Philosopher
Translator
Writer
Paris
France
Jean de La Bruyere
Suffering
Others
Government
Suffers
Men
Governed
Attempts
Govern
Neither
Wise
More quotes by Jean de la Bruyere
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
The finest pleasure is kindness to others.
Jean de la Bruyere
A dogmatic tone is generally inspired by abysmal ignorance. The man who knows nothing thinks he is informing others of something which he has that moment learnt the man who knows a great deal can scarcely believe that people are ignorant of what he is telling them, and speaks more diffidently.
Jean de la Bruyere
Duty is what goes most against the grain, because in doing that we do only what we are strictly obliged to, and are seldom much praised for it.
Jean de la Bruyere
When we have run through all forms of government, without partiality to that we were born under, we are at a loss with which to side they are all a compound of good and evil. It is therefore most reasonable and safe to value that of our own country above all others, and to submit to it.
Jean de la Bruyere
The art of conversation consists far less in displaying much wit oneself than in helping others to be witty: the man who leaves your company pleased with himself and his own wit is very well pleased with you.
Jean de la Bruyere
The opposite of what is noised about concerning men and things is often the truth. [Fr., Le contraire des bruits qui courent des affaires ou des personnes est souvent la verite.]
Jean de la Bruyere
The events we most desire do not happen or, if they do, it is neither in the time nor in the circumstances when they would have given us extreme pleasure.
Jean de la Bruyere
The Great slight the men of wit, who have nothing but wit the men of wit despise the Great, who have nothing but greatness the good man pities them both, if with greatness or wit they have not virtue.
Jean de la Bruyere
The most amiable people are those who least wound the self-love of others.
Jean de la Bruyere
I call worldly or earthly those whose minds and hearts are fixed on a tiny portion of this world they live in, which is our earth who respect and love nothing beyond it: people as limited as what they call their property or their estate, which can be measured, whose acres can be counted, whose boundaries can be shown.
Jean de la Bruyere
We never deceive for a good purpose: knavery adds malice to falsehood.
Jean de la Bruyere
Rarely do they appear great before their valets.
Jean de la Bruyere
We can recognize the dawn and the decline of love by the uneasiness we feel when alone together.
Jean de la Bruyere
Eloquence may be found in conversations and in all kinds of writings it is rarely found when looked for, and sometimes discovered where it is least expected.
Jean de la Bruyere
All the worth of some people lies in their name upon a closer inspection it dwindles to nothing, but from a distance it deceives us.
Jean de la Bruyere
If you suppress the exorbitant love of pleasure and money, idle curiosity, iniquitous pursuits and wanton mirth, what a stillness would there be in the greatest cities.
Jean de la Bruyere
It is the glory and merit of some men to write well and of others not to write at all.
Jean de la Bruyere
Let us not envy some men their accumulated riches their burden would be too heavy for us we could not sacrifice, as they do, health, quiet, honor and conscience, to obtain them: It is to pay so dear from them that the bargain is a loss.
Jean de la Bruyere
Love has this in common with scruples, that it becomes embittered by the reflections and the thoughts that beset us to free ourselves.
Jean de la Bruyere