Quote

We seldom repent of speaking little, very often of speaking too much: a vulgar and trite maxim, which all the world knows and, but which all the world does not practice

Jean de la Bruyere

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

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
Often
Maxim
Doe
Maxims
Littles
Repent
Little
Vulgar
Much
Seldom
World
Speaking
Speech
Practice
Trite

More quotes by Jean de la Bruyere

Image
People reveal their character even in the simplest things they do. Fools do not enter a room, nor leave it, nor sit down, nor rise, nor are they silent, nor do they stand up, like people of sense and understanding.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
A wise man is not governed by others, nor does he try to govern them he prefers that reason alone prevail.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
Praise, of all things, is the most powerful excitement to commendable actions, and animates us in our enterprises.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
A heap of epithets is poor praise: the praise lies in the facts, and in the way of telling them.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
Great things astonish us, and small dishearten us. Custom makes both familiar.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
The slave has but one master, the ambitious man has as many as there are persons whose aid may contribute to the advancement of his fortunes.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
I do not doubt but that genuine piety is the spring of peace of mind it enables us to bear the sorrows of life, and lessens the pangs of death: the same cannot be said of hypocrisy.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
It is not so easy to obtain a reputation by a perfect work as to enhance the value of an indifferent one by a reputation already acquired.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
A man must have very eminent qualities to hold his own without being polite.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
Love seizes us suddenly, without giving warning, and our disposition or our weakness favors the surprise one look, one glance, from the fair fixes and determines us.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
Amongst such as out of cunning hear all and talk little, be sure to talk less or if you must talk, say little.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
The State not seldom tolerates a comparatively great evil to keep out millions of lesser ills and inconveniences which otherwise would be inevitable and without remedy.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
During the course of our life we now and then enjoy some pleasures so inviting, and have some encounters of so tender a nature, that though they are forbidden, it is but natural to wish that they were at least allowable. Nothing can be more delightful, except it be to abandon them for virtue's sake.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
Most men spend the best part of their lives making the remaining part wretched.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
The regeneration of society is the regeneration of society by individual education.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
How happy the station which every moment furnishes opportunities of doing good to thousands! How dangerous that which every moment exposes to the injuring of millions!
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
High birth is a gift of fortune which should never challenge esteem towards those who receive it, since it costs them neither study nor labor.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
There are certain people who so ardently and passionately desire a thing, that from dread of losing it they leave nothing undone to make them lose it.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
What is certain in death is somewhat softened by what is uncertain it is an indefiniteness in the time, which holds a certain relation to the infinite, and what is called eternity.
Jean de la Bruyere
Image
We seldom repent talking little, but very often talking too much.
Jean de la Bruyere