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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

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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
Make
Losing
People
Lose
Leave
Loses
Desire
Ardently
Certain
Passionately
Nothing
Undone
Thing
Dread

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Love has this in common with scruples, that it becomes embittered by the reflections and the thoughts that beset us to free ourselves.
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A heap of epithets is poor praise: the praise lies in the facts, and in the way of telling them.
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The most delicate, the most sensible of all pleasures, consists in promoting the pleasure of others.
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A prince wants only the pleasure of private life to complete his happiness.
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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.
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If it be usual to be strongly impressed by things that are scarce, why are we so little impressed by virtue?
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If a handsome woman allows that another woman is beautiful, we may safely conclude she excels her.
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The very impossibility in which I find myself to prove that God is not, discloses to me His existence. [Fr., L'impossibilite ou je suis de prouver que Dieu n'est pas, me decouvre son existence.]
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The flatterer does not think highly enough of himself or of others.
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A person's worth in this world is estimated according to the value he puts on himself.
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To give awkwardly is churlishness. The most difficult part is to give, then why not add a smile?
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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.
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For a woman to be at once a coquette and a bigot is more than the humblest of husbands can bear she should mercifully choose between the two.
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It is in vain to ridicule a rich fool, for the laughers will be on his side.
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I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13, 1524 Marriage, it seems, confines every man to his proper rank.
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There are some men who turn a deaf ear to reason and good advice, and willfully go wrong for fear of being controlled.
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Great things only require to be simply told, for they are spoiled by emphasis but little things should be clothed in lofty language, as they are only kept up by expression, tone of voice, and style of delivery.
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It is more or less rude to scorn indiscriminately all kinds of praise we ought to be proud of that which comes from honest men, who praise sincerely those things in us which are really commendable.
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Profound ignorance makes a man dogmatic. The man who knows nothing thinks he is teaching others what he has just learned himself the man who knows a great deal can't imagine that what he is saying is not common knowledge, and speaks more indifferently.
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It would be a kind of ferocity to reject indifferently all sorts of praise. One should be glad to have that which comes from good men who praise in sincerity things that are really praiseworthy.
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