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Nothing is easier for passion than to overcome reason, but the greatest triumph is to conquer a man's own interests.

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
Passion
Interest
Overcome
Reason
Conquer
Nothing
Triumph
Men
Overcoming
Interests
Easier
Greatest

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Time makes friendship stronger, but love weaker.
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It is boorish to live ungraciously: the giving is the hardest part what does it cost to add a smile?
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It's motive alone which gives character to the actions of men.
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Life is a kind of sleep: old men sleep longest, nor begin to wake but when they are to die.
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Favor exalts a man above his equals, but his dismissal from that favor places him below them.
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It is worse to apprehend than to suffer.
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A man may have intelligence enough to excel in a particular thing and lecture on it, and yet not have sense enough to know he ought to be silent on some other subject of which he has but a slight knowledge if such an illustrious man ventures beyond the bounds of his capacity, he loses his way and talks like a fool.
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A man's worth is estimated in this world according to his conduct.
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The fears of old age disturb us, yet how few attain it?
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A man who knows how to make good bargains or finds his money increase in his coffers, thinks presently that he has a good deal of brains and is almost fit to be a statesman.
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When we are young we lay up for old age when we are old we save for death.
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The whole genius of an author consists in describing well, and delineating character well. Homer, Plato, Virgil, Horace only excel other writers by their expressions and images we must indicate what is true if we mean to write naturally, forcibly and delicately.
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The pleasure we feel in criticizing robs us from being moved by very beautiful things.
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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.
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There are but three events which concern man: birth, life and death. They are unconscious of their birth, they suffer when they die, and they neglect to live.
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A guilty man is punished as an example for the mob an innocent man convicted is the business of every honest citizen.
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