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

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We seldom repent talking little, but very often talking too much.
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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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There is a pleasure in meeting the glance of a person whom we have lately laid under some obligations.
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Languages are no more than the keys of Sciences. He who despises one, slights the other.
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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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The court is like a palace built of marble I mean that it is made up of very hard but very polished people. [Fr., La cour est comme un edifice bati de marbre je veux dire qu'elle est composee d'hommes fort durs mais fort polis.]
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The punishment of a criminal is an example to the rabble but every decent man is concerned if an innocent person is condemned.
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The generality of men expend the early part of their lives in contributing to render the latter part miserable.
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This great misfortune, to be incapable of solitude.
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The fool only is troublesome. A plan of sense perceives when he is agreeable or tiresome he disappears the very minute before he would have been thought to have stayed too long.
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Manners carry the world for the moment, character for all time.
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We trust our secrets to our friends, but they escape from us in love.
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It is through madness that we hate an enemy, and think of revenging ourselves and it is through indolence that we are appeased, and do not revenge ourselves.
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When a plain-looking woman is loved, it is certain to be very passionately for either her influence on her lover is irresistible, or she has some secret and more irresistible charms than those of beauty.
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A vain man finds it wise to speak good or ill of himself a modest man does not talk of himself.
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False glory is the rock of vanity it seduces men to affect esteem by things which they indeed possess, but which are frivolous, and which for a man to value himself on would be a scandalous error.
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We never love with all our heart and all our soul but once, and that is the first time.
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Praise, of all things, is the most powerful excitement to commendable actions, and animates us in our enterprises.
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We dread old age, which are not sure of being able to attain. [Fr., L'on craint la vieillesse, que l'on n'est pas sur de pouvoir atteindre.]
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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