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He who only writes to suit the taste of the age, considers himself more than his writings. We should always aim at perfection, and then posterity will do us that justice which sometimes our contemporaries refuse us.

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
Justice
Posterity
Age
Writes
Sometimes
Suit
Writing
Suits
Always
Aim
Refuse
Contemporaries
Perfection
Considers
Taste
Writings

More quotes by Jean de la Bruyere

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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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It seems to me that the spirit of politeness is a certain attention in causing that, by our words and by our manners, others may be content with us and with themselves.
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The flatterer does not think highly enough of himself or of others.
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Sudden love is latest cured.
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It is no more in our power to love always than it was not to love at all.
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A man is rich whose income is larger than his expenses, and he is poor if his expenses are greater than his income.
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Courtly manners are contagious they are caught at Versailles.
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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.
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Man makes up his mind he will preach, and he preaches.
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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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In all conditions of life a poor man is a near neighbor to an honest one, and a rich man is as little removed from a knave.
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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
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The fears of old age disturb us, yet how few attain it?
Jean de la Bruyere
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It is a proof of boorishness to confer a favor with a bad grace it is the act of giving that is hard and painful. How little does a smile cost?
Jean de la Bruyere
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We ought not to make those people our enemies who might have become our friends, if we had only known them better.
Jean de la Bruyere
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A man can deceive a woman by his sham attachment to her provided he does not have a real attachment elsewhere.
Jean de la Bruyere
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I am told so many ill things of a man, and I see so few in him, that I begin to suspect he has a real but troublesome merit, as being likely to eclipse that of others.
Jean de la Bruyere
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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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Caprice in women often infringes upon the rules of decency.
Jean de la Bruyere
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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