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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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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
Enemies
People
Ought
Enemy
Friends
Known
Become
Better
Might

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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 in vain to ridicule a rich fool, for the laughers will be on his side.
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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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One mark of a second-rate mind is to be always telling stories.
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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.
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Widows, like ripe fruit, drop easily from their perch.
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A man must have very eminent qualities to hold his own without being polite.
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Man makes up his mind he will preach, and he preaches.
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Children are overbearing, supercilious, passionate, envious, inquisitive, egotistical, idle, fickle, timid, intemperate, liars, and dissemblers they laugh and weep easily, are excessive in their joys and sorrows, and that about the most trifling objects they bear no pain, but like to inflict it on others already they are men.
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If you suppress the exorbitant love of pleasure and money, idle curiosity, iniquitous pursuits and wanton mirth, what a stillness would there be in the greatest cities.
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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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Let us not complain against men because otheir rudeness, their ingratitude, their injustice, their arrogance, their love oself, their forgetfulness oothers. They are so made. Such is their nature.
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We must strive to make ourselves really worthy of some employment. We need pay no attention to anything else the rest is the business of others.
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Manners carry the world for the moment, character for all time.
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Laziness begat wearisomeness, and this put men in quest of diversions, play and company, on which however it is a constant attendant he who works hard, has enough to do with himself otherwise.
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The great gift of conversation lies less in displaying it ourselves than in drawing it out of others. He who leaves your company pleased with himself and his own cleverness is perfectly well pleased with you.
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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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To how many girls has a great beauty been of no other use but to make them expect a large fortune!
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We never deceive for a good purpose: knavery adds malice to falsehood.
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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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