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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.

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
Nothing
Thinks
Informing
Great
Profound
Dogmatic
Something
Inspired
Learnt
Believe
Telling
Scarcely
Men
Ignorance
Speaks
People
Deal
Tone
Moment
Ignorant
Others
Generally
Abysmal

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A great mind is above insults, injustice, grief, and raillery, and would be invulnerable were it not open to compassion.
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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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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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All the worth of some people lies in their name upon a closer inspection it dwindles to nothing, but from a distance it deceives us.
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A vain man finds his account in speaking good or evil of himself.
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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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We perceive when love begins and when it declines by our embarrassment when alone together.
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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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A man only goes and confesses his faults to the world when his self will not acknowledge or listen to them. WYNDHAM LEWIS, Tarr Two persons will not be friends long if they are not inclined to pardon each other's little failings.
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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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To express truth is to write naturally, forcibly, and delicately.
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Wit is the god of moments, but Genius is the god of ages.
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The opposite of what is noised about concerning men and things is often the truth. [Fr., Le contraire des bruits qui courent des affaires ou des personnes est souvent la verite.]
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A man starts upon a sudden, takes Pen, Ink, and Paper, and without ever having had a thought of it before, resolves within himself he will write a Book he has no Talent at Writing, but he wants fifty Guineas.
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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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One mark of a second-rate mind is to be always telling stories.
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No vice exists which does not pretend to be more or less like some virtue, and which does not take advantage of this assumed resemblance.
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There is no employment in the world so laborious as that of making to one's self a great name life ends before one has scarcely made the first rough draught of his work.
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The regeneration of society is the regeneration of society by individual education.
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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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