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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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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
Real
Suspects
Things
Merit
Men
Ill
Likely
Begin
Told
Eclipse
Others
Troublesome
Many
Suspect

More quotes by Jean de la Bruyere

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It is often easier as well as more advantageous to conform to other men's opinions than to bring them over to ours.
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To give awkwardly is churlishness. The most difficult part is to give, then why not add a smile?
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Tyranny has no need of arts or sciences, for its policy, which is very shallow and without any refinement, only consists in shedding blood.
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The slave has but one master, the ambitious man has as many as there are persons whose aid may contribute to the advancement of his fortunes.
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Rarely do they appear great before their valets. [Fr., Rarement ils sont grands vis-a-vis de leur valets-de-chambre.]
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The doctors allow one to die, the charlatans kill.
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If a handsome woman allows that another woman is beautiful, we may safely conclude she excels her.
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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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Nothing is easier for passion than to overcome reason, but the greatest triumph is to conquer a man's own interests.
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People reveal their character even in the simplest things they do. Fools do not enter a room, nor leave it, nor sit down, nor rise, nor are they silent, nor do they stand up, like people of sense and understanding.
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A man of variable mind is not one man, but several men in one he multiplies himself as often as he changes his taste and manners he is not this minute what he was the last, and will not be the next what he is now he is his own successor.
Jean de la Bruyere
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It requires more than mere genius to be an author.
Jean de la Bruyere
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Rarely do they appear great before their valets.
Jean de la Bruyere
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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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A man's worth is estimated in this world according to his conduct.
Jean de la Bruyere
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Most men spend the first half of their lives making the second half miserable.
Jean de la Bruyere
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Party loyalty lowers the greatest men to the petty level of the masses.
Jean de la Bruyere
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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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It is the glory and merit of some men to write well and of others not to write at all.
Jean de la Bruyere
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It is boorish to live ungraciously: the giving is the hardest part what does it cost to add a smile?
Jean de la Bruyere