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Genius and great abilities are often wanting sometimes, only opportunities. Some deserve praise for what they have done others for what they would have done.

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
Often
Abilities
Others
Wanting
Done
Opportunities
Sometimes
Praise
Great
Deserve
Would
Genius
Ability
Opportunity

More quotes by Jean de la Bruyere

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A faithless woman, if known to be such by the person concerned, is but faithless if she is believed faithful, she is treacherous.
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Most men spend the best part of their lives making the remaining part wretched.
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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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It is in vain to ridicule a rich fool, for the laughers will be on his side.
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Misers are neither relations, nor friends, nor citizens, nor Christians, nor perhaps even human beings.
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We seldom repent of speaking little, very often of speaking too much: a vulgar and trite maxim, which all the world knows and, but which all the world does not practice
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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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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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Children are contemptuous, haughty, irritable, envious, sneaky, selfish, lazy, flighty, timid, liars and hypocrites, quick to laugh and cry, extreme in expressing joy and sorrow, especially about trifles, they'll do anything to avoid pain but they enjoy inflicting it: little men already.
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We meet With few utterly dull and stupid souls: the sublime and transcendent are still fewer the generality of mankind stand between these two extremes: the interval is filled with multitudes of ordinary geniuses, but all very useful, and the ornaments and supports of the commonwealth.
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All the world says of a coxcomb that he is a coxcomb but no one dares to say so to his face, and he dies without knowing it.
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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.
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.
Jean de la Bruyere
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Widows, like ripe fruit, drop easily from their perch.
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.
Jean de la Bruyere
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There are some extraordinary fathers, who seem, during the whole course of their lives, to be giving their children reasons for being consoled at their death.
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We never deceive for a good purpose: knavery adds malice to falsehood.
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The sublime only paints the true, and that too in noble objects it paints it in all its phases, its cause and its effect it is the most worthy expression or image of this truth. Ordinary minds cannot find out the exact expression, and use synonymes.
Jean de la Bruyere
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Out of difficulties grow miracles.
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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.
Jean de la Bruyere