Quote

Most of us are aware of and pretend to detest the barefaced instances of that hypocrisy by which men deceive others, but few of us are upon our guard or see that more fatal hypocrisy by which we deceive and over-reach our own hearts.

Laurence Sterne

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Laurence Sterne
Age: 54 †
Born: 1713
Born: November 24
Died: 1768
Died: March 18
Autobiographer
Novelist
Religious
Writer
Upon
Deceiving
Others
Guard
Heart
Hypocrisy
Men
Pretend
Instance
Detest
Aware
Instances
Hearts
Deceive
Reach
Fatal

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I had had an affair with the moon, in which there was neither sin nor shame.
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Positiveness is a most absurd foible. If you are in the right, it lessens your triumph if in the wrong, it adds shame to your defeat.
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Patience cannot remove, but it can always dignify and alleviate, misfortune.
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When a man is discontented with himself, it has one advantage - that it puts him into an excellent frame of mind for making a bargain.
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It is not in the power of every one to taste humor, however he may wish it it is the gift of God! and a true feeler always brings half the entertainment along with him.
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Plutarch has a fine expression, with regard to some woman of learning, humility, and virtue--that her ornaments were such as might be purchased without money, and would render any woman's life both glorious and happy.
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The mind should be accustomed to make wise reflections, and draw curious conclusions as it goes along the habitude of which made Pliny the Younger affirm that he never read book so bad but he drew some profit from it.
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Certainly it was ordained as a scourge upon the pride of human wisdom, that the wisest of us all, should thus outwit ourselves, and eternally forego our purposes in the intemperate act of pursuing them.
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What is the life of man! Is it not to shift from side to side? From sorrow to sorrow? To button up one cause of vexation! And unbutton another!
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For every ten jokes you acquire a hundred enemies.
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How many thousands of [lives] are there every year that comes cast away, (in all civilized countries at least)--and consider'd asnothing but common air, in competition of an hypothesis.
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The best hearts are ever the bravest.
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An atheist is more reclaimable than a papist, as ignorance is sooner cured than superstition.
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The happiness of life may be greatly increased by small courtesies in which there is no parade, whose voice is too still to tease, and which manifest themselves by tender and affectionate looks, and little kind acts of attention.
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The most affluent may be stripped of all, and find his worldly comforts, like so many withered leaves, dropping from him.
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When, to gratify a private appetite, it is once resolved upon that an ignorant and helpless creature shall be sacrificed, it is an easy matter to pick up sticks enough from any thicket where it has strayed, to make a fire to offer it up with.
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Nothing is so perfectly amusing as a total change of ideas.
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Writing, when properly managed, (as you may be sure I think mine is) is but a different name for conversation.
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Solitude is the best nurse of wisdom.
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