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We often think ourselves inconsistent creatures, when we are the furthest from it, and all the variety of shapes and contradictory appearances we put on, are in truth but so many different attempts to gratify the same governing appetite.

Laurence Sterne

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Laurence Sterne
Age: 54 †
Born: 1713
Born: November 24
Died: 1768
Died: March 18
Autobiographer
Novelist
Religious
Writer
Think
Variety
Furthest
Thinking
Appearance
Gratify
Shapes
Appearances
Creatures
Inconsistent
Often
Contradictory
Truth
Governing
Many
Attempts
Different
Appetite

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The best friends in the world may differ sometimes.
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The circumstances with which every thing in this world is begirt, give every thing in this world its size and shape--and by tightening it, or relaxing it, this way or that, make the thing to be, what it is--great--little--good--bad--indifferent or not indifferent, just as the case happens.
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Solitude is the best nurse of wisdom.
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Surely, 'tis one step towards acting well, to think worthily of our nature and as in common life, the way to make a man honest, is, to suppose him soso here, to set some value upon ourselves, enables us to support the characterof generosity and virtue.
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Freethinkers are generally those who never think at all.
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The most accomplished way of using books is to serve them as some people do lords learn their titles and then brag of their acquaintance.
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Men tire themselves in the pursuit of sleep.
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Shall we be destined to the days of eternity, on holy-days, as well as working-days, to be showing the relics of learning, as monks do the relics of their saints - without working one - one single miracle with them?
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Only the brave know how to forgive it is the most refined and generous pitch of virtue human nature can arrive at.
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The history of a soldier's wound beguiles the pain of it.
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Nothing is so perfectly amusing as a total change of ideas.
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There are a thousand unnoticed openings, continued my father, which let penetrating eye at once into a man's soul and I maintain it, added he, that a man of sense does not lay down his hat in coming into a room, --or take it up in going out of it, but something escapes, which discovers him.
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Always carry it in thy mind, and act upon it, as a sure maxim: That women are timid: And 'tis well they are--else there would beno dealing with them.
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In all unmerciful actions, the worst of men pay this compliment at least to humanity, as to endeavour to wear as much of the appearance of it, as the case will well let them.
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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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I am persuaded ... that both man and woman bear pain or sorrow, (and, for aught I know, pleasure too) best in a horizontal position.
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For every ten jokes you acquire a hundred enemies.
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Titles of honour are like the impressions on coin — which add no value to gold and silver, but only render brass current.
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