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The talent of insinuation is more useful than that of persuasion, as everybody is open to insinuation, but scarce any to persuasion.

Lord Chesterfield

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Lord Chesterfield
Useful
Talent
Open
Everybody
Insinuation
Scarce
Persuasion
Gossip
Propaganda

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In the mass of mankind, I fear, there is too great a majority of fools and knaves who, singly from their number, must to a certain degree be respected, though they are by no means respectable.
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In the case of scandal, as in that of robbery, the receiver is always thought as bad as the thief.
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Swift speedy time, feathered with flying hours, Dissolves the beauty of the fairest brow.
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Letters should be easy and natural, and convey to the persons to whom we send them just what we should say to the persons if we were with them.
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I always put these pert jackanapeses out of countenance by looking extremely grave when they expect that I should laugh at their pleasantries and by saying Well, and so?--as if they had not done, and that the sting were still to come. This disconcerts them, as they have no resources in themselves, and have but one set of jokes to live upon.
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The more one works, the more willing one is to work.
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If originally it was not good for a man to be alone, it is much worse for a sick man to be so he thinks too much of his distemper, and magnifies it.
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Observe it, the vulgar often laugh, but never smile, whereas well-bred people often smile, and seldom or never laugh. A witty thing never excited laughter, it pleases only the mind and never distorts the countenance.
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Whoever is in a hurry shows that the thing he is about is too big for him.
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If you will please people, you must please them in their own way.
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Good breeding and good nature do incline us rather to help and raise people up to ourselves, than to mortify and depress them, and, in truth, our own private interest concurs in it, as it is making ourselves so many friends, instead of so many enemies.
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Distrust those who love you extremely upon a slight acquaintance, and without any visible reason.
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Many new years you may see, but happy ones you cannot see without deserving them. These virtue, honor, and knowledge alone can merit, alone can produce.
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