Quote

False modesty is the most decent of all lies.

Nicolas Chamfort

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Nicolas Chamfort
Age: 53 †
Born: 1741
Born: April 6
Died: 1794
Died: April 13
Journalist
Philosopher
Playwright
Poet
Politician
Writer
Clarmont-Ferrand
Lies
Lying
Modesty
Hypocrisy
Decent
False

More quotes by Nicolas Chamfort

Image
Egotism is the tongue of vanity.
Nicolas Chamfort
Image
Men of reason have enduredmen of passion have lived.
Nicolas Chamfort
Image
Hope is but a charlatan that ceases not to deceive us. For myself happiness only began when I had lost it.
Nicolas Chamfort
Image
The philosopher who would fain extinguish his passions resembles the chemist who would like to let his furnace go out.
Nicolas Chamfort
Image
Wrinkles and ill-nature together made a woman hideous.
Nicolas Chamfort
Image
The best philosophical attitude to adopt towards the world is a union of the sarcasm of gaiety with the indulgence of contempt.
Nicolas Chamfort
Image
The only thing that stops God from sending another flood is that the first one was useless.
Nicolas Chamfort
Image
Secrecy is best taught by starting with ourselves.
Nicolas Chamfort
Image
There is no history worthy attention save that of free nations the history of nations under the sway of despotism is no more than a collection of anecdotes.
Nicolas Chamfort
Image
There aren't many benefactors who don't say, like Satan: All these things will I give you if you bow down and worship me.
Nicolas Chamfort
Image
An author is often obscure to the reader because they proceed from the thought to expression than like the reader from the expression to the thought.
Nicolas Chamfort
Image
A modicum of discord is the very spice of courtship.
Nicolas Chamfort
Image
Someone has said that to plagiarise from the ancients is to play the pirate beyond the Equator, but that to steal from the moderns is to pick pockets at street corners.
Nicolas Chamfort
Image
Conscience is a dog that does not stop us from passing but that we cannot prevent from barking.
Nicolas Chamfort
Image
Men whose only concern is other people's opinion of them are like actors who put on a poor performance to win the applause of people of poor taste some of them would be capable of good acting in front of a good audience. A decent man plays his part to the best of his ability, regardless of the taste of the gallery.
Nicolas Chamfort
Image
A good number of works owe their success to the mediocrity of their authors' ideas, which match the mediocrity of those of the general public.
Nicolas Chamfort
Image
Wicked people sometimes perform good actions. I suppose they wish to see if this gives as great a feeling of pleasure as the virtuous claim for it.
Nicolas Chamfort
Image
Do you think that revolutions are made with rose water?
Nicolas Chamfort
Image
It is inconceivable how much wit it requires to avoid being ridiculous.
Nicolas Chamfort
Image
Scandal is an importunate wasp, against which we must make no movement unless we are quite sure that we can kill it otherwise it will return to the attack more furious than ever.
Nicolas Chamfort