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People are always a little disconcerted when you don't recognize them, they are so important to themselves, it is a shock to discover of what small importance they are to others. [The human element]
W. Somerset Maugham
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W. Somerset Maugham
Age: 90 †
Born: 1874
Born: January 1
Died: 1965
Died: January 1
Army Scout
Literary Critic
Novelist
Physician Writer
Playwright
Prosaist
Screenwriter
Writer
Paris
France
W. Somerset Maugham
Somerset Maugham
Always
Elements
People
Small
Others
Disconcerted
Littles
Element
Little
Shock
Human
Discover
Humans
Recognize
Important
Importance
More quotes by W. Somerset Maugham
Only mediocre people are at the best all the time.
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A good story is obviously a difficult thing to invent, but its difficulty is a poor reason for despising it.
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From the earliest time the old have rubbed it into the young that they are wiser, and before the young had discovered what nonsense this was they were old too, and it profited them to carry on the imposture.
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The great tragedy of life is not that men perish, but that they cease to love.
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But the only important thing in a book is the meaning it has for you it may have other and much more profound meanings for the critic, but at second-hand they can be of small service to you.
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I do not believe they are right who say that the defects of famous men should be ignored. I think it is better that we should know them. Then, though we are conscious of having faults as glaring as theirs, we can believe that that is no hindrance to our achieving also something of their virtues.
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Art is triumphant when it can use convention as an instrument of its own purpose.
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The great man is too often all of a piece it is the little man that is a bundle of contradictory elements. He is inexhaustible. You never come to the end of the surprises he has in store for you.
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Like all weak men he laid an exaggerated stress on not changing one's mind.
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She’s wonderful. Tell her I’ve never seen such beautiful hands. I wonder what she sees in you.” Waddington, smiling, translated the question. “She says I’m good.” “As if a woman ever loved a man for his virtue,” Kitty mocked.
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The great American novel has not only already been written, it has already been rejected.
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Through the history of the world there have always been exploiters and exploited. There always will be ... because the great mass of men are made by nature to be slaves, they are unfit to control themselves, and for their own good need masters.
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To bear failure with courage is the best proof of character that anyone can give.
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He found that it was easy to make a heroic gesture, but hard to abide by its results.
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Was it necessary to tell me that you wanted nothing in the world but me?' The corners of his mouth drooped peevishly. Oh, my dear, it's rather hard to take quite literally the things a man says when he's in love with you.' Didn't you mean them?' At the moment.
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We do not write as we want, but as we can.
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I happen to think we’ve set our ideal on the wrong objects I happen to think that the greatest ideal man can set before himself is self-perfection.
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Life is so largely controlled by chance that its conduct can be but a perpetual improvisation.
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There is only one way to win hearts and that is to make oneself like unto those of whom one would be loved.
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The ideas for stories that thronged my brain would not let me rest till I had got rid of them by writing them.
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