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Mankind are a herd of knaves and fools. It is necessary to join the crowd, or get out of their way, in order not to be trampled to death by them.

William Hazlitt

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William Hazlitt
Journalist
Literary Critic
Literary Historian
Painter
Philosopher
Writer
Wm. Haslett
William Carew Hazlitt
Fool
Herd
Mankind
Herds
Death
Fools
Order
Join
Way
Crowd
Stupidity
Crowds
Trampled
Necessary
Knaves

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The public have neither shame or gratitude.
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Keep your misfortunes to yourself.
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A great man la an abstraction of some one excellence but whoever fancies himself an abstraction of excellence, so far from being great, may be sure that he is a blockhead, equally ignorant of excellence or defect of himself or others.
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The origin of all science is the desire to know causes, and the origin of all false science is the desire to accept false causes rather than none or, which is the same thing, in the unwillingness to acknowledge our own ignorance.
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Natural affection is a prejudice for though we have cause to love our nearest connections better than others, we have no reason to think them better than others.
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By retaliating our sufferings on the heads of those we love, we get rid of a present uneasiness and incur lasting remorse. With the accomplishment of our revenge our fondness returns so that we feel the injury we have done them, even more than they do.
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To-day kings, to-marrow beggars, it is only when they are themselves that they are nothing.
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Violence ever defeats its own ends. Where you cannot drive you can always persuade. A gentle word, a kind look, a god-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles. There is a secret pride in every human heart than revolts at tyranny. You may order and drive an individual, but you cannot make him respect you.
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No man would, I think, exchange his existence with any other man, however fortunate. We had as lief not be, as not be ourselves.
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To write a genuine familiar or truly English style is to write as anyone would speak in common conversation, who had a thorough command and choice of words, or who could discourse with ease, force, and perspicuity, setting aside all pedantic and oratorical flourishes.
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The love of fame is almost another name for the love of excellence or it is the ambition to attain the highest excellence, sanctioned by the highest authority, that of time.
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Love may turn to indifference with possession.
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All is without form and void. Someone said of his landscapes that they were pictures of nothing and very like.
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We never do anything well till we cease to think about the manner of doing it.
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Vice is man's nature: virtue is a habit--or a mask.
William Hazlitt
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I am always afraid of a fool. One cannot be sure that he is not a knave as well.
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Grace in women has more effect than beauty.
William Hazlitt
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No really great man ever thought himself so.
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Success in business is seldom owing to uncommon talents or original power which is untractable and self-willed, but to the greatest degree of commonplace capacity.
William Hazlitt
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Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects, and discovering other people's weaknesses.
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