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The unambitious sluggard pretends that the eminence is not worth attaining, declines altogether the struggle, and calls himself a philosopher. I say he is a poor-spirited coward.
William Makepeace Thackeray
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William Makepeace Thackeray
Age: 52 †
Born: 1811
Born: July 18
Died: 1863
Died: December 24
Novelist
Prosaist
Writer
Calcutta
William Makepeace Thackeray
George Fitz-Boodle
Worth
Eminence
Struggle
Attaining
Poor
Spirited
Altogether
Coward
Sluggard
Decline
Unambitious
Calls
Declines
Philosopher
Pretends
More quotes by William Makepeace Thackeray
Out of the fictitious book I get the expression of the life, of the times, of the manners, of the merriment, of the dress, the pleasure, the laughter, the ridicules of society. The old times live again. Can the heaviest historian do more for me?
William Makepeace Thackeray
A clever, ugly man every now and then is successful with the ladies, but a handsome fool is irresistible.
William Makepeace Thackeray
We can't all be lions in this world. There must be some lambs, harmless, kindly, gregarious creatures for eating and shearing.
William Makepeace Thackeray
Our great thoughts, our great affections, the truths of our life, never leave us. Surely they can not separate from our consciousness, shall follow it whithersoever that shall go, and are of their nature divine and immortal.
William Makepeace Thackeray
To forego even ambition when the end is gained - who can say this is not greatness?
William Makepeace Thackeray
Malice is of the boomerang character, and is apt to turn upon the projector.
William Makepeace Thackeray
Do not be in a hurry to succeed. What would you have to live for afterwards? Better make the horizon your goal it will always be ahead of you.
William Makepeace Thackeray
Certain it is that scandal is good brisk talk, whereas praise of one's neighbor is by no means lively hearing. An acquaintance grilled, scored, devilled, and served with mustard and cayenne pepper excites the appetite whereas a slice of cold friend with currant jelly is but a sickly, unrelishing meat.
William Makepeace Thackeray
Next to the very young, I suppose the very old are the most selfish.
William Makepeace Thackeray
'Tis strange what a man may do, and a woman yet think him an angel.
William Makepeace Thackeray
There are many sham diamonds in this life which pass for real, and vice versa.
William Makepeace Thackeray
Oh, brother wearers of motley, are there not moments when one grows sick of grinning and trembling and the jingling of cap and bells?
William Makepeace Thackeray
Women are jealous of cigars... they regard them as a strong rival.
William Makepeace Thackeray
Oh, my young friends, how delightful is the beginning of a love-business, and how undignified, sometimes, the end!
William Makepeace Thackeray
There is a skeleton in every house.
William Makepeace Thackeray
It is a friendly heart that has plenty of friends.
William Makepeace Thackeray
The wicked are wicked, no doubt, and they go astray and they fall, and they come by their deserts but who can tell the mischief which the very virtuous do?
William Makepeace Thackeray
If a man has committed wrong in life, I don't know any moralist more anxious to point his errors out to the world than his own relations.
William Makepeace Thackeray
Successful people aren't born that way. They become successful by establishing the habit of doing things unsuccessful people don't like to do. The successful people don't always like these things themselves they just get on and do them.
William Makepeace Thackeray
Ah me! we wound where we never intended to strike we create anger where we never meant harm and these thoughts are the thorns in our cushion. - William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray
