When a book raises your spirit, and inspires you with noble and manly thoughts, seek for no other test of its excellence.… — Jean de la Bruyere Book Copy Share Image
Love seizes us suddenly, without giving warning, and our disposition or our weakness favors the surprise; one look, one glance, from the… — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
A blockhead cannot come in, nor go away, nor sit, nor rise, nor stand, like a man of sense. — Jean de la Bruyere Blockhead Copy Share Image
We hope to grow old, and we dread old age; that is to say, we love life and flee from death. — Jean de la Bruyere Age Copy Share Image
Duty is what goes most against the grain, because in doing that we do only what we are strictly obliged to, and… — Jean de la Bruyere Duty Copy Share Image
Some people pretend they never were in love and never wrote poetry; two weaknesses which they dare not own -- one of… — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
Jesting, often, only proves a want of intellect. [Fr., La moquerie est souvent une indigence d'esprit.] — Jean de la Bruyere Intellect Copy Share Image
The unfaithful woman, if she is known for such by the person concerned, is only unfaithful. If she is thought faithful, she… — Jean De La Bruyere Unfaithful Copy Share Image
How many men are like trees, already strong and full grown, which are transplanted into some gardens, to the astonishment of those… — Jean de la Bruyere Astonishment Copy Share Image
We should keep silent about those in power; to speak well of them almost implies flattery; to speak ill of them while… — Jean de la Bruyere Alive Copy Share Image
Politeness does not always inspire goodness, equity, complaisance, and gratitude; it gives at least the appearance of these qualities, and makes man… — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
A man only goes and confesses his faults to the world when his self will not acknowledge or listen to them. WYNDHAM… — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
I am not surprised that there are gambling houses, like so many snares laid for human avarice; like abysses where many a… — Jean de la Bruyere Abyss Copy Share Image
The same principle leads us to neglect a man of merit that induces us to admire a fool. [Fr., Du meme fonds… — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
There are certain things in which mediocrity is intolerable: poetry, music, painting, public eloquence. What torture it is to hear a frigid… — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
I am not astonished that men who lean, as it were, on an atom, should stumble at the smallest efforts they make… — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
Men are the cause of women not loving one another. [Fr., Les hommes sont la cause que les femmes ne s'aiment point.] — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
It is motive alone that gives real value to the actions of men, and disinterestedness puts the cap to it. — Jean de la Bruyere Action Copy Share Image
We wish to constitute all the happiness, or, if that cannot be, the misery of the one we love. — Jean de la Bruyere Happiness Copy Share Image
Misers are neither relations, nor friends, nor citizens, nor Christians, nor perhaps even human beings. — Jean de la Bruyere Christian Copy Share Image
A man is rich whose income is larger than his expenses, and he is poor if his expenses are greater than his… — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
Between good sense and good taste there lies the difference between a cause and its effect. — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
There are few wives so perfect as not to give their husbands at least once a day good reason to repent of… — Jean de la Bruyere Giving Copy Share Image
There is nothing which continues longer than a moderate fortune; nothing of which one sees sooner the end than a large fortune. — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
It is not so easy to obtain a reputation by a perfect work as to enhance the value of an indifferent one… — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
The favor of princes does not preclude the existence of merit, and yet does not prove that it exists. — Jean De La Bruyere Life Copy Share Image
It is a proof of boorishness to confer a favor with a bad grace; it is the act of giving that is… — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
We never deceive people to benefit them, for knavery is a compound of wickedness and falsehood. — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
We dread old age, which are not sure of being able to attain. [Fr., L'on craint la vieillesse, que l'on n'est pas… — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
We seek our happiness outside ourselves, and in the opinion of men we know to be flatterers, insincere, unjust, full of envy,… — Jean de la Bruyere Caprice Copy Share Image
The true spirit of conversation consists more in bringing out the cleverness of others than in showing a great deal of it… — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
Every hour in itself, as it respects us in particular, is the only one we can call our own. — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
The Opera is obviously the first draft of a fine spectacle; it suggests the idea of one. — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
He who will not listen to any advice, nor be corrected in his writings, is a rank pedant. — Jean de la Bruyere Advice Copy Share Image
“If it is true that one is poor on account of all the things one wants, the ambitious and the avaricious languish… — Jean de La Bruyère Extreme poverty Copy Share Image
If our life is unhappy it is painful to bear; if it is happy it is horrible to lose, So the one… — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
If you suppress the exorbitant love of pleasure and money, idle curiosity, iniquitous pursuits and wanton mirth, what a stillness would there… — Jean de la Bruyere Cities Copy Share Image
One faithful Friend is enough for a man's self, 'tis much to meet with such an one, yet we can't have too… — Jean de la Bruyere Copy Share Image
Praise, of all things, is the most powerful excitement to commendable actions, and animates us in our enterprises. — Jean de la Bruyere Action Copy Share Image
Genius and great abilities are often wanting; sometimes, only opportunities. Some deserve praise for what they have done; others for what they… — Jean de la Bruyere Ability Copy Share Image
![“Jesting, often, only proves a want of intellect. [Fr., La moquerie est souvent une indigence d'esprit.]” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/0d4/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_intellect_jesting-often-only-proves-a-want-of-inte_2496040.png)
![“The same principle leads us to neglect a man of merit that induces us to admire a fool. [Fr., Du meme fonds dont on neglige un homme de merite l'on sait encore admirer un sot.]” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/7b6/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_admire_the-same-principle-leads-us-to-neglect-a_1162291.png)
![“Men are the cause of women not loving one another. [Fr., Les hommes sont la cause que les femmes ne s'aiment point.]” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/528/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_cause_men-are-the-cause-of-women-not-loving-on_1028125.png)
![“We dread old age, which are not sure of being able to attain. [Fr., L'on craint la vieillesse, que l'on n'est pas sur de pouvoir atteindre.]” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/1f3/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_able_we-dread-old-age-which-are-not-sure-of-b_1858648.png)
