Conscience is a cudgel which all men pick up in order to thwack their neighbors instead of applying it to their own… — Honore de Balzac Conscience Copy Share Image
“If only I could bear all your sorrows for you! . . . Ah! you were so happy when you were little… — Honoré de Balzac Grief Copy Share Image
A husband and wife who have separate bedrooms have either drifted apart or found happiness. — Honore de Balzac Bedroom Copy Share Image
“The deeper the feeling the less demonstrative will be the expression of it.” — Honoré de Balzac Acting Copy Share Image
Lovers have a way of using this word, nothing, which implies exactly the opposite. — Honore de Balzac Love Copy Share Image
“Give what name you like to my presentiments, but I am afraid that my happiness will be paid for by some horrible… — Honoré de Balzac Happiness Copy Share Image
Heaven should be kind to stupid people, for no one else can be consistently. — Honore de Balzac Be kind Copy Share Image
Materialism and spirituality are two pretty racquets with which charlatans in cap and gown make the same ball fly. — Honore de Balzac Balls Copy Share Image
Love is like some fresh spring, first a stream and then a river, changing its aspect and its nature as it flows… — Honore de Balzac Aspect Copy Share Image
Do you know how a man makes his way here? By brilliant genius or by skilful corruption. You must either cut your… — Honore de Balzac Balls Copy Share Image
It is very difficult to pass from pleasure to work. Accordingly more poems have been swallowed up by sorrow than ever happiness… — Honore de Balzac Difficult Copy Share Image
Beaucoup d'hommes ont un orgueil qui les pousse a' cacher leurs combats et a' ne se montrer que victorieux. Many men have… — Honore de Balzac Causes Copy Share Image
“True love is eternal, infinite and always like itself. It's always equal and pure. Without violent demonstrations: It is seen with white… — Honore de Balzac Love Copy Share Image
Rich men are resolved to be astonished at nothing. When they see a masterpiece, they must needs at one glance recognize some… — Honore de Balzac Admiration Copy Share Image
Genuine sorrows are very tranquil in appearance in the deep bed they have dug for themselves. But, seeming to slumber, they corrode… — Honore de Balzac Acid Copy Share Image
If you are to judge a man, you must know his secret thoughts, sorrows, and feelings; to know merely the outward events… — Honore de Balzac Events Copy Share Image
Woman is a most charming creature, who changes her heart as easily as she does her gloves. — Honore de Balzac Charming Copy Share Image
The boor covers himself, the rich man or the fool adorns himself, and the elegant man gets dressed. — Honore de Balzac Elegant Copy Share Image
Love or hatred must constantly increase between two persons who are always together; every moment fresh reasons are found for loving or… — Honore de Balzac Constantly Copy Share Image
Generally our confidences move downward rather than upward; in our secret affairs, we employ our inferiors much more than our bettors. — Honore de Balzac Affair Copy Share Image
“Misfortune is a stepping stone for genius, the baptismal font of Christians, treasure for the skillful man, an abyss for the feeble.” — Honore de Balzac Christianity Copy Share Image
Any man, however blase or depraved, finds his love kindled anew when he sees himself threatened by a rival. — Honore de Balzac Depraved Copy Share Image
Noble passions are like vices: the more they are satisfied, the greater they grow, Mothers and gamblers are insatiable. — Honore de Balzac Desire Copy Share Image
I prefer thought to action, an idea to a transaction, contemplation to activity. — Honore de Balzac Action Copy Share Image
Rare is the man who suffers no remorse as he passes from the state of confidant to that of rival. — Honore de Balzac Confidant Copy Share Image
Who is to decide which is the grimmer sight: withered hearts, or empty skulls? — Honore de Balzac Empty Copy Share Image
What is a child, monsieur, but the image of two beings, the fruit of two sentiments spontaneously blended? — Honore de Balzac Child Copy Share Image
Imagination helps bring out the realism of every detail and only sees the beauties of the work. — Honore de Balzac Details Copy Share Image
Nothing is a greater impediment to being on good terms with others than being ill at ease with yourself. — Honore de Balzac Ease Copy Share Image
There are as many mediocrities exalted through pity as masters decried through envy. — Honore de Balzac Envy Copy Share Image
Our happiness often depends upon social hypocrisies to which we will never stoop. — Honore de Balzac Depends Copy Share Image
The duration of passion is proportionate with the original resistance of the woman. — Honore de Balzac Duration Copy Share Image
Remorse is impotence, impotence which sins again. Repentance alone is powerful; it ends all. — Honore de Balzac Ends Copy Share Image
God is the author, men are only the players. These grand pieces which are played upon earth have been composed in heaven. — Honore de Balzac Books Copy Share Image
Bankers are lynxes. To expect any gratitude from them is equivalent to attempting to move the wolves of the Ukraine to pity… — Honore de Balzac Attempting Copy Share Image
When one of those skirt-bearing animals has set herself up above all by permitting herself to be deified, no power on earth… — Honore de Balzac Animal Copy Share Image
How sternly we reproach virtue for its failings, how indulgent we are to the better qualities of vice! — Honore de Balzac Character Copy Share Image
Poverty is a divine stepmother who does for youths what their own mothers were unable to do. It introduces them to frugality,… — Honore de Balzac Divine Copy Share Image
“Conscience, my dear, is a kind of stick that everyone picks up to thrash his neighbor with, but one he never uses… — Honoré de Balzac Conscience Copy Share Image
Poetry is only born after painful journeys into the vast regions of thought. — Honore de Balzac Born Copy Share Image
