Jean de la Bruyere
Jean de la Bruyere
Jean de La Bruyèrewas a French philosopher and moralist...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionPhilosopher
CountryFrance
men littles knaves
In all conditions of life a poor man is a near neighbor to an honest one, and a rich man is as little removed from a knave.
temptation dread
Anything is a temptation to those who dread it.
secret
We confide our secret to a friend, but in love it escapes us.
people enemy might
We ought not to make those people our enemies who might have become our friends, if we had only known them better.
men way dull
A man who has schemed for some time can no longer do without it; all other ways of living are to him dull and insipid.
children believe fall
A man in health questions whether there is a God, and he also doubts whether it be a sin to have intercourse with a woman, who is at liberty to refuse ; but when he falls ill, or when his mistress is with child, she is discarded, and he believes in God.
character men
A man must be very inert to have no character at all.
ignorance men profound
Profound ignorance makes a man dogmatical.
husband wife quality
It is too much for a husband to have a wife who is a coquette and sanctimonious as well; she should select only one of those qualities.
reflection common scruples
Love has this in common with scruples, that it becomes embittered by the reflections and the thoughts that beset us to free ourselves.
causes merit birth
A lofty birth or a large fortune portend merit, and cause it to be the sooner noticed.
life-and-death long may
A long disease seems to be a halting place between life and death, that death itself may be a comfort to those who die and to those who are left behind.
expression voice style
Great things only require to be simply told, for they are spoiled by emphasis; but little things should be clothed in lofty language, as they are only kept up by expression, tone of voice, and style of delivery.
men thinking brain
A man who knows how to make good bargains or finds his money increase in his coffers, thinks presently that he has a good deal of brains and is almost fit to be a statesman.