Jean de la Bruyere
Jean de la Bruyere
Jean de La Bruyèrewas a French philosopher and moralist...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionPhilosopher
CountryFrance
spirit conversation deals
The true spirit of conversation consists more in bringing out the cleverness of others than in showing a great deal of it yourself.
love-is
Love begins with love ; and the warmest friendship cannot change even to the coldest love.
pride men forgiving
It is difficult for a proud man ever to forgive a person who has found him at fault, and who has good grounds for complaining of him; his pride is not assuaged till he has regained the advantages he lost and put the other person in the wrong.
pride men treats
The same amount of pride which makes a man treat haughtily his inferiors, makes him cringe servilely; to those above him.
sight voice lovely
A lovely countenance is the fairest of all sights, and the sweetest harmony is the sound of the voice of her whom we love.
cities curiosity mirth
If you suppress the exorbitant love of pleasure and money, idle curiosity, iniquitous pursuits and wanton mirth, what a stillness would there be in the greatest cities.
familiar great-things customs
Great things astonish us, and small dishearten us. Custom makes both familiar.
littles conversation cunning
Amongst such as out of cunning hear all and talk little, be sure to talk less; or if you must talk, say little.
quality may vices
Cunning is none of the best nor worst qualities; it floats between virtue and vice; there is scarce any exigence where it may not, and perhaps ought not to be supplied by prudence.
husband two bears
For a woman to be at once a coquette and a bigot is more than the humblest of husbands can bear; she should mercifully choose between the two.
flower men tree
It is very rare to find ground which produces nothing; if it is not covered with flowers, with fruit trees and grains, it produces briers and pines. It is the same with man; if he is not virtuous, he becomes vicious.
people deception knavery
We never deceive people to benefit them, for knavery is a compound of wickedness and falsehood.
death suffering moments
Death happens but once, yet we feel it every moment of our lives; it is worse to dread it than to suffer it.
resources conversation charm
The great charm of conversation consists less in the display of one's own wit and intelligence than in the power to draw forth the resources of others.