Nicolas Chamfort
Nicolas Chamfort
Sébastien-Roch Nicolas, also known as Chamfort, was a French writer, best known for his witty epigrams and aphorisms. He was secretary to Louis XVI's sister, and of the Jacobin club...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth6 April 1741
CountryFrance
pride differences vanity
The person is always happy who is in the presence of something they cannot know in full. A person as advanced far in the study of morals who has mastered the difference between pride and vanity.
giving life-and-death tragedy
Tragedy has the great moral defect of giving too much importance to life and death.
love two contact
The contact of two epidermises.
country attention strive
In a country where everyone strives for attention, it is better to be bankrupt than to be nothing.
doctors gold cold
The threat of a neglected cold is for doctors what the threat of purgatory is for priests-a gold mine.
marriage son men
Were a man to consult only his reason, who would marry? For myself, I wouldn't marry, for fear of having a son who resembled me.
art expression obscure
An author is often obscure to the reader because they proceed from the thought to expression than like the reader from the expression to the thought.
nicknames chance providence
Chance is a nickname for Providence.
education self two
Education must have two foundations --morality as a support for virtue, prudence as a defense for self against the vices of others. By letting the balance incline to the side of morality, you only make dupes or martyrs; by letting it incline to the other, you make calculating egoists.
feet expression hands
There is as much expression in the feet as in the hands.
men matter littles
In great matters, men behave as they are expected to; in little ones, as they would naturally
names doubt chance
Someone described Providence as the baptismal name of chance; no doubt some pious person will retort that chance is the nickname of Providence.
funny hilarious laughter
The only thing that stops God from sending another flood is that the first one was useless.
brother my-brother
Be my brother or I will kill you.