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
art successful bored
It is commonly supposed that the art of pleasing is a wonderful aid in the pursuit of fortune; but the art of being bored is infinitely more successful.
art fine wells
In the fine arts, as in many other things, we know well only what we have not learned.
art secret eloquence
The art of the parenthesis is one of the greatest secrets of eloquence in Society
art disease satire
Satire is the disease of art.
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.
french-writer laughed surely
Of all days, the day on which one has not laughed is the one most surely wasted.
failure intelligent energy
A person of intellect without energy added to it, is a failure.
death sleep literature
Living is a sickness to which sleep provides relief every sixteen hours. It's a palliative. The remedy is death.
foolish fools-and-foolishness
There are well-dressed foolish ideas, just as there are will-dressed fools.
appetite composed dinners great society
Society is composed of two great classes those who have more dinners than appetite, and those who have more appetite than dinners.
certain french-writer opinion opinions public worst
There are certain times when public opinion is the worst of all opinions.
age man
Man arrives as a novice at each age of his life.
life oneself watch
The contemplative life is often miserable. One must act more, think less, and not watch oneself live.
days wasted
The most wasted of all days is that on which one has not laughed.