W. Somerset Maugham
W. Somerset Maugham
William Somerset Maugham CHwas a British playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highest paid author during the 1930s...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionPlaywright
Date of Birth25 January 1874
suffering-of-others suffering resignation
We learn resignation not by our own suffering, but by the suffering of others.
life nature common-sense
Common sense and nature will do a lot to make the pilgrimage of life not too difficult.
beautiful pain ideas
But Philip was impatient with himself; he called to mind his idea of the pattern of life: the unhappiness he had suffered was no more than part of a decoration which was elaborate and beautiful; he told himself strenuously that he must accept with gaiety everything, dreariness and excitement, pleasure and pain, because it added to the richness of the design.
names tolerance indifference
Tolerance is only another name for indifference.
beauty names ideals
The ideal has many names, and beauty is but one of them.
women wish human-bondage
One can be very much in love with a woman without wishing to spend the rest of one's life with her.
country religious morning
When I was young I had an elderly friend who used often to ask me to stay with him in the country. He was a religious man and he read prayers to the assembled household every morning. But he had crossed out in pencil all the passages that praised God. He said that there was nothing so vulgar as to praise people to their faces and, himself a gentleman, he could not believe that God was so ungentlemanly as to like it.
people important elements
People are always a little disconcerted when you don't recognize them, they are so important to themselves, it is a shock to discover of what small importance they are to others. [The human element]
fun peculiar life-is
Life is really very fantastic, and one has to have a peculiar sense of humour to see the fun of it. [Virtue]
age aging grows
When you have loved as she has loved, you grow old beautifully.
men evil way
Evil can be condoned only if in the beyond it is compensated by good and god himself needs immortality to vindicate his ways to man.
and he loved her suddenly because she loved him.
kindness goodness loving-kindness
Loving-kindness is the better part of goodness.
clever men thinking
There are many foolish people in the world and when a man in a rather high position puts on no frills, slaps them on the back, and tells them he'll do anything in the world for them, they are very likely to think him clever.