William Hazlitt
William Hazlitt
William Hazlittwas an English writer, drama and literary critic, painter, social commentator, and philosopher. He is now considered one of the greatest critics and essayists in the history of the English language, placed in the company of Samuel Johnson and George Orwell. He is also acknowledged as the finest art critic of his age. Despite his high standing among historians of literature and art, his work is currently little read and mostly out of print...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionCritic
Date of Birth10 April 1778
inspirational value-of-time misers
As we advance in life, we acquire a keener sense of the value of time. Nothing else, indeed, seems of any consequence; and we become misers in this respect.
sports art anchors
Art must anchor in nature, or it is the sport of every breath of folly.
thinking names london
I do not think there is anything deserving the name of society to be found out of London.
mind body exposure
There is an unseemly exposure of the mind, as well as of the body.
inspirational dull cold
We are cold to others only when we are dull in ourselves.
moving men way
A man who is determined never to move out of the beaten road cannot lose his way.
conversation vivacity equal
A person who talks with equal vivacity on every subject, excites no interest in any. Repose is as necessary in conversation as in a picture.
believe media years
Belief is with them mechanical, voluntary: they believe what they are paid for - they swear to that which turns to account. Do you suppose, that after years spent in this manner, they have any feeling left answering to the difference between truth and falsehood?
men reason certain
Men are in numberless instances qualified for certain things, for no other reason than because they are qualified for nothing else.
friends character common
The discussing the characters and foibles of common friends is a great sweetness and cement of friendship.
freedom liberty riches
Liberty is the only true riches: of all the rest we are at once the masters and the slaves.
envy soul
Envy is littleness of soul.
education writing able
It is better to be able neither to read nor write than to be able to do nothing else.
thinking vanity differences
The difference between the vanity of a Frenchman and an Englishman seems to be this: the one thinks everything right that is French, the other thinks everything wrong that is not English.