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
change constant learn left leisure objects outward respect
Those who from a constant change and dissipation of outward objects have not a moment's leisure left for their own thoughts, can feel no respect for themselves, and learn little consideration for humanity.
cannot good great management miss opportunity saying trusted
Those who cannot miss an opportunity of saying a good thing . . . are not to be trusted with the management of any great question.
evils great resent
To great evils we submit; we resent little provocations
anyone dies gap leaves others trying
When a person dies who does any one thing better than anyone else in the world, which so many others are trying to do well, it leaves a gap in society.
choice man virtue
A man must make his choice not only between virtue and vice, but between different virtues.
events hand rid work
A man's look is the work of years; it is stamped on his countenance by the events of his whole life, nay, more by the hand of nature, and it is not to be got rid of easily.
cannot enjoy life prodigal remains tenacious
The young are prodigal of life from a superabundance of it; the old are tenacious on the same score, because they have little left, and cannot enjoy even what remains of it.
busy leisure
The more we do, the more we can do; the more busy we are the more leisure we have
excellent met people
An indigestion is an excellent common-place for two people that never met before.
excess fact hurtful less modesty
An excess of modesty is in fact an excess of pride, and more hurtful to the individual, and less advantageous to society, than the grossest and most unblushing vanity.
anyone classical consider education fool himself narrow passed regular
Anyone who has passed through the regular gradations of a classical education, and is not made a fool by it, may consider himself as having had a very narrow escape.
anxious deserving high hindrance obtaining opinion refinement secure standard success surest
The way to secure success, is to be more anxious about obtaining than about deserving it; the surest hindrance to it is to have too high a standard of refinement in our own minds, or too high an opinion of the discernment of the public.
breaking english-critic persons pleasure promises
Some persons make promises for the pleasure of breaking them.
creature gentleman great known moment opinion public shake title
It is great to shake off the trammels of the world and of public opinion . . . and become the creature of the moment . . . known by no other title than The Gentleman in the Parlour!