Nothing should so much diminish the satisfaction which we feel with ourselves as seeing that we disapprove at one time of that which we approve of at another.
Those who think they have merit persuade themselves that they are honoured by being unhappy, in order to persuade others and themselves that they are worthy to be the butt of fortune.
Happiness is in the taste, and not in the things themselves; we are happy from possessing what we like, not from possessing what others like.
The attachment or indifference which philosophers have shown to life is only the style of their self love, about which we can no more dispute than of that of the palate or of the choice of colours.
The caprice of our temper is even more whimsical than that of Fortune.
A man often believes himself leader when he is led; as his mind endeavours to reach one goal, his heart insensibly drags him towards another.
We have not enough strength to follow all our reason.
Interest blinds some and makes some see.
Pride has a larger part than goodness in our remonstrances with those who commit faults, and we reprove them not so much to correct as to persuade them that we ourselves are free from faults.
It would seem that nature, which has so wisely ordered the organs of our body for our happiness, has also given us pride to spare us the mortification of knowing our imperfections.
Pride is much the same in all men, the only difference is the method and manner of showing it.
Pride indemnifies itself and loses nothing even when it casts away vanity.
Jealousy lives upon doubt; and comes to an end or becomes a fury as soon as it passes from doubt to certainty.
The evil that we do does not attract to us so much persecution and hatred as our good qualities.
Jealousy is in a manner just and reasonable, as it tends to preserve a good which belongs, or which we believe belongs to us, on the other hand envy is a fury which cannot endure the happiness of others.
People are often vain of their passions, even of the worst, but envy is a passion so timid and shame-faced that no one ever dare avow her.
We need greater virtues to sustain good than evil fortune.
When great men permit themselves to be cast down by the continuance of misfortune, they show us that they were only sustained by ambition, and not by their mind; so that PLUS a great vanity, heroes are made like other men.
Few people know death, we only endure it, usually from determination, and even from stupidity and custom; and most men only die because they know not how to prevent dying.
Moderation is caused by the fear of exciting the envy and contempt which those merit who are intoxicated with their good fortune; it is a vain display of our strength of mind, and in short the moderation of men at their greatest height is only a desire to appear greater than their fortune.
This clemency of which they make a merit, arises oftentimes from vanity, sometimes from idleness, oftentimes from fear, and almost always from all three combined.
The clemency of Princes is often but policy to win the affections of the people.
Our self love endures more impatiently the condemnation of our tastes than of our opinions.
Whatever care we take to conceal our passions under the appearances of piety and honour, they are always to be seen through these veils.
Passions often produce their contraries: avarice sometimes leads to prodigality, and prodigality to avarice; we are often obstinate through weakness and daring though timidity.
The passions possess a certain injustice and self interest which makes it dangerous to follow them, and in reality we should distrust them even when they appear most trustworthy.
The passions are the only advocates which always persuade. They are a natural art, the rules of which are infallible; and the simplest man with passion will be more persuasive than the most eloquent without.
Great and striking actions which dazzle the eyes are represented by politicians as the effect of great designs, instead of which they are commonly caused by the temper and the passions. Thus the war between Augustus and Anthony, which is set down to the ambition they entertained of making themselves masters of the world, was probably but an effect of jealousy.
Passion often renders the most clever man a fool, and even sometimes renders the most foolish man clever.
The duration of our passions is no more dependant upon us than the duration of our life.
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