There are heroes of wickedness, as there are of goodness.
The reason why lovers are never bored together is that they are always talking of themselves.
The older a fool is, the worse he is.
Men frequently do good only to give themselves opportunity of doing ill with impunity.
The appearances of goodness and merit often meet with a greater reward from the world than goodness and merit themselves.
The whimsicalness of our own humor is a thousand times more fickle and unaccountable than what we blame so much in fortune.
There are a great many simpletons who know themselves to be so, and who make a very cunning use of their own simplicity.
Some men are like ballads, that are in everyone's mouth a little while.
Affected simplicity is a subtle imposture.
A readiness to believe ill of others, before we have duly examined it, is the effect of laziness and pride. We are eager to find aculprit, and loath to give ourselves the trouble of examining the crime.
No one thinks fortune so blind as those she has been least kind to.
Moderation is a fear of falling into that envy and contempt which those who grow giddy with their good fortune quite justly draw upon themselves. It is a vain boasting of the greatness of our mind.
There is something to be said for jealousy, because it only designs the preservation of some good which we either have or think wehave a right to. But envy is a raging madness that cannot bear the wealth or fortune of others.
It is sometimes a point of as much cleverness to know to make good use of advice from others as to be able give good advice to oneself.
One man may be more cunning than another, but no one can be more cunning than all the world.
Perseverance is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy; for it seems to be only the enduring of certain inclinations and opinions which men neither give themselves nor take away from themselves.
Our repentances are generally not so much a concern and remorse for the harm we have done, as a fear of the harm we may have brought upon ourselves.
That which occasions so many mistakes in the computations of men, when they expect return for favors, is that the giver's pride and the receiver's cannot agree upon the value of the kindness done.
We frequently are troublesome to others, when we think it impossible for us ever to be so.
It is safer to do most men harm than to do them too much good.
A man is ridiculous less through the characteristics he has than through those he affects to have.
Commonplace minds usually condemn what is beyond the reach of their understanding.
Some disguised deceits counterfeit truth so perfectly that not to be taken in by them would be an error of judgment.
We exaggerate the glory of some men in order to detract from that of others.
We are always bored by the very people by whom it is vital not to be bored.
