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Honore de Balzac Quotes - Page 12

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Modesty is the conscience of the body.

Modesty is the conscience of the body.

Honore de Balzac
Humility, Body, Modesty
Honore de Balzac (2014). “Analytical Studies: Physiology of Marriage and Petty Troubles of Married Life”, p.366, The Floating Press

There is neither vice nor virtue, there are only circumstances.

Honore de Balzac
Art, Philosophy, History

The key to all sciences is unquestionably the question mark. To the word How? we owe most of our greatest discoveries. Wisdom in life may perhaps consist in asking ourselves on all occasions: Why?

Honore de Balzac
Keys, Discovery, Asking

Like most young people, these two attributed to the world their own intelligence and virtues. Youth who knows no failure has no mercy on the faults of other people; but it has also a sublime faith in them.

Honore de Balzac
Two, People, Sublime

Virtue in women is perhaps a question of temperament.

Honore de Balzac
Women, Human Nature, Virtue
Honore de Balzac (2014). “Analytical Studies: Physiology of Marriage and Petty Troubles of Married Life”, p.67, The Floating Press

To promote laughter without joining in it greatly heightens the effect.

Honore de Balzac
Laughter, Joining In, Joining

In Paris, the greatest expression of personal satisfaction known to man is the smirk on the face of a male, highly pleased with himself as he leaves the boudoir of a lady.

Honore de Balzac
Funny, Humorous, Men

Foppery, being the chronic condition of women, is not so much noticed as it is when it breaks out on the person of the male bird.

Honore de Balzac
Bird, Males, Break Out

Rare is the man who suffers no remorse as he passes from the state of confidant to that of rival.

Honore de Balzac
Men, Suffering, Rivals

The habits of life form the soul, and the soul forms the physical presence.

Honore de Balzac
Soul, Literature, Habit
"The Vicar of Tours". Book by Honoré de Balzac, 1832.

I prefer thought to action, an idea to a transaction, contemplation to activity.

Honore de Balzac
Ideas, Action, Contemplation
Honore De Balzac (2011). “Louis Lambert”, p.75, The Floating Press

Marriage must perforce fight against the all-devouring monster of habit.

Honore de Balzac
Marriage, Fighting, Monsters

Resignation is a daily suicide.

Honore de Balzac
Suicide, Resignation

It is no sin to be tempted; the wickedness lies in being overcome.

Honore de Balzac
Lying, Overcoming, Wickedness

Man judges of nature in relation to itself; the angelic spirit judges of it in relation to heaven. In short, to the spirits everything speaks.

Honore de Balzac
Angel, Men, Judging

Nothing so fortifies a friendship as a belief on the part of one friend that he is superior to the other.

Honore de Balzac
Friendship, Best Friend, Real Friends
Honore de Balzac (1884). “Cousin Pons”, p.35, Library of Alexandria

The great secret of social alchemy is to profit best from each stage in our lives, to gather all its leaves in spring, all its flowers in summer, and all its fruits in autumn.

Honore de Balzac
Summer, Spring, Flower

A man may and ought to pride himself more on his will than on his talent.

Honore de Balzac
Pride, Men, May
Honore de Balzac (1899). “The Muse of the Department”, p.141, Library of Alexandria

Are not our noblest feelings as it were the poems of our will.

Honore de Balzac
Feelings

To forget is the great secret of strong creative natures; to forget is the way nature herself who knows no past and who at every hour begins the mysteries of her untiring labors afresh.

Honore de Balzac
Strong, Past, Creative

This coffee falls into your stomach, and straightway there is a general commotion. Ideas begin to move like the battalions of the Grand Army of the battlefield, and the battle takes place. Things remembered arrive at full gallop, ensuing to the wind. The light cavalry of comparisons deliver a magnificent deploying charge, the artillery of logic hurry up with their train and ammunition, the shafts of with start up like sharpshooters. Similes arise, the paper is covered with ink; for the struggle commences and is concluded with torrents of black water, just as a battle with powder.

Honore de Balzac
Struggle, Moving, Fall

Friendships last when each friend thinks he has a slight superiority over the other.

Honore de Balzac
Friendship, Thinking, Negative

The greatest joy a petty soul can taste is to dupe a great soul and catch it in a snare.

Honore de Balzac
Joy, Soul, Taste

Many men are deeply moved by the mere semblance of suffering in a woman; they take the look of pain for a sign of constancy or of love.

Honore de Balzac
Pain, Men, Suffering
Honore de Balzac (2015). “A Woman of Thirty: Works of Balzac”, p.15, 谷月社

Hatred like love feeds on the merest trifles.

Honore de Balzac
Like Love, Hatred, Trifles

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