88 quotes
When a thought is too weak to be expressed simply, it is a proof that it should be rejected.
Is it against justice or reason to love ourselves? And why is self-love always a vice?
Reflections and Maxims (1746)
To accomplish great things we must live as though we had never to die.
Reflections and Maxims (1746)
We must expect everything and fear everything from time and from men.
Clearness marks the sincerity of philosophers.
The moderation of great men only sets a limit to their vices. The moderation of weak men is mediocrity.
Reflections and Maxims (1746)
Some are born to invent, others to embellish; but the gilder attracts more attention than the architect.
Reflections and Maxims (1746)
If passion sometimes counsels greater boldness than does reflection, it gives more strength to execute it.
Reflections and Maxims (1746)
Whatever affection we have for our friends or relations, the happiness of others never suffices for our own.
Reflections and Maxims (1746)
As it is natural to believe many things without proof, so, despite all proof, is it natural to disbelieve others.
Reflections and Maxims (1746)
Magnanimity owes no account to prudence of its motives.
Reflections and Maxims (1746)
Reason deceives us more often than does nature.
Reflections and Maxims (1746)
The lazy are always wanting to do something.
Reflections and Maxims (1746)
If our friends do us a service, we think they owe it to us by their title of friend. We never think that they do not owe us their friendship.
Reflections and Maxims (1746)
It is proof of a narrow mind when things worthy of esteem are distinguished from things worthy of love. Great minds naturally love whatever is worthy of their esteem.
Reflections and Maxims (1746)
The perfection of a clock is not to go fast, but to be accurate.
The prudence of the great sets a limit only to their vices.
Reflections and Maxims (1746)
We are very wrong to think that some fault or other can exclude virtue, or to consider the alliance of good and evil as a monstrosity or an enigma.
Reflections and Maxims (1746)
The prudence of the weak is mere mediocrity.
Reflections and Maxims (1746)
The fool is like those people who think themselves rich with little.