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

— Honoré de Balzac Louis Lambert (1832)

Je préfère la pensée à l'action, une idée à une affaire, la contemplation au mouvement.

Original text (French)

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Notes from Wikiquote

As translated by Clara Bell

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Honoré de Balzac (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.