Jean de La Bruyère

“that man is good who does good to others; if he suffers on account of the good he does, he is very good; if he suffers at the hands of those to whom he has done good, then his goodness is so great that it could be enhanced only by greater sufferings; and if he should die at their hands, his virtue can go no further: it is heroic, it is perfect”

“The true spirit of conversation consists more in bringing out the cleverness of others than in showing a great deal of it yourself; he who goes away pleased with himself and his own wit is also greatly pleased with you. Most men would rather please than admire you; they seek less to be instructed, and even to be amused, than to be praised and applauded.”

“If it is true that one is poor on account of all the things one wants, the ambitious and the avaricious languish in extreme poverty.”

“Sudden love takes the longest time to be cured.”

“Time, which strengthens friendship, weakens love.”

“Generosity lies less in giving much than in giving at the right moment.”

“One seeks to make the loved one entirely happy, or, if that cannot be, entirely wretched.”

“We can recognize the dawn and the decline of love by the uneasiness we feel when alone together.”

“A wise man is cured of ambition by ambition itself; his aim is so exalted that riches, office, fortune, and favor cannot satisfy him.”

“We keep a special place in our hearts for people who refuse to be impressed by us.”

“Il faut chercher seulement à penser et à parler juste, sans vouloir amener les autres à notre goût et à nos sentiments ; c'est une trop grande entreprise”

“Une froideur ou une incivilité qui vient de ceux qui sont au-dessus de nous nous les fait haïr, mais un salut ou un sourire nous les réconcilie.”

“If some persons died and others did not die death would indeed be a terrible affliction.”

“Such a great misfortune, not to be able to be alone.”

“When a book raises your spirit, and inspires you with noble and manly thoughts, seek for no other test of its excellence. It is good, and made by a good workman. ”

“The pleasure of criticizing takes away from us the pleasure of being moved by some very fine things.”

“There are only three events in a man's life; birth, life and death; he is not conscious of being born, he dies in pain and he forgets to live.”

“Two persons cannot long be friends if they cannot forgive each other's little failings.”

“Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its brevity.”