Jean de La Bruyère: Quotes

• Criticism and Critics

  The pleasure of criticizing robs us of the pleasure of being moved by some very fine things.La Bruyagere: Les Caractères

• Gifts and Giving

  Liberality consists less in giving a great deal than in gifts well timed.La Bruyère: Les Caractères

• Laughter and Smiles

  We must laugh before we are happy for fear of dying without having laughed at all.La Bruyère: Les Caractères

• Life

  When life is miserable it is painful to endure it; when it is happy it is horrible to lose it; both come to the same thing. Life is something to do when you can't get to sleep.La Bruyère: Les Caractères

• Love

  At the beginning and at the end of love the two lovers are embarrassed to find themselves alone.La Bruyère: Les Caractères

• Marriage

  There are few women so perfect that their husbands do not regret having married them at least once a day.La Bruyère: Les Caractères

• Medicine and Doctors

  As long as men are liable to die and are desirous to live, a physician will be made fun of, but he will be well paid.La Bruyère: Les Caractères

• Memory

  To endeavor to forget anyone is a certain way of thinking of nothing else.La Bruyère: Les Caractères

• Reputation

  There is a report that Piso is dead; it is a great loss; he was an honest man, who deserved to live longer; he was intelligent and agreeable, resolute and courageous, to be depended upon, generous and faithful. Add: provided he is really dead.La Bruyère: Les Caractères

• Success and Failure

  There are only two ways of getting on in the world—either by one's own industry, or by the stupidity of others.La Bruyère: Les Caractères

• Time

  Those who make the worst use of their time most complain of its shortness.La Bruyère: Les Caractères

• Writing and Writers

  It is theglory and merit of some men to write well, and of others not to write at all.La Bruyère: Les Caractères