Most people know no other way of judging men’s worth but by the vogue they are in, or the fortunes they have met with.
Never give anyone the advice to buy or sell shares, because the most benevolent price of advice can turn out badly.
Our aversion to lying is commonly a secret ambition to make what we say considerable, and have every word received with a religious respect.
It is almost always a fault of one who loves not to realize when he ceases to be loved.
People always complain about their memories, never about their minds.
If it were not for the company of fools, a witty man would often be greatly at a loss.
Men give away nothing so liberally as their advice.
The desire of talking of ourselves, and showing those faults we do not mind having seen, makes up a good part of our sincerity.
When a man is in love, he doubts, very often, what he most firmly believes.
The reason why so few people are agreeable in conversation is that each is thinking more about what he intends to say than others are saying.
A great many men’s gratitude is nothing but a secret desire to hook in more valuable kindnesses hereafter.
Weakness of character is the only defect which cannot be amended.
Being a blockhead is sometimes the best security against being cheated by a man of wit.
However glorious an action in itself, it ought not to pass for great if it be not the effect of wisdom and intention.
We get so much in the habit of wearing disguises before others that we finally appear disguised before ourselves.
Old people love to give good advice; it compensates them for their inability to set a bad example.
The defects and faults of the mind are like wounds in the body; after all imaginable care has been taken to heal them up, still there will be a scar left behind, and they are in continual danger of breaking the skin and bursting out again.
If we did not flatter ourselves, the flattery of others could never harm us.
In the misfortunes of our best friends we always find something not altogether displeasing to us.
Some accidents there are in life that a little folly is necessary to help us out of.