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La Bruyère and Vauvenargues: Selections from the Characters, Reflexions and Maxims

Book by Luc de Clapiers · 21 quotes · Men, Ifs, Sometimes

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La Bruyère and Vauvenargues: Selections from the Characters, Reflexions and Maxims Quotes

“In order to protect himself from force, man was obliged to submit to justice. Justice or force: he was compelled to choose between the two masters, so little are we made to be independent.”

MenLittlesMadeTwoOrderForceJusticeMastersProtectIndependentSubmitCompelledObligedTwo Masters
Book:La Bruyère and Vauvenargues: Selections from the Characters, Reflexions and Maxims
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“I do not approve the maxim which desires a man to know a little of everything. Superficial knowledge, knowledge without principles, is almost always useless and sometimes harmful knowledge.”

KnowsMenLittlesSometimesDesirePrinciplesKnowledgeUselessSuperficialMaximsSuperficial Knowledge
Book:La Bruyère and Vauvenargues: Selections from the Characters, Reflexions and Maxims
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“As soon as an opinion becomes common it is sufficient reason for men to abandon it and to uphold the opposite opinion until that in its turn grows old, and they require to distinguish themselves by other things. Thus if they attain their goal in some art or science, we must expect them soon to cast it aside to acquire some fresh fame, and this is partly the reason why the most splendid ages degenerate so quickly, and, scarcely emerged from barbarism, plunge into it again.”

IfsMenArtReasonAgeTurnsGrowsGoalCommonOpinionFameOppositesCastsReason WhySufficientAcquireAbandonSplendidPlungeBarbarismDegenerates
Book:La Bruyère and Vauvenargues: Selections from the Characters, Reflexions and Maxims
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“If a man is endowed with a noble and courageous soul, if he is painstaking, proud, ambitious, without meanness, of a profound a deep-seated intelligence, I dare assert that he lacks nothing to be neglected by the great and men in high office, who fear, more than other men, those whom they cannot dominate.”

IfsMenSoulProudOfficeProfoundDareNobleCourageousAmbitiousNeglectedMeanness
Book:La Bruyère and Vauvenargues: Selections from the Characters, Reflexions and Maxims
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“You can purchase the mind of Pascal for a crown. Pleasures even cheaper are sold to those who give themselves up to them. It is only luxuries and objects of caprice that are rare and difficult to obtain; unfortunately they are the only things that touch the curiosity and taste of ordinary men.”

MenGivingMindDifficultPleasureObjectsTasteOrdinaryCuriosityLuxuryCrownsCheaperOrdinary ManCapricePascal
Book:La Bruyère and Vauvenargues: Selections from the Characters, Reflexions and Maxims
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