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Luc de Clapiers

Luc de Clapiers Quotes

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Famous Luc de Clapiers 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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“The maxim that men are not to be praised before their death was invented by envy and too lightly adopted by philosophers. I, on the contrary, maintain that they ought to be praised in their lifetime if they merit it; but jealousy and calumny, roused against their virtue or their talent, labour to degrade them if any one ventures to bear testimony to them. It is unjust criticism that they should fear to hazard, not sincere praise.”

IfsMenShouldVirtueTalentBearsOughtCriticismPraiseLifetimePhilosopherEnvyContraryMeritLabourSincereVentureUnjustTestimonyAdoptedMaximsHazardsDegradeCalumnyUnjust Criticism
Author:Luc de Clapiers
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“The generality of men are so bound within the sphere of their circumstances that they have not even the courage to get out of them through their ideas, and if we see a few whom, in a way, speculation over great things makes incapable of mean ones, we find still more with whom the practice of small things takes away the feeling for great ones.”

IfsMenWayMeanStillsIdeasFeelingsPracticeCircumstancesBoundsGreat ThingsSpheresIncapableSpeculationSmall ThingsGreat OnesGeneralities
Author:Luc de Clapiers
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“Superficial knowledge ... is hurtful to those who possess true genius; for it necessarily draws them away from their main object, wastes their industry over details and subjects foreign to their needs and natural talent, and lastly does not serve, as they flatter themselves, to prove the breadth of their mind. In all ages there have been men of very moderate intelligence who knew much, and so on the contrary, men of the highest intelligence who knew very little. Ignorance is not lack of intelligence, nor knowledge a proof of genius.”

MenNeedsMindLittlesDoeHas BeensAgeNaturalSubjectsTalentObjectsIgnoranceIndustryGeniusProveWasteHighestDrawsDetailsProofContrarySuperficialModeratesHurtfulBreadthNatural TalentTrue GeniusSuperficial Knowledge
Author:Luc de Clapiers
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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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“All that causes one man to differ from another is a very slight thing. What is it that is the origin of beauty or ugliness, health or weakness, ability or stupidity? A slight difference in the organs, a little more or a little less bile. Yet this more or less is of infinite importance to men; and when they think otherwise they are mistaken.”

ThinkingMenLittlesCausesDifferencesAbilityWeaknessImportanceInfiniteStupidityDistinctionOne ManOrgansMistakenUgliness
Author:Luc de Clapiers
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