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Quote by Jean de la Bruyere

“Eminent station makes great men more great, and little ones less.”

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Jean de la Bruyere was a French philosopher and moralist, born on August 16, 1645, and died on May 10, 1696. His works have had a profound impact on posterity. more

“Young people are dazzled by the brilliancy of antithesis, and employ it. Matter-of-fact men, and those who like precision, naturally fall into comparisons and metaphor. Sprightly natures, full of fire, and whom a boundless imagination carries beyond all rules, and even what is reasonable, cannot rest satisfied even with hyperbole. As for the sublime, it is only great geniuses and those of the very highest order that are able to rise to its height.”

“The sublime only paints the true, and that too in noble objects; it paints it in all its phases, its cause and its effect; it is the most worthy expression or image of this truth. Ordinary minds cannot find out the exact expression, and use synonymes.”

Mind Use Causes Effects Objects Expression Ordinary Paint Worthy Noble Phases Sublime

Author:Jean de la Bruyere

“Both as to high and low indifferently, men are prepossessed, charmed, fascinated by success; successful crimes are praised very much like virtue itself, and good fortune is not far from occupying the place of the whole cycle of virtues. It must be an atrocious act, a base and hateful deed, which success would not be able to justify.”

Men Whole Able Success Virtue Successful Crime Lows Fortune Deeds Justify Cycles Fascinated Good Fortune Hateful Charmed Highs And Lows

Author:Jean de la Bruyere

“There are but two ways of rising in the world: either by one's own industry or profiting by the foolishness of others. [Fr., Il n'y a au monde que deux manieres de s'elever, ou par sa propre industrie, ou par l'imbecilite des autres.]”

World Way Two Success Industry Rising Foolishness Two Ways

Author:Jean de la Bruyere

“We seldom repent talking little, but very often talking too much.”

Littles Talking Too Much Repent Talking Too Much

Author:Jean de la Bruyere

“The opposite of what is noised about concerning men and things is often the truth. [Fr., Le contraire des bruits qui courent des affaires ou des personnes est souvent la verite.]”

Men Truth Opposites

Author:Jean de la Bruyere

“A vain man finds his account in speaking good or evil of himself.”

Men Evil Accounts Vanity Vain

Author:Jean de la Bruyere

“False glory is the rock of vanity; it seduces men to affect esteem by things which they indeed possess, but which are frivolous, and which for a man to value himself on would be a scandalous error.”

Men Would Be Values Rocks Glory Errors Esteem Vanity Seducing Frivolous Scandalous

Author:Jean de la Bruyere

“False modesty is the masterpiece of vanity: showing the vain man in such an illusory light that he appears in the reputation of the virtue quite opposite to the vice which constitutes his real character; it is a deceit.”

Men Real Character Light Virtue Opposites Vices Reputation Vanity Vain Deceit Modesty Masterpiece Illusory Real Character False Modesty

Author:Jean de la Bruyere

“The same vices which are huge and insupportable in others we do not feel in ourselves.”

Feels Huge Vices

Author:Jean de la Bruyere

Quote by Jean de la Bruyere

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