Jean de La Bruyère Quotes
Most popular Jean de La Bruyère Quotes
![Profound ignorance makes a man dogmatic. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/34/29734A-profound-ignorance-makes-a-man-dogmatic-jean-de-la-bruyere.png)
Profound ignorance makes a man dogmatic.
![We all covet wealth, but not its perils. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/11/53611A-we-all-covet-wealth-but-not-its-perils-jean-de-la-bruyere.png)
We all covet wealth, but not its perils.
![Time, which strengthens friendship weakens love. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/89/2989A-time-which-strengthens-friendship-weakens-love-la-bruyere.png)
Time, which strengthens friendship weakens love.
![False modesty is the refinement of vanity. It is a lie. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/54/2554A-false-modesty-is-the-refinement-of-vanity-it-is-lie-jean-de-la-bruyere.png)
False modesty is the refinement of vanity. It is a lie.
![It is motive alone that gives character to actions of men. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/71/7571A-it-is-motive-alone-that-gives-character-actions-men-la-bruyere.png)
It is motive alone that gives character to actions of men.
![If Poverty is the Mother of Crimes, want of Sense is the Father. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/22/4922A-if-poverty-is-the-mother-of-crimes-want-sense-is-jean-de-la-bruyere.png)
If Poverty is the Mother of Crimes, want of Sense is the Father.
![The sweetest of all sounds is that of the voice of the one we love. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/87/3287A-the-sweetest-of-all-sounds-is-that-voice-one-we-la-bruyere.png)
The sweetest of all sounds is that of the voice of the one we love.
![Life is a tragedy to those who feel, and a comedy to those who think. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/70/11270A-life-is-a-tragedy-to-those-who-feel-comedy-those-jean-de-la-bruyere.png)
Life is a tragedy to those who feel, and a comedy to those who think.
![The most amiable men are those who least wound the self-love of others. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/78/2178A-the-most-amiable-men-are-those-who-least-wound-self-jean-de-la-bruyere.png)
The most amiable men are those who least wound the self-love of others.
![Liberality consists less in giving a great deal than in gifts well timed. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/41/6941A-liberality-consists-less-in-giving-a-great-deal-than-gifts-jean-de-la-bruyere.png)
Liberality consists less in giving a great deal than in gifts well timed.
![We are more sociable, and get on better with men, by the heart than the intellect. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/02/8702A-we-are-more-sociable-and-get-better-with-men-by-la-bruyere.png)
We are more sociable, and get on better with men, by the heart than the intellect.
![Two men cannot long be friends if they cannot forgive each other's little failings. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/34/9434A-two-men-cannot-long-be-friends-if-they-cannot-forgive-la-bruyere.png)
Two men cannot long be friends if they cannot forgive each other's little failings.
![Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its brevity. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/90/2990A-those-who-make-the-worst-use-their-time-are-first-la-bruyere.png)
Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its brevity.
![Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its shortness. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/11/14611A-those-who-make-the-worst-use-their-time-are-first-jean-de-la-bruyere.png)
Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its shortness.
![Let us not envy some men's accumulated riches; their burden would be too heavy for us. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/72/8172A-let-us-not-envy-some-mens-accumulated-riches-their-burden-la-bruyere.png)
Let us not envy some men's accumulated riches; their burden would be too heavy for us.
![To give awkwardly is churlishness. The most difficult part is to give, then why not add a smile? - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/22/31722A-to-give-awkwardly-is-churlishness-the-most-difficult-part-is-jean-de-la-bruyere.png)
To give awkwardly is churlishness. The most difficult part is to give, then why not add a smile?
![The wit of conversation consists more in finding it in others than in showing a great deal yourself. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/59/14859A-the-wit-of-conversation-consists-more-finding-it-others-than-jean-de-la-bruyere.png)
The wit of conversation consists more in finding it in others than in showing a great deal yourself.
![Children have neither past nor future; and what scarcely ever happens to us, they enjoy the present. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/15/9315A-children-have-neither-past-nor-future-what-scarcely-ever-happens-la-bruyere.png)
Children have neither past nor future; and what scarcely ever happens to us, they enjoy the present.
![The most delicate, the most sensible of all pleasures, consists in promoting the pleasure of others. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/53/3753A-the-most-delicate-the-most-sensible-all-pleasures-consists-promoting-jean-de-la-bruyere.png)
The most delicate, the most sensible of all pleasures, consists in promoting the pleasure of others.
![A show of a certain amount of honesty is in any profession of business the surest way of growing rich. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/94/7794A-a-show-of-a-certain-amount-honesty-is-any-profession-la-bruyere.png)
A show of a certain amount of honesty is in any profession of business the surest way of growing rich.
![Modesty is to merit what shade is to figures in a picture; it gives it strength and makes it stand out. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/99/13499A-modesty-is-to-merit-what-shade-is-figures-picture-it-jean-de-la-bruyere.png)
Modesty is to merit what shade is to figures in a picture; it gives it strength and makes it stand out.
![There are only two ways of getting on in the world - by one's own industry or by the weakness of others. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/27/19527A-there-are-only-two-ways-of-getting-world-by-ones-la-bruyere.png)
There are only two ways of getting on in the world - by one's own industry or by the weakness of others.
![There are only two ways of getting on in this world: by one's own industry or by the stupidity of others! - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/59/19059A-there-are-only-two-ways-of-getting-this-world-by-jean-de-la-bruyere.png)
There are only two ways of getting on in this world: by one's own industry or by the stupidity of others!
![If it be usual to be strongly impressed by things that are scarce, why are we so little impressed by virtue? - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/71/2371A-if-it-be-usual-to-be-strongly-impressed-by-things-la-bruyere.png)
If it be usual to be strongly impressed by things that are scarce, why are we so little impressed by virtue?
![As riches and favor forsake a man, we discover him to be a fool, but nobody could find it out in his prosperity. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/28/8228A-as-riches-and-favor-forsake-a-man-we-discover-him-la-bruyere.png)
As riches and favor forsake a man, we discover him to be a fool, but nobody could find it out in his prosperity.
![There is no business in this world so troublesome as the pursuit of fame: life is over before you have hardly begun your work. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/20/8320A-there-is-no-business-in-this-world-so-troublesome-as-la-bruyere.png)
There is no business in this world so troublesome as the pursuit of fame: life is over before you have hardly begun your work.
![A slave has but one master; an ambitious man has as many masters as there are people who may be useful in bettering his position. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/99/19199A-a-slave-has-but-one-master-ambitious-man-has-as-jean-de-la-bruyere.png)
A slave has but one master; an ambitious man has as many masters as there are people who may be useful in bettering his position.
![A long illness seems to be placed between life and death, in order to make death a comfort both to those who die and to those who remain. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/60/33360A-a-long-illness-seems-to-be-placed-between-life-death-jean-de-la-bruyere.png)
A long illness seems to be placed between life and death, in order to make death a comfort both to those who die and to those who remain.
![From time to time there appear on the face of the earth men of rare and consummate excellence, who dazzle us by their virtue, and whose outstanding qualities shed a stupendous light. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/52/30452A-from-time-to-time-there-appear-face-earth-men-rare-jean-de-la-bruyere.png)
From time to time there appear on the face of the earth men of rare and consummate excellence, who dazzle us by their virtue, and whose outstanding qualities shed a stupendous light.
![True greatness is free, kind, familiar and popular; it lets itself be touched and handled, it loses nothing by being seen at close quarters; the better one knows it, the more one admires it. - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/29/32229A-true-greatness-is-free-kind-familiar-popular-it-lets-itself-jean-de-la-bruyere.png)
True greatness is free, kind, familiar and popular; it lets itself be touched and handled, it loses nothing by being seen at close quarters; the better one knows it, the more one admires it.
![There are certain things in which mediocrity is intolerable: poetry, music, painting, public eloquence. What torture it is to hear a frigid speech being pompously declaimed, or second-rate verse spoken with all a bad poet's bombast! - Jean de La Bruyère quote.](/img/q/59/35659A-there-are-certain-things-in-which-mediocrity-is-intolerable-poetry-jean-de-la-bruyere.png)
There are certain things in which mediocrity is intolerable: poetry, music, painting, public eloquence. What torture it is to hear a frigid speech being pompously declaimed, or second-rate verse spoken with all a bad poet's bombast!