Jean de La Bruyère

If poverty is the mother of all crimes, lack of intelligence is their father.

The pleasure of criticizing takes away from us the pleasure of being moved by some very fine things.

Two persons 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.

The pleasure of criticism takes away from us the pleasure of being deeply moved by very fine things.

If some persons died and others did not die death would indeed be a terrible affliction.

The very essence of politeness is to take care that by our words and actions we make other people pleased with us as well as with themselves.

The unnamed should not be mistaken for the nonexistent.