Critic · English · 1778 – 1830 · 127 quotes
The person whose doors I enter with most pleasure, and quit with most regret, never did me the smallest favor.
William Hazlitt
Critic · English · 1778 – 1830
We are very much what others think of us. The reception our observations meet with gives us courage to proceed, or damps our efforts.
Books let us into their souls and lay open to us the secrets of our own.
The truly proud man knows neither superiors or inferiors. The first he does not admit of - the last he does not concern himself about.
We find many things to which the prohibition of them constitutes the only temptation.
Every man, in his own opinion, forms an exception to the ordinary rules of morality.
The smallest pain in our little finger gives us more concern than the destruction of millions of our fellow beings.
If you think you can win, you can win. Faith is necessary to victory.
To a superior race of being the pretensions of mankind to extraordinary sanctity and virtue must seem... ridiculous.
Those who make their dress a principal part of themselves, will, in general, become of no more value than their dress.
If I have not read a book before, it is, for all intents and purposes, new to me whether it was printed yesterday or three hundred years ago.
Old friendships are like meats served up repeatedly, cold, comfortless, and distasteful. The stomach turns against them.
Though familiarity may not breed contempt, it takes off the edge of admiration.
No one ever approaches perfection except by stealth, and unknown to themselves.
There is a secret pride in every human heart that revolts at tyranny. You may order and drive an individual, but you cannot make him respect you.
The perfect joys of heaven do not satisfy the cravings of nature.
We never do anything well till we cease to think about the manner of doing it.
To get others to come into our ways of thinking, we must go over to theirs; and it is necessary to follow, in order to lead.
The English (it must be owned) are rather a foul-mouthed nation.
The least pain in our little finger gives us more concern and uneasiness than the destruction of millions of our fellow-beings.
We can bear to be deprived of everything but our self-conceit.
The world judge of men by their ability in their profession, and we judge of ourselves by the same test: for it is on that on which our success in life depends.
A wise traveler never despises his own country.
Look up, laugh loud, talk big, keep the color in your cheek and the fire in your eye, adorn your person, maintain your health, your beauty and your animal spirits.
Grace in women has more effect than beauty.
The public have neither shame or gratitude.
Defoe says that there were a hundred thousand country fellows in his time ready to fight to the death against popery, without knowing whether popery was a man or a horse.
To give a reason for anything is to breed a doubt of it.
Some one is generally sure to be the sufferer by a joke.
Poetry is the universal language which the heart holds with nature and itself. He who has a contempt for poetry, cannot have much respect for himself, or for anything else.
As is our confidence, so is our capacity.
Everything is in motion. Everything flows. Everything is vibrating.
The player envies only the player, the poet envies only the poet.
Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity a greater.
Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps; for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are, and what they ought to be.
If we wish to know the force of human genius, we should read Shakespeare. If we wish to see the insignificance of human learning, we may study his commentators.
Good temper is one of the greatest preservers of the features.
Anyone who has passed though the regular gradations of a classical education, and is not made a fool by it, may consider himself as having had a very narrow escape.
Some people break promises for the pleasure of breaking them.
The art of pleasing consists in being pleased.
Wit is the salt of conversation, not the food.
He who undervalues himself is justly undervalued by others.
A hair in the head is worth two in the brush.
Learning is its own exceeding great reward.
We can scarcely hate anyone that we know.
Rules and models destroy genius and art.
Great thoughts reduced to practice become great acts.
The most insignificant people are the most apt to sneer at others. They are safe from reprisals. And have no hope of rising in their own self esteem but by lowering their neighbors.
