William Hazlitt Quotes
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The garb of religion is the best cloak for power.
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Familiarity confounds all traits of distinction; interest and prejudice take away the power of judging.
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One shining quality lends a lustre to another, or hides some glaring defect.
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The poetical impression of any object is that uneasy, exquisite sense of beauty or power that cannot be contained within itself; that is impatient of all limit; that (as flame bends to flame) strives to link itself to some other image of kindred beauty or grandeur; to enshrine itself, as it were, in the highest forms of fancy, and to relieve the aching sense of pleasure by expressing it in the boldest manner.
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The greatest grossness sometimes accompanies the greatest refinement, as a natural relief.
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Fashion is gentility running away from vulgarity and afraid of being overtaken
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I have a much greater ambition to be the best racket player than the best prose writer.
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There is a softness and a harmony in the words and in the thought unparalleled. Of all conceits it is surely the most classical. "I count only the hours that are serene.".
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The way to get on in the world is to be neither more nor less wise, neither better nor worse than your neighbours.
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Pride goes before a fall, they say, And yet we often find, The folks who throw all pride away Most often fall behind.
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He will never have true friends who is afraid of making enemies.
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Corporate bodies are more corrupt and profligate than individuals, because they have more power to do mischief, and are less amenable to disgrace or punishment. They feel neither shame, remorse, gratitude, nor goodwill.
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The person whose doors I enter with most pleasure, and quit with most regret, never did me the smallest favor.
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We would willingly, and without remorse, sacrifice not only the present moment, but all the interval (no matter how long) that separates us from any favorite object.
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There is nothing more likely to drive a man mad, than the being unable to get rid of the idea of the distinction between right and wrong, and an obstinate, constitutional preference of the true to the agreeable.
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All is without form and void. Someone said of his landscapes that they were pictures of nothing and very like.
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Let a man's talents or virtues be what they may, he will only feel satisfaction in his society as he is satisfied in himself.
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The true barbarian is he who thinks everything barbarous but his own tastes and prejudices.
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Many a man would have turned rogue if he knew how.
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The dupe of friendship, and the fool of love; have I not reason to hate and to despise myself? Indeed I do; and chiefly for not having hated and despised the world enough.
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Habit is necessary to give power.
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Of all virtues, magnanimity is the rarest. There are a hundred persons of merit for one who willingly acknowledges it in another.
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We grow tired of ourselves, much more of other people.
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I do not think that what is called Love at first sight is so great an absurdity as it is sometimes imagined to be. We generally make up our minds beforehand to the sort of person we should like, grave or gay, black, brown, or fair; with golden tresses or raven locks; - and when we meet with a complete example of the qualities we admire, the bargain is soon struck.