We have no patience with other people's vanity because it is offensive to our own.
We do not praise others, ordinarily, but in order to be praised ourselves.
Pride does not wish to owe and vanity does not wish to pay.
Old age is a tyrant, who forbids, under pain of death, the pleasures of youth.
Usually we praise only to be praised.
A refusal of praise is a desire to be praised twice.
When we disclaim praise, it is only showing our desire to be praised a second time.
We are never so ridiculous through what we are as through what we pretend to be.
The name and pretense of virtue is as serviceable to self-interest as are real vices.
However rare true love may be, it is less so than true friendship.
There are a great many men valued in society who have nothing to recommend them but serviceable vices.
If we are to judge of love by its consequences, it more nearly resembles hatred than friendship.
If we resist our passions, it is more due to their weakness than our strength.
The word virtue is as useful to self-interest as the vices.
Self-interest makes some people blind, and others sharp-sighted.
The desire of talking of ourselves, and showing those faults we do not mind having seen, makes up a good part of our sincerity.
To know how to hide one's ability is great skill.
The only thing that should surprise us is that there are still some things that can surprise us.
We may sooner be brought to love them that hate us, than them that love us more than we would have them do.
Neither the sun nor death can be looked at with a steady eye.
