William Hazlitt Quotes

The temple of fame stands upon the grave; the flame upon its altars is kindled from the ashes of the dead. [Fame]

The thing is plain. All that men really understand is confined to a very small compass; to their daily affairs and experience; to what they have an opportunity to know and motives to study or practise. The rest is affectation and imposture.

The true barbarian is he who thinks every thing barbarous but his own tastes and prejudices.

The truly proud man is satisfied with his own good opinion, and does not seek to make converts to it. [Pride]

The truly proud man knows neither superiors nor inferiors. The first he does not admit of: the last he does not concern himself about.

The way to get on in the world is to be neither more nor less wise, neither better nor worse than your neighbours.

The way to procure insults is to submit to them: a man meets with no more respect than he exacts.

The way to secure success, is to be more anxious about obtaining than about deserving it; the surest hindrance to it is to have too high a standard of refinement in our own minds, or too high an opinion of the discernment of the public.

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.

There are few things in which we deceive ourselves more than in the esteem we profess to entertain for our firends. It is little better than a piece of quackery. The truth is, we think of them as we please, that is, as they please or displease us.

There are many who talk on from ignorance rather than from knowledge, and who find the former an inexhaustible fund of conversation. [Talking]

There are no rules for friendship. It must be left to itself. We cannot force it any more than love.

There are persons who are never easy unless they are putting your books and papers in order - that is according to their notions of the matter - and hiding things, lest they should be lost, where neither the owner nor anybody else can find them. If anything is left where you want it, it is called litter. There is a pedantry in housewifery, as well as in the gravest concerns. One complained that whenever his maid-servant had been in his library, he could not get comfortably to work again, for several days.
[Order]

There cannot be a surer proof of low origin, or of an innate meanness of disposition, than to be always talking and thinking about being genteel.

There is a feeling of Eternity in youth which makes us amends for everything. To be young is to be as one of the Immortals.

There is a heroism in crime as well as in virtue. Vice and infamy have their altars and their religion.

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.

There is no flattery so adroit or effectual as that of implicit assent. [Flattery]

There is no one thoroughly despicable. We cannot descend much lower than an idiot; and an idiot has some advantages over a wise man.

There is no prejudice so strong as that which arises from a fancied exemption from all prejudice.