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William Hazlitt

52 quotes

William Hazlitt (1778–1830) was an English essayist, drama and literary critic, and philosopher. Regarded as one of the greatest critics and essayists in the English language, Hazlitt wrote with passionate conviction on art, literature, politics, and the pleasures and frustrations of everyday life.

“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.”

— William Hazlitt

Education

All Quotes by William Hazlitt

“We do not see nature with our eyes, but with our understandings and our hearts.”

— William Hazlitt

Nature

“The humblest painter is a true scholar and the best of scholars the scholar of nature.”

— William Hazlitt

Best

“A gentle word, a kind look, a good-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles.”

— William Hazlitt

Smile

“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.”

— William Hazlitt

Death

“If you think you can win, you can win. Faith is necessary to victory.”

— William Hazlitt

Faith

“People of genius do not excel in any profession because they work in it, they work in it because they excel.”

— William Hazlitt

Work

“A hypocrite despises those whom he deceives, but has no respect for himself. He would make a dupe of himself too, if he could.”

— William Hazlitt

Respect

“Few things tend more to alienate friendship than a want of punctuality in our engagements. I have known the breach of a promise to dine or sup to break up more than one intimacy.”

— William Hazlitt

Friendship

“Hope is the best possession. None are completely wretched but those who are without hope. Few are reduced so low as that.”

— William Hazlitt

Best

“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.”

— William Hazlitt

Learning

“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.”

— William Hazlitt

Hope

“We are very much what others think of us. The reception our observations meet with gives us courage to proceed, or damps our efforts.”

— William Hazlitt

Courage

“A grave blockhead should always go about with a lively one - they show one another off to the best advantage.”

— William Hazlitt

Best

“A wise traveler never despises his own country.”

— William Hazlitt

Travel

“Grace in women has more effect than beauty.”

— William Hazlitt

Beauty

“Love turns, with a little indulgence, to indifference or disgust hatred alone is immortal.”

— William Hazlitt

Alone

“To think ill of mankind and not wish ill to them, is perhaps the highest wisdom and virtue.”

— William Hazlitt

Wisdom

“I would like to spend the whole of my life traveling, if I could anywhere borrow another life to spend at home.”

— William Hazlitt

Home

“Even in the common affairs of life, in love, friendship, and marriage, how little security have we when we trust our happiness in the hands of others!”

— William Hazlitt

Friendship

“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.”

— William Hazlitt

Truth