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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.

“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

All Quotes by William Hazlitt

“Those who are at war with others are not at peace with themselves.”

— William Hazlitt

Peace

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

— William Hazlitt

Friendship

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

— William Hazlitt

Nature

“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

“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

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

— William Hazlitt

Wisdom

“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

“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

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

— William Hazlitt

Smile

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

— William Hazlitt

Work

“An honest man speaks the truth, though it may give offence a vain man, in order that it may.”

— William Hazlitt

Truth

“A wise traveler never despises his own country.”

— William Hazlitt

Travel

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

— William Hazlitt

Faith

“Grace in women has more effect than beauty.”

— William Hazlitt

Beauty

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

— William Hazlitt

Best

“You know more of a road by having traveled it than by all the conjectures and descriptions in the world.”

— William Hazlitt

Travel

“Satirists gain the applause of others through fear, not through love.”

— William Hazlitt

Fear

“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.”

— William Hazlitt

Beauty

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

— William Hazlitt

Alone

“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