Poverty demoralizes. A man in debt is so far a slave; and Wall-street thinks it easy for a millionaire to be a man of his word, a ...man of honor, but, that, in failing circumstances, no man can be relied on to keep his integrity.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
I have very lately read the Prince of Abyssinia [Samuel Johnson's Rasselas]MI am almost equally charmed and shocked at it--the sty...le, the sentiments are inimitable--but the subject is dreadful--and, handled as it is by Dr. Johnson, might make any young, perhaps old, person tremble--O heavens! how dreadful, how terrible it is to be told by a man of his genius and knowledge, in so affectingly probable a manner, that true, real happiness is ever unattainable in this world!LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
"... In truth I find it ridiculous that a man of his intelligence suffer over this type of person, who is not even interesting, fo...r she is said to be foolish", she added with all the wisdom of people who are not in love, who find that a sensible man should only be unhappy over a person who is worthwhile; it is almost tantamount to being surprised that anyone deign having cholera for having been infected with a creature as small as the vibrio bacilla.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
I had a good talk with Alcott this afternoon. He is certainly the youngest man of his age we have seen,--just on the threshold of ...life. When I looked at his gray hairs, his conversation sounded pathetic; but I looked again, and they reminded me of the gray dawn.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Patriotism ... is a superstition artificially created and maintained through a network of lies and falsehoods; a superstition that... robs man of his self-respect and dignity, and increases his arrogance and conceit.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
We declare therefore, we declare simply this, that on the 20th of December, 1851,... M. Bonaparte put his hand into every man's co...nscience, and robbed every man of his vote. Others filch handkerchiefs, he steals an Empire.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Spirit is now a very fashionable word: to act with Spirit, to speak with Spirit, means only to act rashly, and to talk indiscreetl...y. An able man shows his Spirit by gentle words and resolute actions; he is neither hot nor timid.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
When a man of sense happens to be in that disagreeable situation in which he is obliged to ask himself more than once, What shall ...I do? he will answer himself, Nothing. When his reason points out to him no good way, he will stop short, and wait for light. A little busy mind runs on at all events, must be doing; and, like a blind horse, fears no dangers, because he sees none. Il faut scavoir s'ennuïer.*LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
A young man, be his merit what it will, can never raise himself; but must, like the ivy round the oak, twine himself round some ma...n of great power and interest.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »