Antoine Rivarol Quotes

If poverty makes man groan, he yawns in opulence. When fortune exempts us from labor, nature overwhelms us with time.

The mischief of children is seldom actuated by malice; that of grown-up people always is.

Man spends his life in reasoning on the past, in complaining of the present, in fearing future.

Gold like the sun, which melts wax, but hardens clay, expands great souls.

The woman who too easily and ardently yielded her devotion will find that its vitality, like a bright fire, soon consumes itself.

It is a notable circumstance that mothers who are themselves open to severe comments as to their, moral character, are generally most solicitous as to the virtuous behavior of their daughters.

Indolence and stupidity are first cousins.

The cunning tempter, by avoiding the grossness of vice, often silences objections.

It is easy for men to write and talk like philosophers, but to act with wisdom, there is the rub!

Mind is the partial side of men; the heart is everything.

Vices are often habits rather than passions.

To lose one's self in reverie, one must be either very happy, or very unhappy. Reverie is the child of extremes.

There is even the dignity of vice.

Obtuseness is sometimes a virtue.

Rumor, once started, rushes on like a river, until it mingles with, and is lost in the sea.

Extremes produce reaction. Beware that our boasted civilization does not lapse into barbarism.

There are men who gain from their wealth only the fear of losing it.

Generally speaking, there is more wit than talent in the world. Society swarms with witty people who lack talent.

Mutability is written upon all things.

The modest man has everything to gain, and the arrogant man everything to lose; for modesty has always to deal with generosity, and arrogance with envy.

Memory always obeys the commands of the heart.

It is said that friendship between women is only a suspension of hostilities.

The despotism of will in ideas is styled plan, project, character, obstinacy; its despotism in desires is called passion.

History is only time furnished with dates and rich with events.

That which happens to the soil when it ceases to be cultivated by the social man happens to man himself when he foolishly forsakes society for solitude; the brambles grow up in his desert heart.

The subtle sauce of malice is often indulged in by maidens of uncertain age, over their tea.

Youth is not the era of wisdom; let us therefore have due consideration.

Women read each other at a single glance.

Very nice couplet, although there are dull stretches.

The absolute ruler may be a Nero, but he is sometimes a Titus or Marc Aurelius; the people is often Nero, but never Marc Aurelius.

Reason is the historian, but passions are the actors.

It is the dim haze of mystery that adds enchantment to pursuit.

There are some women who are flirts upon principle; they consider it their duty to make themselves as pleasing as possible to every one.

Poverty treads close upon the heels of great and unexpected wealth.

It is not he who searches for praise who finds it.

What isn’t clear, isn’t French.

True felicity consists of its own consciousness.

The personal pronoun "I" should be the coat of arms of some individuals.

Cats don't caress us-they caress themselves on us.

Of every ten persons who talk about you, nine will say something bad, and the tenth will say something good in a bad way.

Speech is external thought, and thought internal speech.

Wrong is wrong; no fallacy can hide it, no subterfuge cover it so shrewdly but that the All-Seeing One will discover and punish it.

Ideas are a capital that bears interest only in the hands of talent.

It is, no doubt, an immense advantage to have done nothing, but one should not abuse it.

Oblivion is the rule and fame the exception, of humanity.

Axioms are delightful in theory, but impossible in practice.

In general, indulgence for those we know is rarer than pity for those we know not.

The methods that help a man acquire a fortune are the very ones that keep him from enjoying it.