Praise is a more ingenious, concealed, and subtle kind of flattery, that satisfies both the giver and the receiver, though by verydifferent ways. The one accepts it as a reward due to his merit; the other gives it that he may be looked upon as a just and discerning person.

Why is it that our memory is good enough to retain the least triviality that happens to us, and yet not good enough to recollect how often we have told it to the same person?

We are almost always bored by just those whom we must not find boring.

We do not like to praise, and seldom praise anyone without self-interest.

Flattery is a base coin which is current only through our vanity.

The evil that we do does not attract to us so much persecution and hatred as our good qualities.

As uncommon a thing as true love is, it is yet easier to find than true friendship.