William Hazlitt
William Hazlitt
William Hazlittwas an English writer, drama and literary critic, painter, social commentator, and philosopher. He is now considered one of the greatest critics and essayists in the history of the English language, placed in the company of Samuel Johnson and George Orwell. He is also acknowledged as the finest art critic of his age. Despite his high standing among historians of literature and art, his work is currently little read and mostly out of print...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionCritic
Date of Birth10 April 1778
anticipate cannot exactly mere spite worse
Never anticipate evils; or, because you cannot have things exactly as you wish, make them out worse than they are, through mere spite and willfulness.
cleanse either interests reform regularly renew revolution sacrificed whenever
So society, when out of order, which it is whenever the interests of the many are regularly and outrageously sacrificed to those of the few, must be repaired, and either a reform or a revolution cleanse its corruptions and renew its elasticity.
contented estimated generality instead mankind possess
The generality of mankind are contented to be estimated by what they possess instead of what they are.
humanity
Genius, like humanity, rusts for the want of use
fields nature
The fields his study, nature was his book.
animal anxious bigger cannot dimensions grasp individual infinite man narrow object wishes within
Man is an individual animal with narrow faculties, but infinite desires, which he is anxious to concentrate in some one object within the grasp of his imagination, and where, if he cannot be all that he wishes himself, he may at least contemplate his own pride, vanity, and passions, displayed in their most extravagant dimensions in a being no bigger and no better than himself.
anxious deserving high hindrance obtaining opinion refinement secure standard success surest
The way to secure success, is to be more anxious about obtaining than about deserving it; the surest hindrance to it is to have too high a standard of refinement in our own minds, or too high an opinion of the discernment of the public.
himself justly
He who undervalues himself is justly overvalued by others.
affairs confined daily men motives opportunity rest small study understanding
The thing is plain. All that men really understand, is confined to a very small compass; to their daily affairs and experience; to what they have an opportunity to know, and motives to study or practice. The rest is affectation and imposture.
advantage best blockhead grave lively
A grave blockhead should always go about with a lively one -- they show one another off to the best advantage.
busy leisure
The more we do, the more we can do; the more busy we are the more leisure we have
inn striking
The incognito of an inn is one of its striking privileges.
admit concern himself knows last man neither nor proud truly
The truly proud man knows neither superiors nor inferiors. The first he does not admit of; the last he does not concern himself about.
belief connect sincerity words
Sincerity has to do with the connect between our words and thoughts, and not between our belief and actions.