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
adopt grow hear others reconcile sell tired willing
We grow tired of ourselves, much more of other people. Use may in part reconcile us to our own tediousness, but we do not adopt that of others on the same paternal principle. We may be willing to sell a story twice, never to hear one more than once.
cannot classes distinct hands imagined might money observed people
There are two classes of people that I have observed who are not so distinct as might be imagined -- those who cannot keep their own money in their hands, and those who cannot keep their hands from other people's.
appeals artificial books bosom businesses derive generally knowledge known learned learning none
Learning is the knowledge of that which is not generally known to others, and which we can only derive at second-hand from books or other artificial sources. The knowledge of that which is before us, or about us, which appeals to our experience, passions, and pursuits, to the bosom and businesses of men, is not learning. Learning is the knowledge of that which none but the learned know.
talked wished
He talked on for ever; and you wished him to talk on for ever.
confession deficiency himself justly lowest modesty
Modesty is the lowest of the virtues, and is a confession of the deficiency it indicates. He who undervalues himself is justly overvalued by others.
english-critic great himself man truly
No truly great man ever thought himself so.
english-critic faith necessary
If you think you can win, you can. Faith is necessary to victory.
answering belief believe difference feeling left media paid spent swear truth turns
Belief is with them mechanical, voluntary: they believe what they are paid for -- they swear to that which turns to account. Do you suppose, that after years spent in this manner, they have any feeling left answering to the difference between truth and falsehood?
arbitrary ballot power screen useful
The ballot is only useful as a screen from arbitrary power.
eagerness learning
That which any one has been long learning unwillingly, he unlearns with proportional eagerness and haste.
amsterdam answer venice
Amsterdam did not answer our expectations; it is a kind of paltry, rubbishy Venice
leadership hate stills
The multitude who require to be led, still hate their leaders.
clock constantly man mind requires running wound
The mind of man is like a clock that is always running down, and requires constantly to be wound up
excellent met people
An indigestion is an excellent common-place for two people that never met before.