Quotes from William Hazlitt

A certain excess of animal spirits with thoughtless good-humor will often make more enemies than the most deliberate spite and ill-nature, which is on its guard, and strikes with caution and safety.

Humour is the making others act or talk absurdly and unconsciously; wit is the pointing out and ridiculing that absurdity consciously, and with more or less ill-nature.

Art must anchor in nature, or it is the sport of every breath of folly.

The humblest painter is a true scholar; and the best of scholars the scholar of nature.

Charity, like nature, abhors a vacuum. Next to putting it in a bank, men like to squander their superfluous wealth on those to whom it is sure to be doing the least possible good.

One of the pleasantest things in the world is going on a journey; I can enjoy society in a room; but out of doors, nature is company enough for me. I am then never less alone than when alone.

People do not persist in their vices because they are not weary of them, but because they cannot leave them off. It is the nature of vice to leave us no resource but in itself.

Those who are at war with others are not at peace with themselves.

The essence of poetry is will and passion.

Painting gives the object itself; poetry what it implies. Painting embodies what a thing contains in itself; poetry suggests what exists out of it, in any manner connected with it.

We are never so much disposed to quarrel with others as when we are dissatisfied with ourselves.

Look up, laugh loud, talk big, keep the color in your cheek and the fire in your eye, adorn your person, maintain your health, your beauty and your animal spirits.

As is our confidence so is our capacity.

Great thoughts reduced to practice become great acts.

If you think you can win, you can. Faith is necessary to victory.

Poetry is all that is worth remembering in life.

The only vice which cannot be forgiven is hypocrisy. The repentance of a hypocrite is itself hypocrisy.

Grace has been defined as the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul.

It is remarkable how virtuous and generously disposed everyone is at a play. We uniformly applaud what is right and condemn what is wrong, when it costs us nothing but the sentiment.

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.

Some persons make promises for the pleasure of breaking them.

No man is truly great who is great only in his own lifetime. The test of greatness is the page of history.

Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater.

The ignorance of the world leaves one at the mercy of its malice