Quotes from Henri Frederic Amiel

The man who insists upon seeing with perfect clearness before he decides, never decides. Accept life, and you must accept regret.

Action and faith enslave thought, both of them in order not be troubled or inconvenienced by reflection, criticism, and doubt.

Will localizes us; thought universalizes us.

Pure truth cannot be assimilated by the crowd it must be communicated by contagion.

Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts.

Man becomes man only by his intelligence, but he is man only by his heart.

To be always ready a man must be able to cut a knot, for everything cannot be untied.

Music is harmony, harmony is perfection, perfection is our dream, and our dream is heaven.

There is no respect for others without humility in one's self.

Charm is the quality in others that makes us more satisfied with ourselves.

Truth is not only violated by falsehood it may be equally outraged by silence.

Society lives by faith, and develops by science.

I'm not interested in age. People who tell me their age are silly. You're as old as you feel.

To live we must conquer incessantly, we must have the courage to be happy.

Woman is the salvation or the destruction of the family. She carries its destiny in the folds of her mantle.

Sympathy is the first condition of criticism.

To feel keenly the poetry of a morning's roses, one has to have just escaped from the claws of this vulture which we call sickness.

Women wish to be loved without a why or a wherefore not because they are pretty, or good, or well-bred, or graceful, or intelligent, but because they are themselves.

Learn to... be what you are, and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not.

Tell me what you feel in your room when the full moon is shining in upon you and your lamp is dying out, and I will tell you how old you are, and I shall know if you are happy.

An error is the more dangerous in proportion to the degree of truth which it contains.

Life is short and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are travelling the dark journey with us. Oh be swift to love, make haste to be kind.

Without passion man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth its spark.

Life is short and we never have enough time for gladdening the hearts of those who travel the way with us. Oh, be swift to love! Make haste to be kind.