We are never so happy nor so unhappy as we imagine.

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  We should desire few things ardently if we knew perfectly what we desire.

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  We should often be ashamed of our finest actions if the world saw all the motives that produce them.

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  The desire to appear clever often prevents one from becoming so.

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  Passion often makes a fool of the cleverest man, and often makes the most foolish clever.

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  He who thinks he can find in himself the means of doing without others is much mistaken; but he who thinks others cannot do without him is still more mistaken.

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  Self-love is cleverer than the cleverest man in the world.

All aphorisms