Quotes by Nicolas Chamfort

About Nicolas Chamfort:

Sébastien-Roch Nicolas was a French writer, best known for his witty epigrams and aphorisms. He was secretary to Louis XVI's sister, and of the Jacobin club.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Man arrives as a novice at each age of his life.

Nicolas Chamfort

It is commonly supposed that the art of pleasing is a wonderful aid in the pursuit of fortune; but the art of being bored is infinitely more successful.

Nicolas Chamfort

The art of the parenthesis is one of the greatest secrets of eloquence in Society.

Nicolas Chamfort

Every day I add to the list of things I refuse to discuss. The wiser the man, the longer the list.

Nicolas Chamfort

Most of those who make collections of verse or epigram are like men eating cherries or oysters: they choose out the best at first, and end by eating all.

Nicolas Chamfort

The most wasted day of all is that on which we have not laughed.

Nicolas Chamfort

There is a melancholy that stems from greatness.

Nicolas Chamfort

There are well-dressed foolish ideas just as there are well-dressed fools.

Nicolas Chamfort

People are governed with the head; kindness of heart is little use in chess.

Nicolas Chamfort

Some things are easier to legalize than to legitimate.

Nicolas Chamfort

Conviction is the conscience of the mind.

Nicolas Chamfort

The person is always happy who is in the presence of something they cannot know in full. A person as advanced far in the study of morals who has mastered the difference between pride and vanity.

Nicolas Chamfort

Scandal is an importunate wasp, against which we must make no movement unless we are quite sure that we can kill it; otherwise it will return to the attack more furious than ever.

Nicolas Chamfort

There are certain times when public opinion is the worst of all opinions.

Nicolas Chamfort

It must be admitted that there are some parts of the soul which we must entirely paralyse before we can live happily in this world.

Nicolas Chamfort

Most books today seemed to have been written overnight from books read the day before.

Nicolas Chamfort

Real worth requires no interpreter: its everyday deeds form its emblem.

Nicolas Chamfort

All passions exaggerate; and they are passions only because they do exaggerate.

Nicolas Chamfort

Do you think that revolutions are made with rose water?

Nicolas Chamfort

All that I've learned, I've forgotten. The little that I still know, I've guessed.

Nicolas Chamfort

Author Bio

  • NameNicolas Chamfort
  • DescriptionFrench writer
  • BornApril 6, 1741
  • DiedApril 13, 1794
  • CountryFrance
  • ProfessionJournalist; Poet; Author