A grave blockhead should always go about with a lively one – they show one another off to the best advantage.
William Hazlitt
A hypocrite despises those whom he deceives, but has no respect for himself. He would make a dupe of himself too, if he could.
William Hazlitt
A scholar is like a book written in a dead language. It is not every one that can read in it.
William Hazlitt
Almost every sect of Christianity is a perversion of its essence, to accommodate it to the prejudices of the world.
William Hazlitt
An honest man speaks the truth, though it may give offence; a vain man, in order that it may.
William Hazlitt
Anyone who has passed though the regular gradations of a classical education, and is not made a fool by it, may consider himself as having had a very narrow escape.
William Hazlitt
As is our confidence, so is our capacity.
William Hazlitt
Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects, and discovering other people’s weaknesses.
William Hazlitt
Genius, like humanity, rusts for want of use.
William Hazlitt
Life is the art of being well deceived; and in order that the deception may succeed it must be habitual and uninterrupted.
William Hazlitt
Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps; for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are, and what they ought to be.
William Hazlitt
Prejudice is the child of ignorance.
William Hazlitt
Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity a greater.
William Hazlitt
Rules and models destroy genius and art.
William Hazlitt
The busier we are the more leisure we have.
William Hazlitt
The most insignificant people are the most apt to sneer at others. They are safe from reprisals. And have no hope of rising in their own self esteem but by lowering their neighbors.
William Hazlitt
The most learned are often the most narrow minded.
William Hazlitt
The only vice that cannot be forgiven is hypocrisy. The repentance of a hypocrite is itself hypocrisy.
William Hazlitt
The true barbarian is he who thinks everything barbarous but his own tastes and prejudices.
William Hazlitt
Those who can command themselves command others.
William Hazlitt
To a superior race of being the pretensions of mankind to extraordinary sanctity and virtue must seem… ridiculous.
William Hazlitt
To be remembered after we are dead, is but poor recompense for being treated with contempt while we are living.
William Hazlitt
We grow tired of everything but turning others into ridicule, and congratulating ourselves on their defects.
William Hazlitt
