Henri Fr�d�ric Amiel
Quotes
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So long as a person is capable of self-renewal they are a living being
Self-interest is but the survival of the animal in us. Humanity only begins for man with self-surrender
Sacrifice, which is the passion of great souls, has never been the law of societies
Sacrifice still exists everywhere, and everywhere the elect of each generation suffers for the salvation of the rest
Pure truth cannot be assimilated by the crowd; it must be communicated by contagion
Mutual respect implies discretion and reserve even in love itself; it means preserving as much liberty as possible to those whose life we share. We must distrust our instinct of intervention, for the desire to make one's own will prevail is often disguised under the mask of solicitude
Music is harmony, harmony is perfection, perfection is our dream, and our dream is heaven
Materialism coarsens and petrifies everything, making everything vulgar, and every truth false
Man becomes man only by his intelligence, but he is man only by his heart
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
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On Anger: "For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind."
Essays
Essays
On Destiny: "Our destiny exercises its influence over us even when, as yet, we have not learned its nature: it is our future that lays down the law of our today."
Human, All Too Human
Human, All Too Human
On Friendship: "A crowd is not company; and faces are but a gallery of pictures; and talk but a tinkling cymbal, where there is no love."
Essays
Essays