"Someone was talking about the respect we owe the public. “Yes,” said M...., “Its a question of prudence. Nobody has a high opinion of fishwives but who would dare offend them while walking through the fish market.”"
Sébastien-Roch Nicolas, known in his adult life as Nicolas Chamfort and as Sébastien Nicolas de Chamfort, was a French writer, best known for his epigrams and aphorisms. He was secretary to Louis XVI's sister Madame Élisabeth, and of the Jacobin club.
"Men whose only concern is other peoples opinion of them are like actors who put on a poor performance to win the applause of people of poor taste; some of them would be capable of good acting in front of a good audience. A decent man plays his part to the best of his ability, regardless of the taste of the gallery."
Nicolas Chamfort"Il y a à parier que toute idée publique, toute convention reçue, est une sottise, car elle a convenu au plus grand nombre."
Nicolas Chamfort"La Société nest pas, comme on le croit dordinaire, le développement de la Nature, mais bien sa décomposition et sa refonte entière. Cest un second édifice, bâti avec les décombres du premier."
Nicolas Chamfort"L’art de la parenthèse est un des grands secrets de l’éloquence dans la Société."
Nicolas Chamfort"Celui qui veut trop faire dépendre son bonheur de sa raison, qui le soumet à lexamen, qui chicane, pour ainsi dire, ses jouissances, et nadmet que des plaisirs délicats, finit par nen plus avoir. Cest un homme qui, à force de faire carder son matelas, le voit diminuer, et finit par coucher sur la dure."
Nicolas Chamfort"Stubbornness equals character roughly as lust equals love."
Nicolas Chamfort