Augustus Hare Quotes

Powerful Augustus Hare for Daily Growth

About Augustus Hare

Augustus Hare (1834-1903) was a renowned English author, humorist, and satirist, known for his wit, irony, and keen observations of Victorian society. Born on February 12, 1834, in London, he was the third son of Reverend William Hare and Anne Madden. His upbringing in an ecclesiastical household and his education at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, laid the foundation for his later works. Hare's literary career began in earnest after a chance encounter with Charles Dickens, who was impressed by Hare's writing and published some of his early pieces in All the Year Round. This connection proved instrumental in launching Hare's career. His first major work, "Men & Women," a collection of short stories, was published in 1867. The book showcased Hare's unique ability to satirize Victorian society and its hypocrisies, earning him critical acclaim and a reputation as one of the leading wits of his era. In 1869, Hare published "Phases of Faith," a humorous yet insightful account of religious beliefs and practices, which further cemented his standing as a literary figure. His most famous work, "The Story of Philip Middleton," was published in 1870. This novel, which followed the life of a clergyman's son, became a classic of Victorian literature, known for its biting satire and incisive commentary on society. Throughout his career, Hare remained a prolific writer, producing essays, articles, and numerous books. He was also a frequent contributor to Punch, the leading English humor magazine of the time. Despite his success, Hare led a somewhat reclusive life, preferring the company of his books and his dog, Firconeys, over the trappings of high society. Augustus Hare died on October 19, 1903, leaving behind a rich legacy of witty and insightful works that continue to resonate with readers today. His unique perspective on Victorian society, combined with his keen wit, has secured his place as one of the most important satirists of the era.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The best thing to give your friend is a good example."

Augustus Hare's quote emphasizes that the most meaningful gift one can offer to a friend is setting a positive example. This implies that instead of providing material possessions, we should strive to live in a manner that inspires our friends to emulate our values, behavior, and virtues. By doing so, we are indirectly teaching them and helping them grow into better individuals. Essentially, living a good life serves as the most powerful way to influence others positively.


"The secret of happiness is this: let each day happen to you rather than you happen to it."

This quote by Augustus Hare emphasizes living mindfully and embracing the present moment instead of being controlled or dictated by it. By allowing each day to unfold naturally, we are more likely to experience happiness as we focus on the experiences and moments that life brings our way rather than trying to force or control the situation ourselves. In essence, the quote encourages us to flow with life's current and enjoy the journey.


"Never judge a man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins."

This quote encourages empathy, suggesting that one should not make judgments about another person without fully understanding their experiences or perspectives. It implies that we should strive to put ourselves in others' shoes and consider how our own circumstances might affect our choices and behaviors before passing judgment. Essentially, it advocates for greater understanding and tolerance when dealing with people from different backgrounds or situations.


"Friendship is a strong and habitual inclination in two persons to do good to one another."

This quote by Augustus Hare highlights the nature of true friendship as a consistent, mutual desire to benefit each other. It emphasizes that genuine friendships are not just casual or temporary relationships but are characterized by a deep, habitual inclination towards goodwill and kindness, where each party actively seeks the welfare of the other.


"The greatest happiness you can have is knowing that you do not necessarily require happiness."

This quote by Augustus Hare suggests a profound understanding of life's ebb and flow. It means that true contentment and fulfillment can come from accepting the inherent variability in human emotion, and finding peace in this acceptance. Essentially, it posits that one can find happiness not necessarily from seeking it as an end goal, but rather from recognizing that happiness is a transient state and that contentment can be found in simply being, regardless of one's emotional state at any given moment.


It is with flowers as with moral qualities; the bright are sometimes poisonous; but, I believe, never the sweet.

- Augustus Hare

Flowers, Never, Sometimes, Poisonous

Thought is the wind, knowledge the sail, and mankind the vessel.

- Augustus Hare

Inspirational, Sail, Mankind, Vessel

Nothing good bursts forth all at once. The lightning may dart out of a black cloud; but the day sends his bright heralds before him, to prepare the world for his coming.

- Augustus Hare

Lightning, Prepare, May, Dart

Crimes sometimes shock us too much; vices almost always too little.

- Augustus Hare

Always, Too, Almost, Vices

Some people carry their hearts in their heads; very many carry their heads in their hearts. The difficulty is to keep them apart, yet both actively working together.

- Augustus Hare

Some, Very, Them, Actively

Since the generality of persons act from impulse, much more than from principle, men are neither so good nor so bad as we are apt to think them.

- Augustus Hare

Think, Bad, Principle, Impulse

What a person praises is perhaps a surer standard, even than what he condemns, of his own character, information and abilities.

- Augustus Hare

Own, Standard, Condemns, Surer

The intellect of the wise is like glass; it admits the light of heaven and reflects it.

- Augustus Hare

Wise, Intelligence, Glass, Reflects

There is no being eloquent for atheism. In that exhausted receiver the mind cannot use its wings, - the clearest proof that it is out of its element.

- Augustus Hare

Mind, Atheism, Clearest, Eloquent

A man prone to suspect evil is mostly looking in his neighbor for what he sees in himself.

- Augustus Hare

Himself, Mostly, His, Prone

It is a proof of our natural bias to evil, that gain is slower and harder than loss in all things good; but in all things bad getting is quicker and easier than getting rid of.

- Augustus Hare

Bad, Natural, Quicker, All Things

As to the pure all things are pure, even so to the impure all things are impure.

- Augustus Hare

Pure, Things, Even, All Things

A statesman, we are told, should follow public opinion. Doubtless, as a coachman follows his horses; having firm hold on the reins and guiding them.

- Augustus Hare

Statesman, Having, Guiding, Doubtless

The virtue of paganism was strength; the virtue of Christianity is obedience.

- Augustus Hare

Strength, Virtue, Obedience, Paganism

It is well for us that we are born babies in intellect. Could we understand half what mothers say and do to their infants, we should be filled with a conceit of our own importance, which would render us insupportable through life.

- Augustus Hare

Through, Importance, Half, Render

A mother should give her children a superabundance of enthusiasm; that after they have lost all they are sure to lose on mixing with the world, enough may still remain to prompt fated support them through great actions.

- Augustus Hare

Mother, Through, Mixing, Fated

What hypocrites we seem to be whenever we talk of ourselves! Our words sound so humble, while our hearts are so proud.

- Augustus Hare

Humble, Proud, Sound, Hearts

Love, it has been said, flows downward. The love of parents for their children has always been far more powerful than that of children for their parents; and who among the sons of men ever loved God with a thousandth part of the love which God has manifested to us?

- Augustus Hare

Love, Been, Downward, Parents

Examples would indeed be excellent things were not people so modest that none will set, and so vain that none will follow them.

- Augustus Hare

Will, Excellent, Set, Modest

Nothing is farther than earth from heaven; nothing is nearer than heaven to earth.

- Augustus Hare

Nature, Nothing, Farther, Heaven

Only when the voice of duty is silent, or when it has already spoken, may we allowably think of the consequences of a particular action.

- Augustus Hare

Voice, Think, Silent, Spoken

To Adam Paradise was home. To the good among his descendants home is paradise.

- Augustus Hare

Adam, His, Among, Descendants

Happy the boy whose mother is tired of talking nonsense to him before he is old enough to know the sense of it.

- Augustus Hare

Happy, Old, Before, Old Enough

The power of faith will often shine forth the most when the character is naturally weak.

- Augustus Hare

Faith, Most, Naturally, Shine

Many are ambitious of saying grand things, that is, of being grandiloquent.

- Augustus Hare

Saying, Things, Ambitious, Grand

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