William Hazlitt Quotes

Powerful William Hazlitt for Daily Growth

About William Hazlitt

William Hazlitt (1778-1830), an eminent British essayist and critic, was born on April 10, 1778, in Maidstone, Kent, England. Raised in a family of modest means, his formal education was limited, but he devoured books borrowed from local libraries, nurturing a profound love for literature. His early works included contributions to the radical newspaper, The Morning Chronicle, where he began to establish his reputation as a sharp-witted commentator on contemporary issues. Influenced by philosophers such as David Hume and Immanuel Kant, and writers like Shakespeare, Johnson, and Burke, Hazlitt's essays were characterized by their insightful analysis of art, literature, and politics. He was particularly known for his incisive comments on the works of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. One of his most famous collections, "The Round Table" (1823), showcased Hazlitt's ability to dissect complex ideas and present them in an accessible and engaging manner. Another influential work was "Characters of Shakespear's Plays" (1817) where he demonstrated his unique approach to understanding the human psyche through Shakespearean characters. Despite his success, Hazlitt's life was marked by personal turmoil. He suffered from poor health and financial difficulties throughout his career. His relationships were equally tumultuous, with several failed marriages and complex friendships. However, these struggles only served to deepen the empathy and insight found in his writing. In 1830, Hazlitt died at the age of 52, leaving behind a rich legacy that continues to inspire readers and critics alike. His work, marked by its intellectual depth, wit, and humanity, remains a vital part of British literary history.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

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

This quote suggests that contentment or satisfaction can be found in recognizing that true happiness isn't always necessary for one's well-being. Instead, understanding that life will have its ups and downs, and accepting this reality, is a form of great happiness. It implies that inner peace and fulfillment can come from accepting the impermanence of emotions and learning to find joy in the journey itself rather than always chasing fleeting moments of pure happiness.

"We should be careful to preserve the spiritual vigor which belongs to a fine disgust."

William Hazlit suggests that maintaining a healthy sense of moral indignation or disdain for injustice, unfairness, or hypocrisy is essential for personal growth and ethical living. This "spiritual vigor" arising from fine disgust serves as a motivation to challenge the status quo, strive for improvement, and uphold principles of integrity.

"There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion."

William Hazlitt's quote suggests that true beauty often carries an element of the unfamiliar or unexpected. This "strangeness" makes it extraordinary, as it deviates from what we perceive as conventionally beautiful or normal. This idea can be applied to various aspects of life, such as art, people, and experiences, encouraging us to appreciate the unique qualities that make things exceptional.

"Happiness and Wisdom are the children of leisure and security, and descend not from the rush of a moment."

This quote by William Hazlitt suggests that true happiness and wisdom are not fleeting or spontaneous experiences, but rather arise from a state of leisure (freedom from urgent duties) and security (safety and stability). In essence, he is saying that these valuable qualities grow over time in an environment where one has the luxury to reflect, ponder, and learn, which is often not possible during periods of frenetic activity or insecurity.

"The greatest talent is to be able to hear a little song and have it all within you at once."

This quote by William Hazlitt suggests that true artistic or creative greatness lies not merely in the ability to appreciate or recognize beauty, but also in the capacity to internalize and express it fully. In other words, when one hears a little song, they should be able to capture its essence completely – to embody its spirit within themselves, and thus create something genuinely authentic and meaningful from that inspiration.

Envy among other ingredients has a mixture of the love of justice in it. We are more angry at undeserved than at deserved good-fortune.

- William Hazlitt

Love, Envy, Other, Undeserved

Look up, laugh loud, talk big, keep the color in your cheek and the fire in your eye, adorn your person, maintain your health, your beauty and your animal spirits.

- William Hazlitt

Positive, Big, Loud, Animal

The dupe of friendship, and the fool of love; have I not reason to hate and to despise myself? Indeed I do; and chiefly for not having hated and despised the world enough.

- William Hazlitt

Love, Friendship, Reason, Indeed

We are very much what others think of us. The reception our observations meet with gives us courage to proceed, or damps our efforts.

- William Hazlitt

Think, Very, Proceed, Observations

We often choose a friend as we do a mistress - for no particular excellence in themselves, but merely from some circumstance that flatters our self-love.

- William Hazlitt

Excellence, Self-Love, Some, Mistress

No one ever approaches perfection except by stealth, and unknown to themselves.

- William Hazlitt

Themselves, Stealth, Ever, Unknown

Grace has been defined as the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul.

- William Hazlitt

Harmony, Expression, Been, Inward

Gracefulness has been defined to be the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul.

- William Hazlitt

Harmony, Expression, Been, Inward

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

Education, Very, Having, Narrow

The most learned are often the most narrow minded.

- William Hazlitt

Often, Most, Learned, Narrow

One shining quality lends a lustre to another, or hides some glaring defect.

- William Hazlitt

Some, Defect, Lends, Shining

Old friendships are like meats served up repeatedly, cold, comfortless, and distasteful. The stomach turns against them.

- William Hazlitt

Old, Like, Repeatedly, Distasteful

The perfect joys of heaven do not satisfy the cravings of nature.

- William Hazlitt

Nature, Perfect, Satisfy, Joys

There is a heroism in crime as well as in virtue. Vice and infamy have their altars and their religion.

- William Hazlitt

Heroism, Well, Vice, Infamy

Few things tend more to alienate friendship than a want of punctuality in our engagements. I have known the breach of a promise to dine or sup to break up more than one intimacy.

- William Hazlitt

Friendship, Break, Breach, Dine

If we wish to know the force of human genius, we should read Shakespeare. If we wish to see the insignificance of human learning, we may study his commentators.

- William Hazlitt

Study, May, Read, Insignificance

There is no prejudice so strong as that which arises from a fancied exemption from all prejudice.

- William Hazlitt

Strong, Which, Fancied, Arises

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

Could, Deceives, Dupe, No Respect

We find many things to which the prohibition of them constitutes the only temptation.

- William Hazlitt

Temptation, Find, Which, Prohibition

There is no one thoroughly despicable. We cannot descend much lower than an idiot; and an idiot has some advantages over a wise man.

- William Hazlitt

Some, Over, Descend, Despicable

We grow tired of everything but turning others into ridicule, and congratulating ourselves on their defects.

- William Hazlitt

Grow, Turning, Defects, Ridicule

You know more of a road by having traveled it than by all the conjectures and descriptions in the world.

- William Hazlitt

Travel, World, Having, Traveled

Do not keep on with a mockery of friendship after the substance is gone - but part, while you can part friends. Bury the carcass of friendship: it is not worth embalming.

- William Hazlitt

Friendship, Substance, Part, Mockery

An honest man speaks the truth, though it may give offence; a vain man, in order that it may.

- William Hazlitt

Truth, Give, Though, Offence

Learning is its own exceeding great reward.

- William Hazlitt

Reward, Own, Exceeding, Great Reward

If I have not read a book before, it is, for all intents and purposes, new to me whether it was printed yesterday or three hundred years ago.

- William Hazlitt

New, Hundred, Read, Hundred Years

Some people break promises for the pleasure of breaking them.

- William Hazlitt

Pleasure, Some, Break, Promises

Even in the common affairs of life, in love, friendship, and marriage, how little security have we when we trust our happiness in the hands of others!

- William Hazlitt

Love, Friendship, Trust, Affairs

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

Animal, Only, Things, Struck

He who undervalues himself is justly undervalued by others.

- William Hazlitt

Himself, He, Justly, Undervalued

Satirists gain the applause of others through fear, not through love.

- William Hazlitt

Love, Through, Others, Applause

We can scarcely hate anyone that we know.

- William Hazlitt

Hate, Know, Anyone, Scarcely

A grave blockhead should always go about with a lively one - they show one another off to the best advantage.

- William Hazlitt

Always, Grave, Advantage, Blockhead

A wise traveler never despises his own country.

- William Hazlitt

Travel, Never, Country, Despises

Every man, in his own opinion, forms an exception to the ordinary rules of morality.

- William Hazlitt

Exception, Morality, His, Forms

The humblest painter is a true scholar; and the best of scholars the scholar of nature.

- William Hazlitt

Nature, Painter, Humblest, Scholars

A nickname is the heaviest stone that the devil can throw at a man. It is a bugbear to the imagination, and, though we do not believe in it, it still haunts our apprehensions.

- William Hazlitt

Devil, Still, Though, Haunts

We can bear to be deprived of everything but our self-conceit.

- William Hazlitt

Bear, Everything, Our, Deprived

When a thing ceases to be a subject of controversy, it ceases to be a subject of interest.

- William Hazlitt

Interest, Subject, Thing, Ceases

That which is not, shall never be; that which is, shall never cease to be. To the wise, these truths are self-evident.

- William Hazlitt

Never, Cease, Which, Self-Evident

Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects, and discovering other people's weaknesses.

- William Hazlitt

Art, Cunning, Discovering, Concealing

There is a secret pride in every human heart that revolts at tyranny. You may order and drive an individual, but you cannot make him respect you.

- William Hazlitt

Tyranny, Individual, May, Revolts

Wit is the salt of conversation, not the food.

- William Hazlitt

Brainy, Salt, Wit, Conversation

A scholar is like a book written in a dead language. It is not every one that can read in it.

- William Hazlitt

Book, Like, Read, Scholar

The true barbarian is he who thinks everything barbarous but his own tastes and prejudices.

- William Hazlitt

Prejudices, His, Tastes, Barbarian

Dr. Johnson was a lazy learned man who liked to think and talk better than to read or write; who, however, wrote much and well, but too often by rote.

- William Hazlitt

Think, However, Read, Learned Man

To get others to come into our ways of thinking, we must go over to theirs; and it is necessary to follow, in order to lead.

- William Hazlitt

Go, Over, Necessary, Order

Life is the art of being well deceived; and in order that the deception may succeed it must be habitual and uninterrupted.

- William Hazlitt

Art, Deceived, Habitual, Order

He will never have true friends who is afraid of making enemies.

- William Hazlitt

Fear, Never, Making, True Friends

Everything is in motion. Everything flows. Everything is vibrating.

- William Hazlitt

Motion, Everything, Flows, Vibrating

Almost every sect of Christianity is a perversion of its essence, to accommodate it to the prejudices of the world.

- William Hazlitt

World, Prejudices, Almost, Accommodate

The truly proud man knows neither superiors or inferiors. The first he does not admit of - the last he does not concern himself about.

- William Hazlitt

Proud, Last, About, Inferiors

Those who can command themselves command others.

- William Hazlitt

Others, Themselves, Those, Command

I would like to spend the whole of my life traveling, if I could anywhere borrow another life to spend at home.

- William Hazlitt

My Life, Like, Could, Borrow

Without the aid of prejudice and custom, I should not be able to find my way across the room.

- William Hazlitt

Find, Able, Across, Custom

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

Rising, Esteem, Apt, No Hope

Books let us into their souls and lay open to us the secrets of our own.

- William Hazlitt

Let Us, Books, Lay, Secrets

The incentive to ambition is the love of power.

- William Hazlitt

Love, Power, Ambition, Incentive

The mind of man is like a clock that is always running down, and requires to be constantly wound up.

- William Hazlitt

Mind, Running, Always, Requires

The art of pleasing consists in being pleased.

- William Hazlitt

Art, Pleased, Consists, Pleasing

There are few things in which we deceive ourselves more than in the esteem we profess to entertain for our friends. It is little better than a piece of quackery. The truth is, we think of them as we please, that is, as they please or displease us.

- William Hazlitt

Entertain, Profess, Our, Deceive

Poetry is the universal language which the heart holds with nature and itself. He who has a contempt for poetry, cannot have much respect for himself, or for anything else.

- William Hazlitt

Nature, Language, Which, Universal

Though familiarity may not breed contempt, it takes off the edge of admiration.

- William Hazlitt

Edge, Admiration, Contempt, Breed

To give a reason for anything is to breed a doubt of it.

- William Hazlitt

Doubt, Reason, Give, Breed

We do not see nature with our eyes, but with our understandings and our hearts.

- William Hazlitt

Nature, See, Our, Hearts

The person whose doors I enter with most pleasure, and quit with most regret, never did me the smallest favor.

- William Hazlitt

Regret, Pleasure, Smallest, Enter

Some one is generally sure to be the sufferer by a joke.

- William Hazlitt

Some, Sure, Generally, Joke

The player envies only the player, the poet envies only the poet.

- William Hazlitt

Poet, Only, Envies, Player

The only vice that cannot be forgiven is hypocrisy. The repentance of a hypocrite is itself hypocrisy.

- William Hazlitt

Forgiven, Vice, Itself, Hypocrite

Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity a greater.

- William Hazlitt

Adversity, Teacher, Greater

The soul of a journey is liberty, perfect liberty, to think, feel, do just as one pleases.

- William Hazlitt

Journey, Think, Perfect, Pleases

Prejudice is the child of ignorance.

- William Hazlitt

Ignorance, Child, Prejudice

The busier we are the more leisure we have.

- William Hazlitt

More, Busier, Leisure

It is not fit that every man should travel; it makes a wise man better, and a fool worse.

- William Hazlitt

Travel, Better, Fit, Wise Man

The smallest pain in our little finger gives us more concern than the destruction of millions of our fellow beings.

- William Hazlitt

Pain, Finger, Smallest, Beings

A gentle word, a kind look, a good-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles.

- William Hazlitt

Smile, Accomplish, Wonders, Miracles

The way to get on in the world is to be neither more nor less wise, neither better nor worse than your neighbours.

- William Hazlitt

More, Less, Your, Neighbours

Fame is the inheritance not of the dead, but of the living. It is we who look back with lofty pride to the great names of antiquity.

- William Hazlitt

Pride, Living, Names, Antiquity

Defoe says that there were a hundred thousand country fellows in his time ready to fight to the death against popery, without knowing whether popery was a man or a horse.

- William Hazlitt

Death, Country, Hundred, Fellows

People of genius do not excel in any profession because they work in it, they work in it because they excel.

- William Hazlitt

Work, Genius, Profession, Excel

We are not hypocrites in our sleep.

- William Hazlitt

Sleep, Our, Hypocrites

I'm not smart, but I like to observe. Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why.

- William Hazlitt

Why, Like, Saw, Newton

No truly great person ever thought themselves so.

- William Hazlitt

Thought, Person, Ever, Great Person

The least pain in our little finger gives us more concern and uneasiness than the destruction of millions of our fellow-beings.

- William Hazlitt

Pain, More, Finger, Concern

Those who speak ill of the spiritual life, although they come and go by day, are like the smith's bellows: they take breath but are not alive.

- William Hazlitt

Alive, Like, Smith, Breath

To be capable of steady friendship or lasting love, are the two greatest proofs, not only of goodness of heart, but of strength of mind.

- William Hazlitt

Love, Friendship, Mind, Steady

It is better to be able neither to read nor write than to be able to do nothing else.

- William Hazlitt

Better, Nor, Read, Neither

The public have neither shame or gratitude.

- William Hazlitt

Gratitude, Shame, Public, Neither

Great thoughts reduced to practice become great acts.

- William Hazlitt

Thoughts, Practice, Acts, Reduced

Hope is the best possession. None are completely wretched but those who are without hope. Few are reduced so low as that.

- William Hazlitt

Best, Possession, None, Reduced

Dandyism is a variety of genius.

- William Hazlitt

Genius, Variety

No young man ever thinks he shall die.

- William Hazlitt

Die, Young Man, Ever, Thinks

Our friends are generally ready to do everything for us, except the very thing we wish them to do.

- William Hazlitt

Wish, Ready, Very, Generally

There are no rules for friendship. It must be left to itself. We cannot force it any more than love.

- William Hazlitt

Love, Friendship, We Cannot, No Rules

Love turns, with a little indulgence, to indifference or disgust; hatred alone is immortal.

- William Hazlitt

Love, Alone, Indulgence, Disgust

Grace is the absence of everything that indicates pain or difficulty, hesitation or incongruity.

- William Hazlitt

Pain, Absence, Difficulty, Grace

Grace in women has more effect than beauty.

- William Hazlitt

Beauty, More, Effect, Grace

Genius, like humanity, rusts for want of use.

- William Hazlitt

Genius, Like, Use, Humanity

The world judge of men by their ability in their profession, and we judge of ourselves by the same test: for it is on that on which our success in life depends.

- William Hazlitt

Test, Profession, Which, Ability

To think ill of mankind and not wish ill to them, is perhaps the highest wisdom and virtue.

- William Hazlitt

Wish, Think, Mankind, Perhaps

The seat of knowledge is in the head; of wisdom, in the heart. We are sure to judge wrong, if we do not feel right.

- William Hazlitt

Feel, Head, Sure, Seat

The English (it must be owned) are rather a foul-mouthed nation.

- William Hazlitt

Nation, English, Rather, Owned

I like a friend the better for having faults that one can talk about.

- William Hazlitt

Better, Like, Having, Faults

Good temper is one of the greatest preservers of the features.

- William Hazlitt

Good, Greatest, Features, Temper

Man is a make-believe animal: he is never so truly himself as when he is acting a part.

- William Hazlitt

Never, Himself, Make-Believe, Animal

Rules and models destroy genius and art.

- William Hazlitt

Art, Genius, Models, Destroy

To a superior race of being the pretensions of mankind to extraordinary sanctity and virtue must seem... ridiculous.

- William Hazlitt

Extraordinary, Ridiculous, Superior

We never do anything well till we cease to think about the manner of doing it.

- William Hazlitt

Doing, Think, Never, Manner

Those who make their dress a principal part of themselves, will, in general, become of no more value than their dress.

- William Hazlitt

Dress, Will, More, Principal

No man is truly great who is great only in his lifetime. The test of greatness is the page of history.

- William Hazlitt

Greatness, Test, His, Page

Poetry is all that is worth remembering in life.

- William Hazlitt

Life, Poetry, Worth, Remembering

To be remembered after we are dead, is but poor recompense for being treated with contempt while we are living.

- William Hazlitt

Living, Remembered, Treated, Contempt

To be happy, we must be true to nature and carry our age along with us.

- William Hazlitt

Nature, Happy, Along, Carry

The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure very much.

- William Hazlitt

Life, How, Very, Endure

It is hard for any one to be an honest politician who is not born and bred a Dissenter.

- William Hazlitt

Honest, Born, Bred, Politician

We must be doing something to be happy.

- William Hazlitt

Happy, Doing, Must, Be Happy

Reflection makes men cowards.

- William Hazlitt

Reflection, Men, Makes, Cowards

A hair in the head is worth two in the brush.

- William Hazlitt

Two, Head, Brush, Hair

The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves.

- William Hazlitt

Love, Power, Liberty, Others

As is our confidence, so is our capacity.

- William Hazlitt

Confidence, Our, Capacity

If the world were good for nothing else, it is a fine subject for speculation.

- William Hazlitt

World, Speculation, Fine, Subject

If you think you can win, you can win. Faith is necessary to victory.

- William Hazlitt

Faith, Think, Necessary, Victory

If you give an audience a chance they will do half your acting for you.

- William Hazlitt

Chance, Give, Audience, Half

Zeal will do more than knowledge.

- William Hazlitt

Will, More, Than, Zeal

The more we do, the more we can do.

- William Hazlitt

Motivational, More

Those who are at war with others are not at peace with themselves.

- William Hazlitt

War, Themselves, Those, Peace

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.