Introduction:
Welcome to a curated collection of insightful quotes by one of the most celebrated essayists and critics of the Romantic era, William Hazlitt. Known for his profound observations on literature, politics, and human nature, Hazlitt’s words continue to resonate with readers across generations. Born in 1778, Hazlitt’s literary legacy remains influential, reflecting his keen intellect and sharp wit.
Hazlitt’s works encompass a wide array of topics, from literature and art criticism to political commentary and philosophical musings. His essays are characterized by their eloquence, depth of thought, and penetrating analysis of the human condition. As a passionate advocate for individualism and free expression, Hazlitt’s insights often challenge conventional wisdom and provoke thought-provoking discussions.
Below, you’ll find a selection of William Hazlitt’s most memorable quotes. Whether you’re seeking inspiration, enlightenment, or simply a fresh perspective, these timeless words are sure to captivate and resonate with you. Feel free to use them as you see fit whether it’s by incorporating them into your own writing, sharing them with friends, or even creating visually stunning images adorned with these profound sentiments.
I’m not smart, but I like to observe. Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why. William Hazlitt
He will never have true friends who is afraid of making enemies. William Hazlitt
I would like to spend the whole of my life traveling, if I could anywhere borrow another life to spend at home. William Hazlitt
The English (it must be owned) are rather a foul-mouthed nation. William Hazlitt
If you think you can win, you can win. Faith is necessary to victory. William Hazlitt
We grow tired of everything but turning others into ridicule, and congratulating ourselves on their defects. William Hazlitt
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
Grace is the absence of everything that indicates pain or difficulty, hesitation or incongruity. 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
Grace has been defined as the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul. William Hazlitt
Almost every sect of Christianity is a perversion of its essence, to accommodate it to the prejudices of the world. 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
An honest man speaks the truth, though it may give offence; a vain man, in order that it may. William Hazlitt
The smallest pain in our little finger gives us more concern than the destruction of millions of our fellow beings. William Hazlitt
It is better to be able neither to read nor write than to be able to do nothing else. William Hazlitt
Satirists gain the applause of others through fear, not through love. William Hazlitt
The incentive to ambition is the love of power. William Hazlitt
Grace in women has more effect than beauty. William Hazlitt
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
Learning is its own exceeding great reward. William Hazlitt
Genius, like humanity, rusts for want of use. William Hazlitt
To a superior race of being the pretensions of mankind to extraordinary sanctity and virtue must seem… ridiculous. William Hazlitt
To give a reason for anything is to breed a doubt of it. William Hazlitt
There is a heroism in crime as well as in virtue. Vice and infamy have their altars and their religion. 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
Everything is in motion. Everything flows. Everything is vibrating. William Hazlitt
Rules and models destroy genius and art. William Hazlitt
A gentle word, a kind look, a good-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles. William Hazlitt
To think ill of mankind and not wish ill to them, is perhaps the highest wisdom and virtue. William Hazlitt
The least pain in our little finger gives us more concern and uneasiness than the destruction of millions of our fellow-beings. William Hazlitt
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
Great thoughts reduced to practice become great acts. William Hazlitt
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
Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity a greater. William Hazlitt
Good temper is one of the greatest preservers of the features. William Hazlitt
The humblest painter is a true scholar; and the best of scholars the scholar of nature. William Hazlitt
A grave blockhead should always go about with a lively one – they show one another off to the best advantage. William Hazlitt
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
The love of liberty is the love of others; the love of power is the love of ourselves. William Hazlitt
The person whose doors I enter with most pleasure, and quit with most regret, never did me the smallest favor. William Hazlitt
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
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
The most learned are often the most narrow minded. William Hazlitt
Wit is the salt of conversation, not the food. William Hazlitt
There is no prejudice so strong as that which arises from a fancied exemption from all prejudice. William Hazlitt
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
We find many things to which the prohibition of them constitutes the only temptation. William Hazlitt
The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure very much. William Hazlitt
One shining quality lends a lustre to another, or hides some glaring defect. William Hazlitt
Gracefulness has been defined to be the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul. William Hazlitt
We do not see nature with our eyes, but with our understandings and our hearts. 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
Love turns, with a little indulgence, to indifference or disgust; hatred alone is immortal. William Hazlitt
The only vice that cannot be forgiven is hypocrisy. The repentance of a hypocrite is itself hypocrisy. William Hazlitt
A hair in the head is worth two in the brush. William Hazlitt
A wise traveler never despises his own country. William Hazlitt
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
People of genius do not excel in any profession because they work in it, they work in it because they excel. William Hazlitt
No one ever approaches perfection except by stealth, and unknown to themselves. William Hazlitt
The perfect joys of heaven do not satisfy the cravings of nature. William Hazlitt
There are no rules for friendship. It must be left to itself. We cannot force it any more than love. William Hazlitt
The player envies only the player, the poet envies only the poet. William Hazlitt
We can scarcely hate anyone that we know. William Hazlitt
We can bear to be deprived of everything but our self-conceit. William Hazlitt
Every man, in his own opinion, forms an exception to the ordinary rules of morality. William Hazlitt
To be happy, we must be true to nature and carry our age along with us. William Hazlitt
Books let us into their souls and lay open to us the secrets of our own. William Hazlitt
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
The true barbarian is he who thinks everything barbarous but his own tastes and prejudices. William Hazlitt
Poetry is all that is worth remembering in life. William Hazlitt
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
A scholar is like a book written in a dead language. It is not every one that can read in it. William Hazlitt
No truly great person ever thought themselves so. William Hazlitt
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
Without the aid of prejudice and custom, I should not be able to find my way across the room. William Hazlitt
As is our confidence, so is our capacity. William Hazlitt
Hope is the best possession. None are completely wretched but those who are without hope. Few are reduced so low as that. William Hazlitt
The busier we are the more leisure we have. William Hazlitt
The public have neither shame or gratitude. William Hazlitt
The mind of man is like a clock that is always running down, and requires to be constantly wound up. William Hazlitt
Some people break promises for the pleasure of breaking them. William Hazlitt
Old friendships are like meats served up repeatedly, cold, comfortless, and distasteful. The stomach turns against them. William Hazlitt
Prejudice is the child of ignorance. William Hazlitt
I like a friend the better for having faults that one can talk about. William Hazlitt
The soul of a journey is liberty, perfect liberty, to think, feel, do just as one pleases. William Hazlitt
Reflection makes men cowards. William Hazlitt
Our friends are generally ready to do everything for us, except the very thing we wish them to do. William Hazlitt
We never do anything well till we cease to think about the manner of doing it. William Hazlitt
Those who can command themselves command others. William Hazlitt
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
Dandyism is a variety of genius. William Hazlitt
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
The more we do, the more we can do. William Hazlitt
It is not fit that every man should travel; it makes a wise man better, and a fool worse. William Hazlitt
Some one is generally sure to be the sufferer by a joke. William Hazlitt
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
Zeal will do more than knowledge. William Hazlitt
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
Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects, and discovering other people’s weaknesses. William Hazlitt
No young man ever thinks he shall die. William Hazlitt
