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Henri Frederic Amiel Quotes

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"Action and faith enslave thought, both of them in order not be troubled or inconvenienced by reflection, criticism, and doubt."

"For purposes of action nothing is more useful than narrowness of thought combined with energy of will."

"Analysis kills spontaneity. The grain once ground into flour springs and germinates no more."

"Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts."

"Our systems, perhaps, are nothing more than an unconscious apology for our faults -a gigantic scaffolding whose object is to hide from us our favorite sin."

"It is not what he had, or even what he does which expresses the worth of a man, but what he is."

"Cleverness is serviceable for everything, sufficient for nothing."

"Common sense is calculation applied to life."

"Common sense is the measure of the possible; it is composed of experience and prevision; it is calculation applied to life."

"Pure truth cannot be assimilated by the crowd; it must be communicated by contagion."

"The best path through life is the highway."

"An error is the more dangerous in proportion to the degree of truth which it contains."

"Destiny has two ways of crushing us - by refusing our wishes and by fulfilling them."

"It is by teaching that we teach ourselves, by relating that we observe, by affirming that we examine, by showing that we look, by writing that we think, by pumping that we draw water into the well."

"To live we must conquer incessantly, we must have the courage to be happy."

"Every life is a profession of faith, and exercises an inevitable and silent influence."

"Clever people will recognize and tolerate nothing but cleverness."

"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."

"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."

"In every loving woman there is a priestess of the past - a pious guardian of some affection, of which the object has disappeared."

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