Jean Jacques Rousseau

France
28 Jun 1712 // 2 Jul 1778
Philosopher / Writer

Quotes

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Our will is always for our own good, but we do not always see what that is
Nature never deceives us; it is we who deceive ourselves
Money is the seed of money, and the first guinea is sometimes more difficult to acquire than the second million
Man is born free, and everywhere he is in shackles
It is unnatural for a majority to rule, for a majority can seldom be organized and united for specific action, and a minority can
It is too difficult to think nobly when one thinks only of earning a living
I hate books; they only teach us to talk about things we know nothing about
However great a man's natural talent may be, the act of writing cannot be learned all at once
How many famous and high-spirited heroes have lived a day too long?
Heroes are not known by the loftiness of their carriage; the greatest braggarts are generally the merest cowards
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On Anger: "For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind."
Essays
On Destiny: "Our destiny exercises its influence over us even when, as yet, we have not learned its nature: it is our future that lays down the law of our today."
Human, All Too Human
On Friendship: "A crowd is not company; and faces are but a gallery of pictures; and talk but a tinkling cymbal, where there is no love."
Essays