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Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes

All happiness is a work of art: the smallest error falsifies it, the slightest hesitation alters it, the least heaviness spoils it, the slightest stupidity brutalizes it Picture Quote #1

Everything turns out to be valuable that one does for one’s self without thought of profit Picture Quote #1

Of all our games, love’s play is the only one which threatens to unsettle the soul Picture Quote #1

Passion such as hers is all consent, asking little in return. I had merely to enter a room where she was to see her face take on that peaceful expression of one who is resting in bed. If I touched her, I had the impression that all the blood in her veins was turning to honey Picture Quote #1

I have come to think that great men are characterized precisely by the extreme position which they take, and that their heroism consists in holding to that extremity throughout their lives Picture Quote #1

A being afire with life cannot foresee death; in fact, by each of his deeds he denies that death exists Picture Quote #1

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The memory of most men is an abandoned cemetery where lie, unsung and unhonored, the dead whom they have ceased to cherish. Any lasting grief is reproof to their neglect Picture Quote #1

Men who care passionately for women attach themselves at least as much to the temple and to the accessories of the cult as to their goddess herself Picture Quote #1

I have never seasoned a truth with the sauce of a lie in order to digest it more easily Picture Quote #1

The true birthplace is that wherein for the first time one looks intelligently upon oneself; my first homelands have been books, and to a lesser degree schools Picture Quote #1

Everything that we do affects our fate for better or for worse. The circumstances into which we are born also exert a tremendous influence; we come into the world with debits and credits for which we are not responsible already posted to our account: this teaches us humility Picture Quote #1

Age means nothing. If anything I feel that I’m still a child: eternity and childhood are my ages Picture Quote #1

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The technique of a great seducer requires a facility and an indifference in passing from one object of affection to another which I could never have; however that may be, my loves have left me more often than I have left them, for I have never been able to understand how one could have enough of any beloved. The desire to count up exactly the riches which each new love brings us, and to see it change, and perhaps watch it grow old, accords ill with multiplicity of conquests Picture Quote #1

This city belongs to ghosts, to murderers, to sleepwalkers. Where are you, in what bed, in what dream? Picture Quote #1

On the whole, however, it is only out of pride or gross ignorance, or cowardice, that we refuse to see in the present the lineaments of times to come Picture Quote #1

The written word has taught me to listen to the human voice, much as the great unchanging statues have taught me to appreciate bodily motions Picture Quote #1

Since man, fragment of the universe, is governed by the same laws that preside over the heavens, it is by no means absurd to search there above for the themes of our lives, for those frigid sympathies that participate in our achievements as well as our blunderings Picture Quote #1

Love is a punishment. We are punished for not having been strong enough to remain alone Picture Quote #1

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I knew that good like bad becomes a routine, that the temporary tends to endure, that what is external permeates to the inside, and that the mask, given time, comes to be the face itself Picture Quote #1

He had reached that moment in life, different for each one of us, when a man abandonds himself to his demon or to his genius, following a mysterious law which bids him either to destroy or outdo himself Picture Quote #1

Do not mistake me. I am not yet weak enough to yield to fearful imaginings, which are almost as absurd as illusions of hope, and are certainly harder to bear. If I must deceive myself, I should prefer to stay on the side of confidence, for I shall lose no more there and shall suffer less Picture Quote #1

I am not sure that the discovery of love is necessarily more exquisite than the discovery of poetry Picture Quote #1

To stay in one place and watch the seasons come and go is tanatmount to constant travel: One is traveling with the earth Picture Quote #1

Laws change more slowly than custom, and though dangerous when they fall behind the times are more dangerous still when they presume to anticipate custom Picture Quote #1

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When two texts, or two assertions, perhaps two ideas, are in contradiction, be ready to reconcile them rather than cancel one by the other; regard them as two different facets, or two successive stages, of the same reality, a reality convincingly human just because it is too complex Picture Quote #1

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Friendship Quotes

Motivational Quotes

Inspirational Quotes

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Text Quotes

All happiness is a work of art: the smallest error falsifies it, the slightest hesitation alters it, the least heaviness spoils it, the slightest stupidity brutalizes it (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) Everything turns out to be valuable that one does for one’s self without thought of profit (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) Of all our games, love’s play is the only one which threatens to unsettle the soul (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) Passion such as hers is all consent, asking little in return. I had merely to enter a room where she was to see her face take on that peaceful expression of one who is resting in bed. If I touched her, I had the impression that all the blood in her veins was turning to honey (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) I have come to think that great men are characterized precisely by the extreme position which they take, and that their heroism consists in holding to that extremity throughout their lives (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) A being afire with life cannot foresee death; in fact, by each of his deeds he denies that death exists (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) The memory of most men is an abandoned cemetery where lie, unsung and unhonored, the dead whom they have ceased to cherish. Any lasting grief is reproof to their neglect (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) Men who care passionately for women attach themselves at least as much to the temple and to the accessories of the cult as to their goddess herself (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) I have never seasoned a truth with the sauce of a lie in order to digest it more easily (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) The true birthplace is that wherein for the first time one looks intelligently upon oneself; my first homelands have been books, and to a lesser degree schools (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) Everything that we do affects our fate for better or for worse. The circumstances into which we are born also exert a tremendous influence; we come into the world with debits and credits for which we are not responsible already posted to our account: this teaches us humility (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) Age means nothing. If anything I feel that I’m still a child: eternity and childhood are my ages (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) The technique of a great seducer requires a facility and an indifference in passing from one object of affection to another which I could never have; however that may be, my loves have left me more often than I have left them, for I have never been able to understand how one could have enough of any beloved. The desire to count up exactly the riches which each new love brings us, and to see it change, and perhaps watch it grow old, accords ill with multiplicity of conquests (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) This city belongs to ghosts, to murderers, to sleepwalkers. Where are you, in what bed, in what dream? (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) On the whole, however, it is only out of pride or gross ignorance, or cowardice, that we refuse to see in the present the lineaments of times to come (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) The written word has taught me to listen to the human voice, much as the great unchanging statues have taught me to appreciate bodily motions (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) Since man, fragment of the universe, is governed by the same laws that preside over the heavens, it is by no means absurd to search there above for the themes of our lives, for those frigid sympathies that participate in our achievements as well as our blunderings (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) Love is a punishment. We are punished for not having been strong enough to remain alone (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) I knew that good like bad becomes a routine, that the temporary tends to endure, that what is external permeates to the inside, and that the mask, given time, comes to be the face itself (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) He had reached that moment in life, different for each one of us, when a man abandonds himself to his demon or to his genius, following a mysterious law which bids him either to destroy or outdo himself (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) Do not mistake me. I am not yet weak enough to yield to fearful imaginings, which are almost as absurd as illusions of hope, and are certainly harder to bear. If I must deceive myself, I should prefer to stay on the side of confidence, for I shall lose no more there and shall suffer less (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) I am not sure that the discovery of love is necessarily more exquisite than the discovery of poetry (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) To stay in one place and watch the seasons come and go is tanatmount to constant travel: One is traveling with the earth (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) Laws change more slowly than custom, and though dangerous when they fall behind the times are more dangerous still when they presume to anticipate custom (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes) When two texts, or two assertions, perhaps two ideas, are in contradiction, be ready to reconcile them rather than cancel one by the other; regard them as two different facets, or two successive stages, of the same reality, a reality convincingly human just because it is too complex (Marguerite Yourcenar Quotes)

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