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We are constantly railing against the passions; we ascribe to them all of man’s afflictions, and we forget that they are also the source of all his pleasures.

Denis Diderot

Does anyone really know where they’re going to?
DENIS DIDEROT

Direction Journey Path
There is only one passion, the passion for happiness.
DENIS DIDEROT

Happiness Oneself Passion
Only God and some few rare geniuses can keep forging ahead into novelty.
DENIS DIDEROT

God Novel Rare
Passions destroy more prejudices than philosophy does.
DENIS DIDEROT

Destroy Passion Philosophy Prejudice
If you want me to believe in God, you must make me touch him.
DENIS DIDEROT

Believe God Himself Touch
Power acquired by violence is only a usurpation, and lasts only as long as the force of him who commands prevails over that of those who obey.
DENIS DIDEROT

Command Force Obedience Power Violence
One may demand of me that I should seek truth, but not that I should find it.
DENIS DIDEROT

Demand Finding Oneself Seek Truth
Our observation of nature must be diligent, our reflection profound, and our experiments exact. We rarely see these three means combined; and for this reason, creative geniuses are not common.
DENIS DIDEROT

Creative Experiment Genius Nature Observation
What has not been examined impartially has not been well examined. Skepticism is therefore the first step towards truth.
DENIS DIDEROT

Impartial Path Step Truth
Genius is present in every age, but the men carrying it within them remain benumbed unless extraordinary events occur to heat up and melt the mass so that it flows forth.
DENIS DIDEROT

Anand Thakur
People praise virtue, but they hate it, they run away from it. It freezes you to death, and in this world you’ve got to keep your feet warm.
DENIS DIDEROT

Anand Thakur
Two qualities essential for the artist: moralityand perspective.
DENIS DIDEROT

Artist Essential Moral Perspective Quality
In any country where talent and virtue produce no advancement, money will be the national god. Its inhabitants will either have to possess money or make others believe that they do. Wealth will be the highest virtue, poverty the greatest vice.
DENIS DIDEROT

Anand Thakur
The man who first pronounced the barbarous word God ought to have been immediately destroyed.
DENIS DIDEROT

Destroy Man Pronounce
Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things.
DENIS DIDEROT

Greatness Passion Soul
From fanaticism to barbarism is only one step.
DENIS DIDEROT

Oneself Path Step
The best mannered people make the most absurd lovers.
DENIS DIDEROT

Absurd Best Lover People
There is no moral precept that does not have something inconvenient about it.
DENIS DIDEROT

Convenience Moral Perception
There is only one duty; that is to be happy.
DENIS DIDEROT

Happiness Oneself Responsibility
Every man has his dignity. I’m willing to forget mine, but at my own discretion and not when someone else tells me to.
DENIS DIDEROT

Dignity Man Myself Willing
The world is the house of the strong.
DENIS DIDEROT

Hard Time Inspirational Strong World
Skepticism is the first step on the road to philosophy.
DENIS DIDEROT

Philosophy Road
There are things I can’t force. I must adjust. There are times when the greatest change needed is a change of my viewpoint.
DENIS DIDEROT

Adjust Change Force Need Point View
Only the bad man is alone.
DENIS DIDEROT

Alone Bad Man
No man has received from nature the right to command his fellow human beings.
DENIS DIDEROT

Command Himself Man Nature Right
Distance is a great promoter of admiration.
DENIS DIDEROT

Admire Distance Greatness Promote
He whom we call a gentleman is no longer the man of Nature.
DENIS DIDEROT

Gentle Himself Man Nature

We are constantly railing against the passions; we ascribe to them all of man’s afflictions, and we forget that they are also the source of all his pleasures.

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We are constantly railing against the passions; we ascribe to them all of man’s afflictions, and we forget that they are also the source of all his pleasures.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Denis Diderot Quotes