Literary Birthday – 6 April – Nicolas Chamfort

Nicolas Chamfort was born on 6 April 1741 and died on 13 April 1794.

Nicolas Chamfort Quotes

1. Contemplation often makes life miserable. We should act more, think less, and stop watching ourselves live.
2. There are well-dressed foolish ideas just as there are well-dressed fools.
3. Intelligent people make many mistakes because they cannot believe the world is really as foolish as it is.
4. There are certain times when public opinion is the worst of all opinions.
5. Happiness is not easy to find. It’s very difficult to find it in yourself — and impossible to find anywhere else.
6. To enjoy and give enjoyment, without injury to yourself or others; this is true morality.
7. In order not to find life unbearable, you must accept two things: the ravages of time and the injustices of man.
8. Every day I add to the list of things I refuse to discuss. The wiser the man, the longer the list.
9. Most books today seemed to have been written overnight from books read the day before.
10. Anyone whose needs are small seems threatening to the rich, because he’s always ready to escape their control.
11. There are more people who wish to be loved than there are who are willing to love.
12. He who leaves the game wins it.

Nicolas Chamfort, born Sébastien-Roch Nicolas, was a French playwright and conversationalist. As a writer, he was known for his witty epigrams and aphorisms. He was secretary to Louis XVI’s sister, and a member of the Jacobin club. In 1781 Eloge de Molière, won him entry into the French Academy. But The French Revolution changed Chamfort’s life. He threw himself into the republican movement, devoting his small fortune to revolutionary propaganda. Many of his sayings, such as “War to the châteaux, peace to the cottages,” became famous. He became a street orator and was among the first to enter the Bastille when it was stormed. The writings of Chamfort include comedies, political articles, literary criticisms, portraits, letters, and verses. His Maximes et Pensées are among the most brilliant and suggestive sayings of the modern era. A selection of his writings is available in Chamfort: Reflections on Life, Love & Society.

by Amanda Patterson

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