Our passions are like convulsion fits, which, though they make us stronger for the time, leave us the weaker ever read more

Our passions are like convulsion fits, which, though they make us stronger for the time, leave us the weaker ever after.

In men, we various ruling passions find;
In women two almost divide the kind;
Those only fix'd, read more

In men, we various ruling passions find;
In women two almost divide the kind;
Those only fix'd, they first or last obey.
The love of pleasure, and the love of sway.

From their experience or from the recorded experience of others (history), men learn only what their passions and their metaphysical read more

From their experience or from the recorded experience of others (history), men learn only what their passions and their metaphysical prejudices allow them to learn.

All the passions are nothing else than different degrees of heat
and cold of the blood.
[Fr., Toutes read more

All the passions are nothing else than different degrees of heat
and cold of the blood.
[Fr., Toutes les passions ne sout autre chose que les divers
degres de la chaleur et de la froideur du sang.]

Search then the ruling passion; there alone,
The wild are constant, and the cunning known;
The fool read more

Search then the ruling passion; there alone,
The wild are constant, and the cunning known;
The fool consistent, and the false sincere;
Priests, princes, women, no dissemblers here.

It is easier to exclude harmful passions than to rule them, and to deny them admittance than to control them read more

It is easier to exclude harmful passions than to rule them, and to deny them admittance than to control them after they have been admitted.

Between men and women there is no friendship possible. There is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship.

Between men and women there is no friendship possible. There is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship.

Difference of object does not alter singleness of passion. It
merely intensifies it. We can have but one great read more

Difference of object does not alter singleness of passion. It
merely intensifies it. We can have but one great experience at
best, and the secret of life is to reproduce that experience as
often as possible.

He will hold thee, when his passion shall have spent its novel
force,
Something better than his dog, read more

He will hold thee, when his passion shall have spent its novel
force,
Something better than his dog, a little dearer than his horse.