Misfortunes Quotes - Page 29

• Tis the greatest misfortune in nature for a woman to want a confidant.

  George Farquhar

  Women, Want, Confidant

  William. II Congreve William Wycherley (John Vanbrugh and Farquhar George), William. II Wycherley, William Congreve, George Farquhar, John Vanbrugh (1840). “Dramatic Works with Biographical and Critical Notices by Leigh Hunt. - London, Moxon 1840”, p.628

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• Sex gets people killed, put in jail, beaten up, bankrupted, and disgraced, to say nothing of ruined - personally, politically, and professionally. Looking for sex can lead to misfortune, and if you get lucky and find it, it can leave you maimed, infected, or dead. Other than that, it's swell: the great American pastime. ... You probably won't see it on a bumper sticker, but sex kills.

  Edna Buchanan

  Sex, Jail, People

  Edna Buchanan (2009). “The Corpse Had a Familiar Face”, p.172, Simon and Schuster

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• I have never been able to be so allured by the prospect of advantages or so terrified by misfortunes, swayed by honours or fettered by affection, nay not even so smitten by the fear of death, as to enter upon marriage.

  Elizabeth I

  Able, Affection, Fear Of Death

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• For the credit of virtue we must admit that the greatest misfortunes of men are those into which they fall through their crimes.

  Francois de La Rochefoucauld

  Fall, Men, Credit

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• In misfortune we often mistake dejection for constancy; we bear it without daring to look on it; like cowards, who suffer themselves to be murdered without resistance.

  Francois de La Rochefoucauld

  Mistake, Suffering, Coward

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• Pity is a sense of our own misfortunes in those of another man; it is a sort of foresight of the disasters which may befall ourselves. We assist others,, in order that they may assist us on like occasions; so that the services we offer to the unfortunate are in reality so many anticipated kindnesses to ourselves.

  Francois de La Rochefoucauld

  Kindness, Reality, Men

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• Instead of giving in to the greatest misfortune that can happen at my age, deafness, I busy myself in searching out all possible compensations, and I apply myself much more to all the amusements that are here within my grasp.

  Lord Chesterfield

  Giving, Age, Amusement

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• There is a sort of natural instinct of human dignity in the heart of man which steels his very nerves not to bend beneath the heavy blows of a great adversity. The palm-tree grows best beneath a ponderous weight, even so the character of man. There is no merit in it, it is a law of psychology. The petty pangs of small daily cares have often bent the character of men, but great misfortunes seldom. There is less danger in this than in great good luck.

  Lajos Kossuth

  Character, Good Luck, Adversity

  Lajos Kossuth (1852). “Proceedings, Speeches,&c. at the Dinner given to Louis Kossuth at the National Hotel, Washington, Jan. 7, 1852”, p.3

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• It's dangerous to start attributing your fortunes to luck and your misfortunes to fate.

  Nancy Pickard

  Fate, Destiny, Luck

  Nancy Pickard (1989). “Marriage Is Murder”, Pocket

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• Some souls are ennobled and elevated by seeming misfortunes, which then become blessings in disguise.

  Edwin Hubbel Chapin

  Blessing, Soul, Disguise

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• in the traditional family structure of Persia ... one simply cannot discard close relatives just because one does not like them; rather one has to accommodate them, make allowances and accept them, like misfortune.

  Shusha Guppy

  Family, Middle East, Doe

  Shusha Guppy (2004). “Blindfold Horse: Memories of a Persian Childhood”, p.38, Tauris Parke Paperbacks

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• Misfortune comes to people who live only on the memory of their past grandeur.

  Louise Colet

  Memories, Past, People

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• The diamond of character is revealed by the concussion of misfortune, as the splendor of the precious jewel of the mine is developed by the blows of the lapidary.

  Francis Alexander Durivage

  Character, Blow, Jewels

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• Contentment travels rarely with fortune, but follows virtue even in misfortune.

  Marie Leszczynska

  Contentment, Virtue, Fortune

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• The fact is, people who don't have any misfortunes are very irritating to their neighbours. No opportunities for popping in with condolences and new-laid eggs. No visits to the afflicted. No opportunities for the milk of human kindness to flow. Naturally it doesn't.

  Patricia Wentworth

  Kindness, Condolences, Opportunity

  Patricia Wentworth (1992). “The Ivory Dagger”, Perennial

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• Misfortunes should always be expected.

  Samuel Johnson

  Should, Expected

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• The fact that God has prohibited despair gives misfortune the right to hope all things, and leaves hope free to dare all things.

  Bill Vaughan

  Giving, Despair, Facts

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• We ought, in humanity, no more to despise a man for the misfortunes of the mind than for those of the body, when they are such as he cannot help; were this thoroughly considered we should no more laugh at a man for having his brains cracked than for having his head broke.

  Alexander Pope

  Men, Laughing, Humanity

  Alexander Pope (1812). “The works of Alexander Pope. With a selection of explanatory notes, and the account of his life by dr. Johnson”, p.230

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• Every wind is fare when we are flying from misfortune.

  Sophocles

  Wind, Flying

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• The only thought in the world that is worth anything is free thought. To free thought we owe all past progress and all hope for the future. Since when has any one made it appear that shackled thought could get on better than that which is free? Brains are a great misfortune if one is never to use them.

  Richard Savage

  Past, Brain, Progress

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• Men are prostrated by misfortune; women bend, but do not break, and martyr-like live on.

  Anna Cora Mowatt

  Men, Break, Martyr

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• Misfortune sprinkles ashes on the head of the man, but falls like dew on the heart of the woman, and brings forth [gems] of strength of which she herself had no conscious possession.

  Anna Cora Mowatt

  Fall, Heart, Men

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• Women have a smile for every joy, a tear for every sorrow, a consolation for every grief, an excuse for every fault, a prayer for every misfortune, and encouragement for every hope.

  Germain-Francois Poullain de Saint-Foix

  Sympathy, Encouragement, Prayer

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• Adversity is the touchstone of character: it is not in success but in misfortune that hidden powers bear fruit.

  Alec-Tweedie

  Character, Adversity, Fruit

  Ethel Alec-Tweedie, Mrs Alec-Tweedie (1904). “Sunny Sicily: Its Rustics and Its Ruins”

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• But, alas! Misfortunes are too apt to wear out Friendship.

  Charlotte Charke

  Friendship, Alas

  Charlotte CHARKE (1826). “A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Charlotte Charke, youngest daughter of Colley Cibber ... Written by herself. With a portrait”

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