“Great minds naturally love whatever is worthy of their esteem.”

— Vauvenargues, Reflections and Maxims (1746), tr. E. Lee (1903)

About Vauvenargues

1715 – 1747

French moralist, author of "Reflections and Maxims" (1746).

“Patience is the art of hoping.”

“Necessity relieves us from the embarrassment of choice.”

“Those who continually slander, rarely do injury: they imagine more evil than they can accomplish.”

“If music be the food of love, play on.”

“Give all to love; obey thy heart.”

“What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil.”

“The spiritualization of sensuality is called love.”

“There is not love of life without despair about life.”

“The opposite of an idealist is too often a man without love.”