It is not so much fertility of mind that leads us to discover many expedients in regard to a single matter, as a defect of intelligence, that makes us stop at everything presented to our imagination, and hinders us from discerning at once which is the best course. Some old men like to give good advice to console themselves for being no longer in a state to give a bad example. No man of sound good sense strikes us as such unless he is of our way of thinking. Stiffness of opinion comes from pettiness of mind; we do not easily believe in anything that is beyond our range of vision. Good taste is based on judgment rather than on intelligence. It is more often through pride than through any want of enlightenment that men set themselves stubbornly to oppose the most current opinions; finding all the best places taken on the popular side, they do not want those in the rear. In order to understand things well one must know the detail of them; and as this is almost infinite, our knowledge is always superficial and imperfect. It is never so difficult to talk well as when we are ashamed of our silence. The excessive pleasure we feel in talking about ourselves ought to make us apprehensive that we afford little to our listeners. Truth has not done so much good in the world as the false appearances of it have done harm. Man's chief wisdom consists in being sensible of his follies. _IV.--Human Life and Human Nature_ Youth is a continual intoxication; it is the fever of reason. The passions of youth are scarcely more opposed to salvation than the lukewarmness of old persons. There is not enough material in a fool to make a good man out of him. We have more strength than will, and it is often to excuse ourselves to ourselves that we imagine things are impossible. There are few things impossible in themselves; it is the application to achieve them that we lack more than the means. It is a mistake to imagine that only the more violent passions, such as ambition and love, can triumph over the rest. Idleness often masters them all. It indeed influences all our designs and actions, and insensibly destroys both our vices and our virtues. Idleness is of all our passions that which is most unknown to ourselves. It is the most ardent and the most malign of all, though we do not feel its working, and the harm which it does is hidden. If we consider its power attentively, we shall see that in every struggle it triumphs over our feelings, our interests, and our pleasures. To give a true idea of this passion it is necessary to add that idleness is like a beatitude of the soul which consoles it for all its losses and serves in place of all its wealth. The gratitude of most men is only a secret desire to receive greater favours. We like better to see those on whom we confer benefits than those from whom we receive them. It is less dangerous to do harm to most men than to do them too much good.