Man is a make-believe animal — he is never so truly himself as when he is acting a part. – William Hazlitt
There is nothing more likely to drive a man mad, than the being unable to get rid of the idea of the distinction between right and wrong, and an obstinate, constitutional preference of the true to the agreeable. – William Hazlitt
A grave blockhead should always go about with a lively one – they show one another off to the best advantage. – William Hazlitt
Books let us into their souls and lay open to us the secrets of our own. – William Hazlitt
Consequences are unpitying. Our deeds carry their terrible consequences, quite apart from any fluctuations that went before—consequences that are hardly ever confined to ourselves. And it is best to fix our minds on that certainty, instead of considering what may be the elements of excuse for us. – George Eliot, Adam Bede