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excess quotes

English (12) Français (6)

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“To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, to throw a perfume on the violet, to smooth the ice, or add another hue unto the rainbow, or with taper-light to seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish, is wasteful and ridiculous excess.” William Shakespeare, King John
“Moderation is a fatal thing . . . Nothing succeeds like excess.” Oscar Wilde, A Woman of No Importance
“Excess of joy is harder to bear than any amount of sorrow.” Honoré de Balzac, Letters of Two Brides
“For a fit of laughter which has been indulged to excess almost always produces a violent reaction.” Plato, The Republic
“The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.” Confucius, Analects
“To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.” Confucius, Analects
“Wherever there is a great property, there is great inequality.” Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations
“Sybarites bathe in wine, and Nonconformists drink water; but we are not concerned with these frantic exceptions.” G. K. Chesterton, What's Wrong with the World
“love can harm the lover when it is excessive.” Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose
“She gave so many reasons that I've forgotten them all.” Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence
“I know not, but strained silence, so I deem, Is no less ominous than excessive grief.” Sophocles, Antigone

Related topics

waste modesty love success reason speech silence grief joy violence sorrow wrong laughter inequality drinking property actions moderation wine insufficiency

Related authors

Confucius (2)
Sophocles (1)
Adam Smith (1)
William Shakespeare (1)
Oscar Wilde (1)
Plato (1)
G. K. Chesterton (1)
Edith Wharton (1)
Umberto Eco (1)
Honoré de Balzac (1)

Related sources

Analects (2)
The Name of the Rose (1)
A Woman of No Importance (1)
The Age of Innocence (1)
The Wealth of Nations (1)
The Republic (1)
Antigone (1)
King John (1)
Letters of Two Brides (1)
What's Wrong with the World (1)