Pride & Prejudice - Jane Ostin

When she is secure of him, there will be more leisure for falling in love as much as she chooses.

But that expression of ‘violently in love’ is so hackneyed, so doubtful, so indefinite, that it gives me very little idea. It is as often applied to feelings which arise only from a half hour’s acquaintance, as to a real, strong attachment.

— And your defect is to hate everybody.

— And yours, — he replied with a smile, — is willfully to misunderstand them.

Pride is a very common failing, I believe. By all that I have ever read, I am convinced that it is very common indeed; that human nature is particularly prone to it, and that there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some quality or other, real or imaginary. Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.

A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony, in a moment.

I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine.

There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome.

I certainly have not the talent which some people possess,”said Darcy,“of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done.

We can all begin freely — a slight preference is natural enough; but there are very few of us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement. In nine cases out of ten, a woman had better show more affection than she feels.

Women fancy admiration means more than it does. And men take care that they should.

Nothing is more deceitful," said Darcy, "than the appearance of humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes an indirect boast

But where other powers of entertainment are wanting, the true philosopher will derive benefit from such as are given.

And never had she so honestly felt that she could have loved him, as now, when all love must be vain.

Whatever bears affinity to cunning is despicable.

Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life.

No one can be really esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half-deserved.