<p class="ql-align-center"><strong>Hypocrisy is the most difficult and nerve-racking vice that any man can pursue; it needs an unceasing vigilance and a rare detachment of spirit. It cannot, like adultery or gluttony, be practiced at spare moments; it is a whole-time job.</strong></p>

<h1 dir="ltr">W. Somerset Maugham <span dir="ltr">1874–1965</span><br dir="ltr"><span dir="ltr"> English novelist</span><span dir="ltr">&nbsp;</span></h1><OL><LI>Hypocrisy is the most difficult and nerve-racking vice that any man can pursue; it needs an unceasing vigilance and a rare detachment of spirit. It cannot, like adultery or gluttony, be practised at spare moments; it is a whole-time job.<div dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">Cakes and Ale</em> (1930)</div></LI><LI>From the earliest times the old have rubbed it into the young that they are wiser than they, and before the young had discovered what nonsense this was they were old too, and it profited them to carry on the imposture.<div dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">Cakes and Ale</em> (1930)</div></LI><LI>You can't learn too soon that the most useful thing about a principle is that it can always be sacrificed to expediency.<div dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">The Circle</em> (1921) act 3</div></LI><LI>A woman will always sacrifice herself if you give her the opportunity. It is her favourite form of self-indulgence.<div dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">The Circle</em> (1921) act 3</div></LI><LI>We have long passed the Victorian Era when asterisks were followed after a certain interval by a baby.<div dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">The Constant Wife</em> (1926)</div></LI><LI>It is a very funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.<div dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">The Mixture As Before</em> (1940) ‘The Treasure’</div></LI><LI>Impropriety is the soul of wit.<div dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">The Moon and Sixpence</em> (1919) ch. 4</div></LI><LI>It is not true that suffering ennobles the character; happiness does that sometimes, but suffering, for the most part, makes men petty and vindictive.<div dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">The Moon and Sixpence</em> (1919) ch.17</div></LI><LI>A woman can forgive a man for the harm he does her, but she can never forgive him for the sacrifices he makes on her account.<div dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">The Moon and Sixpence</em> (1919) ch. 41</div></LI><LI>Like all weak men he laid an exaggerated stress on not changing one's mind.<div dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">Of Human Bondage</em> (1915) ch. 39</div></LI><LI>People ask you for criticism, but they only want praise.<div dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">Of Human Bondage</em> (1915) ch. 50</div></LI><LI>Money is like a sixth sense without which you cannot make a complete use of the other five.<div dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">Of Human Bondage</em> (1915) ch. 51</div></LI><LI>I [Death] was astonished to see him in Baghdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.<div dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">Sheppey</em> (1933) act 3</div></LI><LI>Considering how foolishly people act and how pleasantly they prattle, perhaps it would be better for the world if they talked more and did less.<div dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">A Writer's Notebook</em> (1949) written in 1892</div></LI><LI>The love that lasts longest is the love that is never returned.<div dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">A Writer's Notebook</em> (1949) written in 1894</div></LI><LI>However harmless a thing is, if the law forbids it most people will think it wrong.<div dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">A Writer's Notebook</em> (1949) written in 1896</div></LI><LI>At a dinner party one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too wisely.<div dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">Writer's Notebook</em> (1949); written in 1896</div></LI><LI>Tolerance is only another name for indifference.<div dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">A Writer's Notebook</em> (1949) written in 1896</div></LI><LI>The subjunctive mood is in its death throes, and the best thing to do is to put it out of its misery as soon as possible.<div dir="ltr"><em dir="ltr">A Writer's Notebook</em> (1949) written in 1941</div></LI><LI>Dying is a very dull, dreary affair. And my advice to you is to have nothing whatever to do with it.<div dir="ltr">to his nephew Robin, in 1965; Robin Maugham <em dir="ltr">Conversations with Willie</em> (1978)</div></LI></OL>

Words on duplicity from a man who led a double life.

"W. Somerset Maugham" published on  by Oxford University Press.

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W. Somerset Maugham  1874–1965  English novelist

<ol><li>Hypocrisy is the most difficult and nerve-racking vice that any man can pursue; it needs an unceasing vigilance and a rare detachment of spirit. It cannot, like adultery or gluttony, be practised at spare moments; it is a whole-time job.<div><em>Cakes and Ale </em>(1930) </div> </li><li>From the earliest times the old have rubbed it into the young that they are wiser than they, and before the young had discovered what nonsense this was they were old too, and it profited them to carry on the imposture.<div><em>Cakes and Ale </em>(1930) </div> </li><li>You can't learn too soon that the most useful thing about a principle is that it can always be sacrificed to expediency.<div><em>The Circle </em>(1921) act 3 </div> </li><li>A woman will always sacrifice herself if you give her the opportunity. It is her favourite form of self-indulgence.<div><em>The Circle </em>(1921) act 3 </div> </li><li>We have long passed the Victorian Era when asterisks were followed after a certain interval by a baby.<div><em>The Constant Wife </em>(1926) </div> </li><li>It is a very funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.<div><em>The Mixture As Before </em>(1940) ‘The Treasure’ </div> </li><li>Impropriety is the soul of wit.<div><em>The Moon and Sixpence </em>(1919) ch. 4 </div> </li><li>It is not true that suffering ennobles the character; happiness does that sometimes, but suffering, for the most part, makes men petty and vindictive.<div><em>The Moon and Sixpence </em>(1919) ch.17 </div> </li><li>A woman can forgive a man for the harm he does her, but she can never forgive him for the sacrifices he makes on her account.<div><em>The Moon and Sixpence </em>(1919) ch. 41 </div> </li><li>Like all weak men he laid an exaggerated stress on not changing one's mind.<div><em>Of Human Bondage </em>(1915) ch. 39 </div> </li><li>People ask you for criticism, but they only want praise.<div><em>Of Human Bondage </em>(1915) ch. 50 </div> </li><li>Money is like a sixth sense without which you cannot make a complete use of the other five.<div><em>Of Human Bondage </em>(1915) ch. 51 </div> </li><li>I [Death] was astonished to see him in Baghdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.<div><em>Sheppey </em>(1933) act 3 </div> </li><li>Considering how foolishly people act and how pleasantly they prattle, perhaps it would be better for the world if they talked more and did less.<div><em>A Writer's Notebook </em>(1949) written in 1892 </div> </li><li>The love that lasts longest is the love that is never returned.<div><em>A Writer's Notebook </em>(1949) written in 1894 </div> </li><li>However harmless a thing is, if the law forbids it most people will think it wrong.<div><em>A Writer's Notebook </em>(1949) written in 1896 </div> </li><li>At a dinner party one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too wisely.<div><em>Writer's Notebook </em>(1949); written in 1896 </div> </li><li>Tolerance is only another name for indifference.<div><em>A Writer's Notebook </em>(1949) written in 1896 </div> </li><li>The subjunctive mood is in its death throes, and the best thing to do is to put it out of its misery as soon as possible.<div><em>A Writer's Notebook </em>(1949) written in 1941 </div> </li><li>Dying is a very dull, dreary affair. And my advice to you is to have nothing whatever to do with it.<div>to his nephew Robin, in 1965; Robin Maugham <em>Conversations with Willie </em>(1978) </div> </li> </ol>

W. Somerset Maugham: Hypocrisy Is A Whole-Time Job

WILLIAM SOMERSET MAUGHAM

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