Table-Talk · Chapter
On Great and Little Things explained
Hazlitt explores the paradox that trivial annoyances often provoke as much emotional response as major life events, arguing that the mind's capacity for irritation is not proportional to the importance of its object.
What happens
Hazlitt explores the paradox that trivial annoyances often provoke as much emotional response as major life events, arguing that the mind's capacity for irritation is not proportional to the importance of its object. He illustrates this with anecdotes of poets' vanity, the tragic story of Anthony Codrus Urceus, and reflections on love, class, and the psychology of disappointment.
Themes in this chapter
The Psychology of Habit and Novelty
Hazlitt examines how the mind's irritability is more easily provoked by small, unexpected frustrations than by large, anticipated evils, revealing the role of habit and novelty in emotional response.
Fame, Reputation, and Public Opinion
The chapter discusses poets' vanity and the desire for recognition, as well as the social dynamics of class and pretension in love and marriage.
Social Class and Pretension
Hazlitt reflects on the lingering effects of low birth, the discomfort of unequal matches, and the servility that persists across generations.
Characters to notice
- William Hazlitt
Author and narrator; reflects on personal experiences with love, writing, and the psychology of great and little things.
- Charles Lamb
Quoted for his remark about an old acquaintance who wanted to be a tailor but had not spirit.
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Referenced in the context of poets' vanity and the treatment of subjects in poetry.
- William Shakespeare
Invoked as the creator of ideal women, contrasted with Hazlitt's own preferences.
- Oliver Goldsmith
Quoted at the start: 'These little things are great to little man.'
- John Milton
Mentioned in the context of literary comparisons and the psychology of fame.
Key passages
“These little things are great to little man.”
Trivial matters can seem overwhelmingly important to those with a narrow perspective.
Opening epigraph from Goldsmith, setting the theme of the chapter.
“A lump of soot spoiling a man's dinner, a plate of toast falling in the ashes, the being disappointed of a ribbon to a cap or a ticket for a ball, have led to serious and almost tragical consequences.”
Minor everyday mishaps can provoke reactions as severe as those caused by major life events.
Illustrates the disproportionate emotional impact of small annoyances.
“The will acts in proportion to its fancied power, to its superiority over immediate obstacles.”
Our frustration is greater when we believe we could have easily overcome an obstacle, regardless of its actual importance.
Psychological explanation for why small disappointments vex us more.