How we cite our quotes: Section.Part (if applicable).Paragraph
Quote #1
Had nature made no such distinction, founded on the original constitution of the mind, the words, honourable and shameful, lovely and odious, noble and despicable, had never had place in any language; nor could politicians, had they invented these terms, ever have been able to render them intelligible, or make them convey any idea. (V.I.3)
Unlike justice and property, which were set up because they were necessary/useful, some virtues are natural. Even before we had words for them, they existed and we recognized them: we know when something's agreeable/honorable and when something's unpleasant/shameful. If we didn't, then how would we be able to explain these things?
Quote #2
And however poets may employ their wit and eloquence, in celebrating present pleasure, and rejecting all distant views to fame, health, or fortune […] A man of a strong and determined temper adheres tenaciously to his general resolutions, and is neither seduced by the allurements of pleasure, nor terrified by the menaces of pain; but keeps still in view those distant pursuits, by which he, at once, ensures his happiness and his honour. (VI.I.15)
Poets sometimes like to bask in immediate pleasures rather than focus on practical stuff like planning for the future. This outlook may be fine and dandy in poetry, but Hume warns against extending it into real life. He recognizes that current pleasures may be tempting but argues that we should keep our long term goals in sight. If everyone was only interested in the here and now there'd be chaos.
Quote #3
A man who [...] is fully, sincerely, and steadily convinced, from experience as well as philosophy, that the difference of fortune makes less difference in happiness than is vulgarly imagined […] may, indeed, externally pay a superior deference to the great lord above the vassal; because riches are the most convenient, being the most fixed and determinate, source of distinction. But his internal sentiments are more regulated by the personal characters of men. (VI.II.12)
Can money buy happiness? Is being rich important? These questions have been asked countless times, and Hume's in no doubt about the answers. Sure, designer logos and top-of-the-range gadgets may be immediate signs of success, but, for Hume, what matters is what someone's like as a person. Okay, so his may sound like a total cliché, but Hume's got a point, dontcha think?