| Riches, like glory or heath, have no more beauty or pleasure than their possessor is pleased to lend them. |
| He who fears he will suffer, already suffers because of his fear. |
| We can be knowledgable with other men's knowledge but we cannot be wise with other men's wisdom. |
| There never were, in the world, two opinions alike, no more than two hairs, or two grains the most universal quality is diversity. |
| No one is exempt from talking nonsense the mistake is to do it solemnly. |
| I quote others only in order the better to express myself. |
| The greatist thing in the world is for a man to know how to be himself. |
| To philosophize is to doubt. |
| God gives us our relatives- thank God we can choose our friends. |
| He who would teach men to die would at the same time teach them to live. |
| Anyone who does not feel sufficiently strong in memory should not meddle with lying. |
| It is a sign of contraction of the mind when it is content, or of weariness. |
| To philosophize is nothing else than to prepare oneself for death. |
| We are born to inquire into truth it belongs to a greater to possess it. |
| I speak the truth not so much as I would, but as much as I dare, and I dare a little more as I grow older. |
| Friendship is the highest degree of perfection in society. |
| How many things which served us yesterday as articles of faith, are fables for us today. |
| The finest lives, in my opinion, are those who rank in the common model, and with the human race, but without miracle, without extravagance. |
| If a man should importune me to give a reason why I loved him, I find it could no otherwise be expressed, than by making answer because it was he, because it was I. |
| There are some defeats more triumphant than victories. |
| There is no course of life so weak and sottish as that which is managed by order, method, and discipline. |
| Man is quite insane. He wouldn't know how to create a maggot, and he creates Gods by the dozen. |
| Even on the most exalted throne in the world we are only sitting on our own bottom. |
| A wise man sees as much as he ought, not as much as he can. |
| Once conform, once do what others do because they do it, and a kind of lethargy steals over all the finer senses of the soul. |
| Marriage is like a cage one sees the birds outside desperate to get in, and those inside equally desperate to get out. |
| Children's playthings are not sports and should be deemed as their most serious actions. |
| The want of goods is easily repaired, but the poverty of the soul is irreparable. |
