That man is prudent who neither hopes nor fears anything from the uncertain events of the future.
Irony is the gaiety of reflection and the joy of wisdom.
What frightens us most in a madman is his sane conversation.
It is only the poor who pay cash, and that not from virtue, but because they are refused credit.
The good critic is he who relates the adventures of his soul among masterpieces.
It is only the poor who are forbidden to beg.
Those who have given themselves the most concern about the happiness of peoples have made their neighbors very miserable.
The dog is a religious animal. In his savage state he worships the moon and the lights that float upon the waters. These are his gods to whom he appeals at night with long-drawn howls.
An old philosopher said to Monsieur Coignard, a Reverend Father: ‘You are a pig!’ To which Abad Coignard answered: ‘You flatter me, sir. But unfortunately, I’m only a man.’
Universal peace will be realized, not because man will become better, but because a new order of things, a new science, new economic necessities, will impose peace.
It’s not by amusing oneself that one learns.
What men call civilization is the condition of present customs; what they call barbarism, the condition of past ones.
The future is a convenient place for dreams.
It is in the ability to deceive oneself that the greatest talent is shown.
People who don’t count won’t count.
The heart errs like the head; its errors are not any the less fatal, and we have more trouble getting free of them because of their sweetness.
It is remarkable how great an influence our clothes have on our moral state.
There are no bad books any more than there are ugly women.
Play is hand-to-hand encounter with Fate.
We chase dreams and embrace shadows.