Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty; it is a blessing that must be earned before it can be enjoyed.
True contentment depends not upon what we have; a tub was large enough for Diogenes, but a world was too little for Alexander.
Silence is foolish if we are wise, but wise if we are foolish.
Books, like friends, should be few and well chosen. Like friends, too, we should return to them again and again for, like true friends, they will never fail us – never cease to instruct – never cloy.
To dare to live alone is the rarest courage; since there are many who had rather meet their bitterest enemy in the field, than their own hearts in their closet.
If you cannot inspire a woman with love of you, fill her above the brim with love of herself; all that runs over will be yours.
No metaphysician ever felt the deficiency of language so much as the grateful.
There are two way of establishing a reputation, one to be praised by honest people and the other to be accused by rogues. It is best, however, to secure the first one, because it will always be accompanied by the latter.
Nothing more completely baffles one who is full of trick and duplicity, than straightforward and simple integrity in another.
Those that are the loudest in their threats are the weakest in their actions.
He that has energy enough to root out a vice should go further, and try to plant a virtue in its place.
Logic is a large drawer, containing some useful instruments, and many more that are superfluous. A wise man will look into it for two purposes, to avail himself of those instruments that are really useful, and to admire the ingenuity with which those that are not so, are assorted and arranged.
Body and mind, like man and wife, do not always agree to die together.
Constant success shows us but one side of the world; adversity brings out the reverse of the picture.
Constant success shows us but one side of the world. For as it surrounds us with friends who will tell us only our merits, so it silences those enemies from whom alone we can learn our defects.
We are sure to be losers when we quarrel with ourselves; it is civil war.
It is good to act as if. It is even better to grow to the point where it is no longer an act.
Commerce flourishes by circumstances, precarious, transitory, contingent, almost as the winds and waves that bring it to our shores.
When you have nothing to say, say nothing.
There are three modes of bearing the ills of life, by indifference, by philosophy, and by religion.