The more cruel the wrong that men commit against an individual or a people, the deeper their hatred and contempt for their victim.

If only I had known, I should have become a watchmaker.

Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism - how passionately I hate them!

The gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge.

I have just got a new theory of eternity.

Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.

I am absolutely convinced that no wealth in the world can help humanity forward, even in the hands of the most devoted worker in this cause. The example of great and pure characters is the only thing that can produce fine ideas and noble deeds. Money only appeals to selfishness and always tempts its owners irresistibly to abuse it