Self-pity comes so naturally to all of us.
The really great novel tends to be the exact negative of its author's life.
No one can be profoundly original who does not avoid eccentricity.
If, in New York, you arrive late for an appointment, say, "I took a taxi".
Experience is valuable only when it has brought suffering and when the suffering has left its mark upon both body and mind.
Live as if you were eternal.