The wise have always said the same things, and fools, who are the majority have always done just the opposite.

To call the world God is not to explain it; it is only to enrich our language with a superfluous synonym.

To use many words to communicate few thoughts is everywhere the unmistakable sign of mediocrity. To gather much thought into few words stamps the man of genius.

Poverty and slavery are thus only two forms ofthe same thing, the essence of which is that a man's energies are expended for the most part not on his own behalf but on that of others.

There are, first of all, two kinds of authors: those who write for the subject's sake, and those who write for writing's sake.

It is a curious fact that in bad days we can very vividly recall the good time that is now no more; but that in good days, we have only a very cold and imperfect memory of the bad.

Many books serve merely to show how many ways there are of being wrong, and how far astray you yourself would go if you followed their guidance. You should read only when your own thoughts dry up.