Genuine contempt, on the other hand, is the unsullied conviction of the worthlessness of another.

Friends and acquaintances are the surest passport to fortune.

The common man is not concerned about the passage of time, the man of talent is driven by it.

It is with trifles, and when he is off guard, that a man best reveals his character.

Every nation criticizes every other one - and they are all correct.

Just as the largest library, badly arranged, is not so useful as a very moderate one that is well arranged, so the greatest amount of knowledge, if not elaborated by our own thoughts, is worth much less than a far smaller volume that has been abundantly and repeatedly thought over.

Whether we are in a pleasant or a painful state depends, finally, upon the kind of matter that pervades and engrosses our consciousness and what we compare it to - better and we envious and sad, worse and we feel grateful and happy.