Thus, the task is not so much to see what no one yet has seen, but to think what nobody yet has thought about that which everybody sees.

Happiness of any given life is to be measured, not by its joys and pleasures, but by the extent to which it has been free from suffering-from positive evil.

If God made the world, I would not be that God, for the misery of the world would break my heart.

Religion is the metaphysics of the masses.

It often happens that we blurt out things that may in some kind of way be harmful to us, but we are silent about things that may make us look ridiculous; because in this case effect follows very quickly on cause.

Authors may be divided into falling stars, planets, and fixed stars: the first have a momentary effect; the second have a much longer duration; but the third are unchangeable, possess their own light, and work for all time.

It is a clear gain to sacrifice pleasure in order to avoid pain.