At bottom, every state regards another as a gang of robbers who will fall upon it as soon as there is an opportunity.

The general history of art and literature shows that the highest achievements of the human mind are, as a rule, not favourably received at first.

In their hearts women think that it is men's business to earn money and theirs to spend it.

Consciousness makes the individual careful to maintain his own existence; and if this were not so, there would be no surety for the preservation of the species. From all this it is clear that individuality is not a form of perfection, but rather a limitation; and so to be freed from it is not loss but gain.

One man is more concerned with the impression he makes on the rest of mankind, another with the impression the rest of mankind makes on him.

To be shocked at how deeply rejection hurts is to ignore what acceptance involves. We must never allow our suffering to be compounded by suggestions that there is something odd in suffering so deeply. There would be something amiss if we didn't.

I am often surprised by the cleverness, and now and again by the stupidity, of my dog; and I have similar experiences with mankind.