If you feel irritated by the absurd remarks of two people whose conversation you happen to overhear, you should imagine that you are listening to a dialogue of two fools in a comedy.

A book can never be anything more than the impression of its author’s thoughts. The value of these thoughts lies either in the matter about which he has thought, or in the form in which he develops his matter — that is to say, what he has thought about it.

A man's delight in looking forward to and hoping for some particular satisfaction is a part of the pleasure flowing out of it, enjoyed in advance. But this is afterward deducted, for the more we look forward to anything the less we enjoy it when it comes.

Politeness is to human nature what warmth is to wax.

There is only one inborn error. and that is the notion that we exist in order to be happy.

Our life is a loan received from death with sleep as the daily interest on this loan.

The problem with Germans is that they look in the clouds for what lies at their feet.