Religion is the metaphysics of the masses.

Patriotism, when it wants to make itself felt in the domain of learning, is a dirty fellow who should be thrown out of doors.

The safest way of not being very miserable is not to expect to be very happy.

Men are a thousand times more intent on becoming rich than on acquiring culture, though it is quite certain that what a man IS contributes more to his happiness than what he HAS.

Truth is no harlot who throws her arms round the neck of him who does not desire her; on the contrary, she is so coy a beauty that even the man who sacrifices everything to her can still not be certain of her favors.

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

To forgive and forget means to throw away dearly bought experience.