A man can do what he wants, but not want what he wants.

A sense of humour is the only divine quality of man

We will gradually become indifferent to what goes on in the minds of other people when we acquire a knowledge of the superficial nature of their thoughts, the narrowness of their views and of the number of their errors. Whoever attaches a lot of value to the opinions of others pays them too much honor.

The man who goes up in a balloon does not feel as if he were ascending; he only sees the earth sinking deeper below him.

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

[T]he appropriate form of address between man and man ought to be, not monsieur, sir, but fellow sufferer, compagnon de miseres.

The bad thing about all religions is that, instead of being able to confess their allegorical nature, they have to conceal it.