People here argue about religion interminably, but it appears that they are competing at the same time to see who can be the least devout.

When a government lasts a long while, it deteriorates by insensible degrees. Republics end through luxury, monarchies through poverty.

For a country, everything will be lost when the jobs of an economist and a banker become highly respected professions.

The majority of men are more capable of great actions than of good ones.

Virtue is necessary to a republic.

To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.

If one only wished to be happy, this could be easily accomplished; but we wish to be happier that other people, and this is always difficult, for we believe others to be happier than they are. you are comparing your lot with an ideal which is of course better and therefore you feel worse