Surely human affairs would be far happier if the power in men to be silent were the same as that to speak.

Ambition is the immoderate desire for honor.

To understand something is to be delivered of it.

From what has been said we can clearly understand the nature of Love and Hate. Love is nothing else but pleasure accompanied by the idea of an external cause: Hate is nothing else but pain accompanied by the idea of an external cause. We further see, that he who loves necessarily endeavors to have, and to keep present to him, the object of his love; while he who hates endeavors to remove and destroy the object of his hatred.

self-preservation is the primary and only foundation of virtue.

The greatest good is the knowledge of the union which the mind has with the whole nature.

We are so constituted by Nature that we easily believe the things we hope for, but believe only with difficulty those we fear, and that we regard such things more or less highly than is just. This is the source of the superstitions by which men everywhere are troubled. For the rest, I don