Every man, wherever he goes, is encompassed by a cloud of comforting convictions, which move with him like flies on a summer day.

Happiness, as is evident, depends partly upon external circumstances and partly upon oneself.

A process which led from the amoeba to man appeared to the philosophers to be obviously a progress though whether the amoeba would agree with this opinion is not known.

Philosophy, from the earliest times, has made greater claims, and achieved fewer results, than any other branch of learning.

Education, which was at first made universal in order that all might be able to read and write, has been found capable of serving quite other purposes. By instilling nonsense it unifies populations and generates collective enthusiasm.

Neither the Church nor modern public opinion condemns petting, provided it stops short at a certain point.

The demand for certainty is one which is natural to man, but is nevertheless an intellectual vice. So long as men are not trained to withhold judgment in the absence of evidence, they will be led astray by cocksure prophets, and it is likely that their leaders will be either ignorant fanatics or dishonest charlatans. To endure uncertainty is difficult, but so are most of the other virtues.