Eloquence is a painting of thought; and thus those who, after having painted it, add something more, make a picture instead of a portrait.

Man finds nothing so intolerable as to be in a state of complete rest, without passions, without occupation, without diversion, without effort. Then he feels his nullity, loneliness, inadequacy, dependence, helplessness, emptiness.

I can readily conceive of a man without hands or feet; and I could conceive of him without a head, if experience had not taught me that by this he thinks, Thought then, is the essence of man, and without this we cannot conceive of him.

It is incomprehensible that God should exist, and it is incomprehensible that he should not exist.

People are generally better persuaded by the reasons which they have themselves discovered than by those which have come in to the mind of others.

Perfect clarity would profit the intellect but damage the will.

Words differently arranged have a different meaning, and meanings differently arranged have different effects.