We do not weary of eating and sleeping every day, for hunger and sleepiness recur. Without that we should weary of them. So, without the hunger for spiritual things, we weary of them. Hunger after righteousness--the eighth beatitude.

Passion cannot be beautiful without excess; one either loves too much or not enough.

We must know where to doubt, where to feel certain, where to submit. He who does not do so, understands not the force of reason.

What matters it that man should have a little more knowledge of the universe? If he has it, he gets little higher. Is he not always infinitely removed from the end, and is not the duration of our life equally removed from eternity, even if it lasts ten years longer?

We must kill them in war, just because they live beyond the river. If they lived on this side, we would be called murderers.

If our condition were truly happy, we would not need diversion from thinking of it in order to make ourselves happy.

If you want others to have a good opinion of you, say nothing.