The axiom of conditioned repetition, like the binomial theorem, is nothing but a piece of insolence.

The consolation of reading biography: Most great men have led lives even more miserable than our own.

The "terror" of the French Revolution lasted for ten years. The terror that preceded and led to it lasted for a thousand years.

The greater your dreams, the more terrible your nightmares.

Longevity, like intelligence and good looks and health and strength of character, is largely a matter of genetic heritage. Choose your parents with care.

There has never yet been a human society worthy of the name of civilization. Civilization remains a remote ideal.

If you feel that you're not ready to die, never fear; nature will give you complete and adequate assistance when the time comes.