The great advantages of simulation and dissimulation are three. First to lay asleep opposition and to surprise. For where a man's intentions are published, it is an alarum to call up all that are against them. The second is to reserve a man's self a fair retreat: for if a man engage himself, by a manifest declaration, he must go through, or take a fall. The third is, the better to discover the mind of another. For to him that opens himself, men will hardly show themselves adverse; but will fair let him go on, and turn their freedom of speech to freedom of thought.

Money is a great servant but a bad master.

It is the peculiar and perpetual error of the human understanding to be more moved and excited by affirmatives than by negatives

The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.

The fortune which nobody sees makes a person happy and unenvied.

The only really interesting thing is what happens between two people in a room.

The eye of understanding is like the eye of the sense; for as you may see great objects through small crannies or levels, so you may see great axioms of nature through small and contemptible instances.