Too great cleverness is but deceptive delicacy, true delicacy is the most substantial cleverness.

He that fancies such a sufficiency in himself that he can live without all the world is greatly mistaken; but he that imagines himself so necessary that other people cannot live without him is a great deal more mistaken.

We feel good and ill only in proportion to our self-love.

Those great and glorious actions that dazzle our eyes with their luster are represented by statesmen as the result of great wisdomand excellent design; whereas, in truth, they are commonly the effects of the humors and passions.

The reason why so few people are agreeable in conversation is that each is thinking more about what he intends to say than others are saying.

Moderation is an ostentatious proof of our strength of character.

Things often offer themselves to our mind in a more finished form in the very first thought, than we might have made them by muchart and study.