Self-love is the love of a man's own self, and of everything else for his own sake. It makes people idolaters to themselves, and tyrants to all the world besides.

There are few things we should keenly desire if we really knew what we wanted.

We should not judge a man's merits by his great qualities, but by the use he makes of them.

Vices are ingredients of virtues just as poisons are ingredients of remedies. Prudence mixes and tempers them and uses them effectively against life's ills.

The passions do very often give birth to others of a nature most contrary to their own. Thus avarice sometimes brings forth prodigality, and prodigality avarice; a man's resolution is very often the effect of levity, and his boldness that of cowardice and fear.

There are people who would never have been in love, had they never heard love spoken of.

Happiness is in the taste, and not in the things.