It is harder to hide the feelings we have than to feign the ones we do not have.

Gratitude is a useless word. You will find it in a dictionary but not in life.

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.

We cannot possibly imagine the variety of contradictions in every heart.

One thing which makes us find so few people who appear reasonable and agreeable in conversation is, that there is scarcely any one who does not think more of what he is about to say than of answering precisely what is said to him.

Plenty of people want to be pious, but no one yearns to be humble.

Love can no more continue without a constant motion than fire can; and when once you take hope and fear away, you take from it its very life and being.