Boredom ... causes us to neglect more duties than does interest.

The greatest part of intimate confidences proceed from a desire either to be pitied or admired.

We label judges with having the meanest motives, and yet we desire that our reputation and fame should depend upon the judgment of men, who are all, either from their jealousy or preoccupation or want of intelligence, opposed to us - and yet despite their bias, just for the sake of making these men decide in our favor, we peril in so many ways both our peace and our life.

What we call generosity is for the most part only the vanity of giving; and we exercise it because we are more fond of that vanity than of the thing we give.

We rarely think people have good sense unless they agree with us.

He who refuses praise the first time that it is offered does so because he would hear it a second time.

It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men.