Men never desire anything very eagerly which they desire only by the dictates of reason.

In the presence of some people we inevitably depart From ourselves: we are inaccurate, we say things we do not feel, And talk nonsense. When we get home we are conscious that we Have made fools of ourselves. Never go near these people.

As the great ones of this world are unable to bestow health of body or peace of mind, we always pay too high a price for any good they can do.

There is a sort of love whose very excessiveness prevents the lover's being jealous.

We always get bored with those whom we bore.

There are very few things impossible in themselves; and we do not want means to conquer difficulties so much as application and resolution in the use of means.

Clemency, which we make a virtue of, proceeds sometimes from vanity, sometimes from indolence, often from fear, and almost always from a mixture of all three.