Perfect courage is to do without witnesses what one would be capable of doing with the world looking on.

The happiness and unhappiness of men depends as much on their ethics as on fortune.

It is only persons of firmness that can have real gentleness. Those who appear gentle are, in general, only a weak character, which easily changes into asperity.

The accent of a man's native country remains in his mind and his heart, as it does in his speech.

Our aversion to lying is commonly a secret ambition to make what we say considerable, and have every word received with a religious respect.

Men are not only prone to forget benefits; they even hate those who have obliged them, and cease to hate those who have injured them. The necessity of revenging an injury, or of recompensing a benefit seems a slavery to which they are unwilling to submit.

We should desire very few things passionately if we did but perfectly know the nature of the things we desire.