Nothing should lessen our satisfaction with ourselves as much as when we notice that we disapprove of something at one time that we approve of at another time.

We sometimes imagine we hate flattery, but we only hate the way we are flattered.

Idleness and fear keeps us in the path of duty, but our virtue often gets the praise.

The breeding we give young people is ordinarily but an additional self-love, by which we make them have a better opinion of themselves.

What makes us so often discontented with those who transact business for us is that they almost always abandon the interest of their friends for the interest of the business, because they wish to have the honor of succeeding in that which they have undertaken.

Love of fame, fear of disgrace, schemes for advancement, desire to make life comfortable and pleasant, and the urge to humiliate others are often at the root of the valour men hold in such high esteem.

Too great cleverness is but deceptive delicacy, true delicacy is the most substantial cleverness.