Nothing hinders a thing from being natural so much as the straining ourselves to make it seem so.

There are various sorts of curiosity; one is from interest, which makes us desire to know that which may be useful to us; and the other, from pride which comes from the wish to know what others are ignorant of.

We can never be certain of our courage until we have faced danger.

There is something to be said for jealousy, because it only designs the preservation of some good which we either have or think wehave a right to. But envy is a raging madness that cannot bear the wealth or fortune of others.

Vices are ingredients of virtues just as poisons are ingredients of remedies. Prudence mixes and tempers them and uses them effectively against life's ills.

People's personalities, like buildings, have various facades, some pleasant to view, some not.

There is an excess both in happiness and misery above our power of sensation.