What makes us so bitter against people who outwit us is that they think themselves cleverer than we are.

It is a great act of cleverness to be able to conceal one's being clever.

When our vices desert us, we flatter ourselves that we are deserting our vices.

Familiarity is a suspension of almost all the laws of civility, which libertinism has introduced into society under the notion of ease.

Constancy in love is of two sorts: One is the effect of new excellencies that are always presenting themselves afresh, and attractour affections continually; the other is only from a point of honor, and a taking of pride not to change.

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.

Whatever good things people say of us, they tell us nothing new.