No men are oftener wrong than those that can least bear to be so.

Few things are impossible in themselves: application to make them succeed fails us more often than the means.

It is harder to hide the feelings we have than to feign the ones we do not have.

There are good marriages, but there are no delightful ones.

Politeness of mind consists in thinking chaste and refined thoughts.

On why I don't trust democracy without extremely powerful systems of accountability and recall What seems to be generosity is often only disguised ambition - which despises small interests to gain great ones.

We often pride ourselves on even the most criminal passions, but envy is a timid and shamefaced passion we never dare to acknowledge.