One must never have spared oneself, one must have acquired hardness as a habit to be cheerful and in good spirits in the midst of nothing but hard truths.

One must know how to conserve oneself- the best test of independence.

What is bad? -Everything that arises from weakness.

Heraclitus was an opponent of all democratic parties.

The errors of great men are venerable because they are more fruitful than the truths of little men.

Thus strength is afforded by good and thorough customs, thus is learnt the subjection of the individual, and strenuousness of character becomes a birth gift and afterwards is fostered as a habit.

Some people throw a bit of their personality after their bad arguments, as if that might straighten their paths and turn them into right and good arguments-just as a man in a bowling alley, after he has let go of the ball, still tries to direct it with gestures.