Although you have so far demonstrated little faith in my ability to pay, I yet hope to demonstrate that I am somebody who pays his debts-for example, to you.

One has to take a somewhat bold and dangerous line with this existence: especially as, whatever happens, we are bound to lose it.

The great works are produced in such an ecstasy of love that they must always be unworthy of it, however great their worth otherwise.

The pure soul is a pure lie.

The most perfidious way of harming a cause consists of defending it deliberately with faulty arguments.

Whether a man hides his bad qualities and vices or confesses them openly, his vanity wants to gain an advantage by it in both cases: just note how subtly he distinguishes between those he will hide his bad qualities from and those he will face honestly and candidly.

In the consciousness of the truth he has perceived, man now sees everywhere only the awfulness or the absurdity of existence and loathing seizes him.