Marriage was contrived for ordinary people, for people who are capable of neither great love nor great friendship, which is to say, for most people--but also for those exceptionally rare ones who are capable of love as well as of friendship.

The most spiritual human beings, assuming they are the most courageous, also experience by far the most painful tragedies: but it is precisely for this reason that they honor life, because it brings against them its most formidable weapons.

That roguish and cheerful vice, politeness.

But not to perish from internal distress and doubt when one inflicts great suffering and hears the cry of suffering : that is great, that belongs to greatness.

The coward does not know what it means to be alone: an enemy is always standing behind his chair.

Be careful, lest in casting out your demon you exorcise the best thing in you.

We are so fond of being out among nature, because it has no opinions about us.