What the father kept silent the son speaks out.

What? A great man? I only ever see the ape of his own ideal.

Away from God and gods did this will lure me: what would there be to create if gods existed?

If we affirm one moment, we thus affirm not only ourselves but all existence. For nothing is self-sufficient, neither in us ourselves nor in things; and if our soul has trembled with happiness and sounded like a harp string just once, all eternity was needed to produce this one event - and in this single moment of affirmation all eternity was called good, redeemed, justified, and affirmed.

There are people who are so presumptuous that they know no other way to praise a greatness that they publicly admire than by representing it as a preliminary stage and bridge leading to themselves.

A man who is very busy seldom changes his opinions.

Our vanity is hardest to wound precisely when our pride has just been wounded.