To the good warrior soundeth "thou shalt" pleasanter than "I will." And all that is dear unto you, ye shall first have it commanded unto you.

Every virtue inclines to stupidity, every stupidity to virtue; "stupid to the point of sanctity," they say in Russia, - let us be careful lest out of pure honesty we eventually become saints and bores!

The consequences of our actions take hold of us, quite indifferent to our claim that meanwhile we have 'improved.

There's no defense against stupidity.

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.

It was a subtle refinement of God to learn Greek when he wished to write a book – and that he did not learn it better.

I and me are always too deeply in conversation.