The sexes deceive themselves about one another: the reason being that at bottom they honor and love only themselves (or their ownideal, to express it more agreeably). Thus man wants woman to be peaceable--but woman is essentially, like the cat, not peaceable, however well she may have trained herself to assume the appearance of peace.

I change too quickly: my today refutes my yesterday. When I ascend I often jump over steps, and no step forgives me that.

Everything that is profound loves the mask: the profoundest things have a hatred even of figure and likeness.

A real fox calls sour not only those grapes that he cannot reach but also those that he has reached and taken away from others.

The trodden worm curls up. This testifies to its caution. It thus reduces its chances of being trodden upon again. In the language of morality: Humility.

One does well to put on gloves when reading the New Testament. The proximity of so much uncleanliness almost forces one to do this.

Every habit makes our hand more witty and our wit less handy.