All philosophy is a form of confession.

Against the censurers of brevity. - Something said briefly can be the fruit of much long thought: but the reader who is a novice in this field, and has as yet reflected on it not at all, sees in everything said briefly something embryonic, not without censuring the author for having served him up such immature and unripened fare.

Thou seekest disciples? Then thou seekest ciphers.

Men use a new lesson or experience later on as a ploughshare or perhaps also as a weapon; women at once make it into an ornament.

There is no more dreary or more repulsive creature than the man who has evaded his genius.

The purpose of punishment is to improve those who do the punishing--that is the final recourse of those who support punishment.

How much truth can a spirit bear, how much truth can a spirit dare? ... that became for me more and more the real measure of value.