At the beginning of a marriage ask yourself whether this woman will be interesting to talk to from now until old age. Everything else in marriage is transitory: most of the time is spent in conversation.

Today as always, men fall into two groups: slaves and free men. Whoever does not have two-thirds of his day for himself, is a slave, whatever he may be: a statesman, a businessman, an official, or a scholar.

Poets and writers who are in love with the superlative all want to do more than they can.

Better know nothing than half-know many things.

As long as you still experience the stars as something "above you", you lack the eye of knowledge.

Doing ill to those on whom we have to make our power felt; for pain is a far more sensitive means for that purpose than pleasure: pain always asks concerning the cause, while pleasure is inclined to keep within itself and not look backward.

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