When we talk in company we lose our unique tone of voice, and this leads us to make statements which in no way correspond to our real thoughts.

Success has always been a great liar.

Every deep thinker is more afraid of being understood than of being misunderstood.

We think that play and fairytales belong to childhood - how shortsighted that is! As though we would want at any time in our life to live without play and fairytales! We give these things other names, to be sure, and feel differently about them, but precisely this is the evidence that they are the same things, for the child too regards play as his work and fairy tales as his truth. The brevity of life ought to preserve us from a pedantic division of life into different stages - as though each brought something new.

Every man has his price. This is not true. But for every man there exists a bait which he cannot resist swallowing.

Talking much about oneself can also be a means to conceal oneself.

The great works are produced in such an ecstasy of love that they must always be unworthy of it, however great their worth otherwise.