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!

There are preachers of death: and the earth is full of those to whom desistance from life must be preached.

And he who must be a creator in good and evil: verily, he must be an annihilator first and demolish values.

Since men do not really respect anything unless it was established long ago and has developed slowly over time, those who want tokeep on living after their death must take worry not only about their future generations but even more about their past: that is why tyrants of all kinds (including tyrannical artists and politicians) like to do violence to history, so that it will appear as a preparation and stepladder to themselves.

Nothing on earth consumes a man more quickly than the passion of resentment.

What, then is truth?... Truths are illusions about which one has forgotten that this is what they are.

Wisdom sets bounds even to knowledge.