The great trick of regarding small departures from the truth as the truth itself - on which is founded the entire integral calculus - is also the basis of our witty speculations, where the whole thing would often collapse if we considered the departures with philosophical rigour.

We are obliged to regard many of our original minds as crazy at least until we have become as clever as they are.

We say that someone occupies an official position, whereas it is the official position that occupies him.

Everyone is perfectly willing to learn from unpleasant experience - if only the damage of the first lesson could be repaired.

It thunders, howls, roars, hisses, whistles, blusters, hums, growls, rumbles, squeaks, groans, sings, crackles, cracks, rattles, flickers, clicks, snarls, tumbles, whimpers, whines, rustles, murmurs, crashes, clucks, to gurgle, tinkles, blows, snores, claps, to lisp, to cough, it boils, to scream, to weep, to sob, to croak, to stutter, to lisp, to coo, to breathe, to clash, to bleat, to neigh, to grumble, to scrape, to bubble. These words, and others like them, which express sounds are more than mere symbols: they are a kind of hieroglyphics for the ear.

The feeling of health can only be gained by sickness.

It is almost everywhere the case that soon after it is begotten the greater part of human wisdom is laid to rest in repositories.