We often have need of a profound philosophy to restore to our feelings their original state of innocence, to find our way out of the rubble of things alien to us, to begin to feel for ourselves and to speak ourselves, and I might almost say to exist ourselves.

There is no more important rule of conduct in the world than this: attach yourself as much as you can to people who are abler than you and yet not so very different that you cannot understand them.

Man loves company - even if it is only that of a small burning candle.

Many a man who is willing to be shot for his belief in a miracle would have doubted, had he been present at the miracle itself.

What is called an acute knowledge of human nature is mostly nothing but the observer's own weaknesses reflected back from others.

It is too bad if you have to do everything upon reflection and can't do anything from early habit.

Do we write books so that they shall merely be read? Don't we also write them for employment in the household? For one that is read from start to finish, thousands are leafed through, other thousands lie motionless, others are jammed against mouseholes, thrown at rats, others are stood on, sat on, drummed on, have gingerbread baked on them or are used to light pipes.