Reasonable men adapt themselves to their environment; unreasonable men try to adapt their environment to themselves. Thus all progress is the result of the efforts of unreasonable men.

Leisure may be defined as free activity, labor as compulsory activity. Leisure does what it likes, labor does what it must, the compulsion being that of Nature, which in these latitudes leaves men no choice between labor and starvation.

What is virtue but the Trade Unionism of the married?

The truth sticks in our throats with all the sauces it is served with: it will never go down until we take it without any sauce at all.

The way to deal with worldly people is to frighten them by repeating their scandalous whisperings aloud.

A man never tells you anything until you contradict him.

It is necessary for the welfare of society that genius should be privileged to utter sedition, to blaspheme, to outrage good taste, to corrupt the youthful mind, and generally to scandalize one's uncles.