Men get tired of everything, of heaven no less than of hell; and that all history is nothing but a record of the oscillations of the world between these two extremes. An epoch is but a swing of the pendulum; and each generation thinks the world is progressing because it is always moving.

Except during the nine months before he draws his first breath, no man manages his affairs as well as a tree does.

I never thought much of the courage of a lion tamer. Inside the cage he is at least safe from people.

Civilized society is one huge bourgeoisie: no nobleman dares now shock his greengrocer.

The universal regard for money is the one hopeful fact in our civilization. Money is the most important thing in the world. It represents health, strength, honor, generosity and beauty . . . . Not the least of its virtues is that it destroys basic people as certainly as it fortifies and dignifies noble people.

Only where there is pecuniary equality can the distinction of merit stand out.

All this struggling and striving to make the world better is a great mistake. Not that it's wrong to try to improve the world if you know how but simply because struggling and striving are the worst possible ways to go about doing anything!