The old man, especially if he is in society in the privacy of his thoughts, though he may protest the opposite, never stops believing that, through some singular exception of the universal rule, he can in some unknown and inexplicable way still make an impression on women.
Giacomo LeopardiOld age is the supreme evil, for it deprives man of all pleasures while allowing his appetites to remain, and it brings with it every possible sorrow. Yet men fear death and desire old age.
Giacomo LeopardiHe who has the courage to laugh is almost as much a master of the world as he who is ready to die.
Giacomo Leopardi