The modern world is full of the old Christian virtues gone mad. The virtues have gone mad because they have been isolated from each other and are wandering alone. Thus some scientists care for truth; and their truth is pitiless. Thus some humanitarians only care for pity; and their pity (I am sorry to say) is often untruthful.

Jokes are generally honest. Complete solemnity is always dishonest.

Gratitude produced the most purely joyful moments that have been known to man.

I do not feel any contempt for an atheist, who is often a man limited and constrained by his own logic to a very sad simplification.

It is largely because the free-thinkers, as a school, have hardly made up their minds whether they want to be more optimist or more pessimist than Christianity that their small but sincere movement has failed.

The more we are certain what good is, the more we shall see good in everything.

Misers get up early in the morning; and burglars, I am informed, get up the night before.