What stops me from taking myself seriously, even though I am essentially a serious person, is that I find myself extremely ridiculous, not in the sense of the small-scale ridiculousness of slap-stick comedy, but rather in the sense of ridiculousness that seems intrinsic to human life and that manifests itself in the simplest actions and the most extraordinary gestures.

Women want you to deceive them: they force you to, and if you resist, they blame you.

My foregrounds are imaginary, my backgrounds real.

Talent is a long patience.

To see one's name in print! Some people commit a crime for no other reason.

Melancholy is a sensual pleasure that is deliberately provoked. How many people shut themselves away to make themselves sadder, or to weep beside a stream, or choose a sentimental book! We are constantly building and unbuilding ourselves.

To be stupid, selfish, and have good health are three requirements for happiness, though if stupidity is lacking, all is lost.