Do not despise your situation; in it you must act, suffer, and conquer. From every point on earth we are equally near to heaven and to the infinite.

Self-interest is but the survival of the animal in us. Humanity only begins for man with self-surrender.

Conquering any difficulty always gives one a secret joy, for it means pushing back a boundary-line and adding to one's liberty.

Cleverness is serviceable for everything, sufficient for nothing.

We become actors without realizing it, and actors without wanting to.

Sacrifice, which is the passion of great souls, has never been the law of societies.

Happiness gives us the energy which is the basis of health.