The books one has written in the past have two surprises in store: one couldn't write them again, and wouldn't want to.

In order to remain true to oneself one ought to renounce one's party three times a day.

Stupidity, outrage, vanity, cruelty, iniquity, bad faith, falsehood - we fail to see the whole array when it is facing in the same direction as we.

Kill one man, and you are a murderer. Kill millions of men, and you are a conqueror. Kill them all, and you are a god.

A few great minds are enough to endow humanity with monstrous power, but a few great hearts are not enough to make us worthy of using it.

We bestow on others praise in which we do not believe, on condition that in return they bestow upon us praise in which we do.

We are not naïve enough to ask for pure men; we ask merely for men whose impurity does not conflict with the obligations of their job.