Napoleon affords us an example of the danger of elevating one's self to the absolute, and sacrificing everything to the carrying out of an idea.

The best pleasures of this world are not quite true.

Thus one can observe that those who proclaim piety as their goal and purpose usually turn into hypocrites.

If you treat men the way they are you never improve them. If you treat them the way you want them to be, you do.

Unlike grown ups, children have little need to deceive themselves.

Nothing will change the fact that I cannot produce the least thing without absolute solitude.

There is nothing worse than aggressive stupidity.