The duty of man is the same in respect to his own nature as in respect to the nature of all other things, namely not to follow it but to amend it.

Since the general or prevailing opinion on any subject is rarely or never the whole truth, it is only by the collision of adverse opinion that the remainder of the truth has any chance of being supplied.

What is contrary to women's nature to do, they never will be made to do by simply giving their nature free play.

Whatever crushes individuality is despotism.

Laws and systems of polity always begin by recognizing the relations they find already existing between individuals.

Experience has taught me that those who give their time to the absorbing claims of what is called society, not having leisure to keep up a large acquaintance with the organs of opinion, remain much more ignorant of the general state either of the public mind, or of the active and instructed part of it, than a recluse who reads the newspapers need be.

Most persons have but a very moderate capacity of happiness. Expecting...in marriage a far greater degree of happiness than they commonly find, and knowing not that the fault is in their own scanty capability of happiness.