I was now prepared to accept any faith so long as it did not demand a direct denial of reason, which would have been a deceit.

Pierre was one of those people who are strong only when they feel themselves perfectly pure.

Before we can study the central issues of life today, we must destroy the prejudices and fallacies born of previous centuries.

Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common, but it is essential for right thinking.

By patriotism is meant, not only spontaneous, instinctive love for one's own nation, and preference for it above all other nations, but also the belief that such love and preference are good and useful.

There are people who, on meeting a successful rival, no matter in what, are at once disposed to turn their backs on everything good in him, and to see only what is bad. There are people, on the other hand, who desire above all to find in that lucky rival the qualities by which he has outstripped them, and seek with a throbbing ache at heart only what is good.

Happy people have no history.