A man who has to be punctually at a certain place at five o'clock has the whole afternoon ruined for him already.

In the West, the insane are so many that they are put in an asylum, in China the insane are so unusual that we worship them.

I am willing to allow that smoking is a moral weakness, but on the other hand, we must beware of the man without weaknesses. He is not to be trusted. He is apt to be always sober and he cannot make a single mistake. His habits are likely to be regular, his existence more mechanical and his head always maintains its supremacy over his heart. Much as I like reasonable persons, I hate completely rational beings.

Simplicity is the outward sign and symbol of depth of thought.

Life is too short to make an over-serious business out of it.

I like spring, but it is too young. I like summer, but it is too proud. So I like best of all autumn, because its leaves are a little yellow, its tone mellower, its colours richer, and it is tinged a little with sorrow and a premonition of death. Its golden richness speaks not of the innocence of spring, nor of the power of summer, but of the mellowness and kindly wisdom of approaching age. It knows the limitations of life and is content.

Anyone who reads a book with a sense of obligation does not understand the art of reading.