To know a little of anything gives neither satisfaction nor credit, but often brings disgrace or ridicule.

Prepare yourself for the world, as athletes used to do for their exercises; oil your mind and your manners, to give them the necessary suppleness and flexibility; strength alone will not do.

To have frequent recourse to narrative betrays great want of imagination.

I am in the pitiable situation of feeling all the force of temptation without having the strength to succumb to it.

Ugliness is a letter of credit for some special purposes.

Observe it, the vulgar often laugh, but never smile, whereas well-bred people often smile, and seldom or never laugh. A witty thing never excited laughter, it pleases only the mind and never distorts the countenance.

Advice is seldom welcome, and those who need it the most, like it the least.