It is disgusting to pick your teeth; what is vulgar is to use a gold toothpick.

In the history of mankind, fanaticism has caused more harm than vice.

In general, American social life constitutes an evasion of talking to people. Most Americans don't, in any vital sense, get together; they only do things together.

Life for most of us is full of steep stairs to go up and later, shaky stairs to totter down; and very early in the history of stairs must have come the invention of bannisters.

Educated people do indeed speak the same languages; cultivated ones need not speak at all.

The essence of the expert is that his field shall be very special and narrow: one of the ways in which he inspires confidence is to rigidly limit himself to the little toe; he would scarcely venture an off-the-record opinion on an infected little finger.

Having disciples is in the end like having children, only not with love but with self-love preeminent.