But sometimes the future is latent in us without our knowing it, and our supposedly lying words foreshadow an imminent reality.

For neither our greatest fears nor our greatest hopes are beyond the limits of our strength--we are able in the end both to dominate the first and to achieve the second.

When we have passed a certain age, the soul of the child we were and the souls of the dead from whom we have sprung come to lavish on us their riches and their spells.

Life is extraordinarily suave and sweet with certain natural, witty, affectionate people who have unusual distinction and are capable of every vice, but who make a display of none in public and about whom no one can affirm they have a single one. There is something supple and secret about them. Besides, their perversity gives spice to their most innocent occupations, such as taking a walk in the garden at night.

Wars are fought for the benefit of oligarchs, triumphs bought with the blood of peons.

The creation of the world did not occur at the beginning of time, it occurs every day.

A picture's beauty does not depend on the things portrayed in it.