Every one knew he could foretell wars and famines, though that was not so hard, for there was always a war, and generally a famine somewhere.

If you hold a cat by the tail you learn things you cannot learn any other way.

There is no character, howsoever good and fine, but it can be destroyed by ridicule, howsoever poor and witless. Observe the ass, for instance: his character is about perfect, he is the choicest spirit among all the humbler animals, yet see what ridicule has brought him to. Instead of feeling complimented when we are called an ass, we are left in doubt.

The citizen who sees his society's democratic clothes being worn out and does not cry it out, is not a patriot, but a traitor.

As by the fires of experience, so by commission of crime you learn real morals. Commit all crimes, familiarize yourself with all sins, take them in rotation (there are only two or three thousand of them), stick to it, commit two or three every day, and by and by you will be proof against them. When you are through you will be proof against all sins and morally perfect. You will be vaccinated against every possible commission of them. This is the only way.

Ignorance is not not knowin' - Ignorance is knowin' what ain't so.

Principles have no real force except when one is well-fed.