Realism absorbs the ideal by adding a few small imperfections. Example: it paints a few specks of mud on the white gown of the Lady in the Garden.

The prison is the state writ small.

Prudence does not make people happy; it merely deprives them of the excitement of being constantly in trouble.

The closeups of pornography make human genitals look like undiscovered prehistoric animals.

A sheep who goes looking for a wolf is sure to find one.

Lack of reciprocity ruins friendships, but makes love affairs exciting for a time.

Reversing a proposition rearranges its terms, but still keeps out new terms.