The confidence in another man's virtue is no light evidence of a man's own, and God willingly favors such a confidence.

Almost all the opinions we have are taken on authority and on credit.

Men are tormented by the opinions they have of things, and not the things themselves.

A strong memory is commonly coupled with infirm judgment.

Greatness of soul consists not so much in soaring high and in pressing forward, as in knowing how to adapt and limit oneself.

If these Essays were worthy of being judged, it might fall out, in my opinion, that they would not find much favour, either with common and vulgar minds, or with uncommon and eminent ones: the former would not find enough in them, the latter would find too much; they might manage to live somewhere in the middle region.

Why do people respect the package rather than the man?