Pythagoras used to say that life resembles the Olympic Games: a few people strain their muscles to carry off a prize; others bring trinkets to sell to the crowd for gain; and some there are, and not the worst, who seek no other profit than to look at the show and see how and why everything is done; spectators of the life of other people in order to judge and regulate their own.

If by being overstudious, we impair our health and spoil our good humor, let us give it up.

Stupidity and wisdom meet in the same centre of sentiment and resolution, in the suffering of human accidents.

Whenever a new finding is reported to the world people say - It is probably not true. Later on, when the reliability of a new finding has been fully confirmed, people say - OK, it may be true but it has no real significance. At last, when even the significance of the finding is obvious to everybody, people say - Well, it might have some significance, but the idea is not new.

Even opinion is of force enough to make itself to be espoused at the expense of life.

There is nothing so extreme that is not allowed by the custom of some nation or other.

Confidence in the goodness of another is good proof of one's own goodness.