There is no course of life so weak and sottish as that which is managed by order, method, and discipline.

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

I consider it equal injustice to set our heart against natural pleasures and to set our heart too much on them. We should neither pursue them, nor flee them; we should accept them.

Every period of life has its peculiar prejudices; whoever saw old age, that did not applaud the past, and condemn the present times?

There is no conversation more boring than the one where everybody agrees.

A man has need of tough ears to hear himself fairly judged.

We are all of us richer than we think we are; but we are taught to borrow and to beg, and brought up more to make use of what is another's than of our own.